Mukthinath Yatra - 7

Back to Pokhra 

Normally all the groups performing the Muktinath yatra face some difficulty or the other. Our group also faced the same on this day of return from Jomsom to Pokhra. At the appointed time of 5.30 in the morning some of the group members reached Jomsom airport. But nobody was there at the airline’s counter. We didn’t know what to do there was nobody to turn to. 

  A Buddhist Monastery 

A village  on the way 

A peak of Daulagiri ranges 

Buck wheat fields 

View of  valley from above 

Panaromic view of a River 

A small plane on flight 

Pokhra Airport 

  Map of Nepal out of flowers 

Bird'd eye view of Phewa Lake 

After 9’0 clock some staff came and told that the aircraft has gone to Kathmandu for inspection so the flights are cancelled and will resume only when the aircraft  there was uncertainity whether we will be able to return back that day. After some time the flight cameback and two sorties took palce. After our repeated requests the airlines arranged tickets in other airlines so most of us could return to Pokhra. But 8 pilgrims were stuck at Jomsom that day

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Air travel from Pokhra to Jomsom 

Pokhra is the second largest city in Nepal and one can get the beautiful view of Annapurna peaks from here. The Phewa lake situated in Pokhra is main tourist attraction and this town serves as the gateway to Muktinath.  One thing we noticed here in Nepal this time is that electricity is not available throughout the day both in Kathmandu and Pokhra, though hydro electricity is abundant in Nepal. The generators are switched only in the night in the lodges.  As the altitude of Pokhra is just 800 m we didn’t feel much cold  and after about 15 days we used the fans here at Pokhra.              

Beautiful view of Annapoorna peaks from Pokhra Town

Another view of the peaks

( There are six prominent peaks in the Annapoorna Ranges)

     

Fish tail peak as seen from Pokhra 

As normally the small planes from Pokhra to Jomsom are operated from morning 6 O’ clock to 11 O’ clocked we left the hotel at 5 O’ clock in the morning and were treated wonderful golden view of the different peaks of the Annpoorna mountain ranges. The tour operatord had booked our tickets in Simrik Airlines and the flight left on scheduled time as the weather was clear. As the flight from Pokhra to Jomsom passes through two mountain ranges namely Annapoorna and Daulagiri ranges the weather conditions determine the flight schedule. Normally the wind velocity is conducive from morning 6 to 11  so about four sorties can only be performed during this interval after this as the wind velocity increases  no flights are operated. Visibility is also another problem so when it rains or snows the flights are cancelled. Almost all the pilgrims face some problem either dutring the onward  journey or the return journey because of this only way then is travel by jeep in a bone rattling tortuous path for about 12 hrs.  If there are land slides enroute the yatra has to be cancelled no other go.

View of Nilgiri peaks at Jomsom 

Some of our group members

Pokhra Airport 

We travelled by Simrik Airlines plane from Pokhra to Jomsom

Panoramic view  of  Pokhra  Town from the sky

   Different  views of  the Fish tail peak 

In Nepali  language this peak is called as Machepuchere meaning fish tail.  When seen while travelling in lane we can see that the peak resembles a fish tail hence this name. 

(  Thanks to google )

 While on the flight we enjoyed the beauty of the peaks of both the Annapoorna nd the Daulagiri ranges. Especially astonishing was the Machapuchare peaks – meaning  Fish Tail Peak. From Pokhra the peak resembled a cone but as we travelled further it resembled a fish tail and so the name to this peak. After about 45 minutes of flight the flight landed at the picturesque Jomsom Airport. In three sorties all 40 pilgrims of group reached Jomsom without any problem. We were accommodated in a hotel there and  from there we enjoyed the beauty of the snow covered Nilgiri peaks towering over Jomsom.

The monastery at Lubra village from where the jeeps to Muktinath ply 

As other pilgrims of our group were yet to arrive we explored Jomsom it is at the best a small village with a main road both sides you have restaurants, guest houses and shops selling atrefacts mainly salagramams.  There was a Shiva temple nearby and we climbed about 50 steps to rach the shrine. We found that all the Shivalingams in Nepal are four faced like Pasupathinath.  After the arrival of all the pilgrims of our group we had  breakfast and  left for Muktinath by  mini bus  and reached the shores of Kali Gantaki river.    

The Guest oust at Jomsom in which we stayed

The interior of the guest house 

We were on the shores of the Holy Gandaki River in which Shalagrama-shilas are found. For the believers these are  the manifestation of Sriman Narayana. An object of reverence and  a pooja Murthi. Vaishnavas  worship aniconic  representation of Vishnu  in the form of a spherical, usually black-coloured rocks  found in the sacred river  Gandaki.  For scientis thesr are  ammonites or the fossils of the  shells of marine animals what Himalayas were once before the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate started to collide. After  the collision  the Himalayas were formed. 

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Manokamana Devi Darshan 

Some of the pilgrims who performed the Holy Kailash Manasarovar yatra decided to leave for their homes but  a batch of new  pilgrims from Chennai  joined us  and we all left for Pokhra by bus in the morning.  Like any Indian city Kathmandu is also crowde with vehicles and there were traffic snarls all the way it took almost two hours to cross Kathmandu. We joined the   picturesque Prithvi highway near to Tripureshwar temple. This highway links Nepal and India and passes through Pokhra. The road followed the Trisuli River.  High mountains were on both the sides of the road  and it was a fertile land. Step irrigation is being practiced there and we saw many paddy, banana, corn  fields and orchards all long the way. There were innumerable small streams flowing from the mountains and mingling into Trisuli river and bridges were there on all the streams and the bus journey was enjoyable. Greenery was there all along the way and on the other side of the river shops and houses were there. We also noticed small shrines resembling Pasupatinath temple in the roofs of many houses. We also saw that  Viswa Karma Pooja was being celebrated  in many villges. 

Some of  the pilgrims who left  for Muktinath

On the way to Pokhra we stopped at Mano Kamna Devi temple to offer our prayrs to the Mother Goddess fulfils one’s desires. This temple is one of the famous temples of Nepal.  From the main road one has to cross the Trisuli river and  climb about two mountains to reach the temple. But a rope way has been installed for the convenience of the pilgrims.

 

The total length of the rope way is 2.8 Km and is in three sections first a  ramp awhen were it crosses the river and then it travels straight for some distance and then the final ramp and we reach the temple presincts.  The scenario form the top when we were travelling in the rope car was really mesmerizing. The objects on the river looked miniscule seen from the top. There were many villages in between the roofs of the houses were painted purple. We learnt that it was the Corporate colour of NCELL a cell phone company of Nepal and for their advertisement they had painted all the roofs in purple.  Westeners stay in these villages and enjoy the Takali cusinie a non vegeterial speciality of this area. This area is also famous for it’s Oranges. Enjoying the beauty of the mountains we reached Mano Kamna Devi temple rope car station. From there we have to trek some distance to reach the shrine and on both the sides of the path there were many shops selling souvineirs and eateries. Slowly we trekked and reached the shrine. There is a nice garden maintained at the station and a beautiful statue of Garudan the celestial bird and the mount of Lord Vishnu is situated here.  

Panoramic view of Trisuli River from cable car above
 

Bridge across River 

Boats in the River 

The legend of ManoKamna Devi is told like this. Once when Ram Shah a Gorkha King  was ruling this part,  Mother Goddess incarnated here as his wife. Th secret was known only to a devotee Lakan Thapa. One day the king happens to  see the queen as Goddess abd because of this he dies. As per the customs the queen commits Sati. But at the request of Lakan Thapa she appears here. When a peasent Thanjoj Baba was ploughing his land mysteriously milk and blood flowed from a spot. Lakan Thapa offered Pooja  to the Goddess in Tantric way  and the blood stopped . The temple for Mano Kamna eas established at the same sacred spot. Today the 21^stgeneration  descent sof Lakan thapa are performing the poojas to the Goddess. Daily in the morning the poojas are offered to the Goddess in Tantirc way , Eggs, Oranges, Rice, Kumkum   and  Red cloth is offered and later only the devotees are allowed to worship the mother. 

The Goddess is self formed here and is just a mountain peak. There are also other peaks representing Ganeshm Bhairava, Durga, Kanya kumara and Saptha mathas are also have manifested as smaller peaks. The brass stauesa are instllles  We can go nearer to the Goddess and worship her.  The temple is tall structure in dual pakoda style typical of the Nepal shrines. The wood works of the windows and the cross beams of the roofs is really wonderful.  The roof is gold plated and shines in the sun. After a circumbulation of the shrine we entered the sanctum and offered our prayers for the well being of all.  Later  we crossed the confluence of Trisuli and Kali Gandhaki river enjoyed the beauty of the Golden  Annapoorna ranges during the dusk time and reached Pokhra in the evening and stayed there for the night.

Cable car to Manokamana Devi temple

 

Mano Kamana Devi shrine

ஆலயத்தின் அருகில் ஒரு பிரம்மாண்டமான மரம்

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