Bara Gaon: In The Midst Of Mustang

There are many fascinating sites to explore as you trek through this fascinating region high in the Himalayas

The ancient temple complex at Muktinath provides a unique insight into the beliefs of two of the world’s major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism and provides a lesson in cooperation that Jerusalem could learn from.

The village of Kagbeni with its warren of streets, 16th-century fort, traditional family chapel, and curious village guards is undoubtedly worth a visit. As is the unspoiled village of Lupra where time has stood still and ancient gods still hold sway.

Quick Tips:

Unlike the highly restricted area of Upper Mustang, this area is wide open to tourists, all that is required is a permit available for 2000 NRs from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Tourists have been flocking to this area for many years and as a result the facilities are well developed but this has not entirely taken away from the unique charms of this mountain region.

Best Way To Get Around:

Roads have not yet penetrated this far into the mountains and walking is still the only way to get around, but the paths are well marked and well maintained as this is where the famous Jomson Trek starts.

Muktinath and the other villages of this region can all be reached within a days walk from the village of Jomson, and the airport there has flights to and from Pokhara that take 25 minutes and cost US.

"A symbol of religious symbiosis
between the Hindus and the Buddhists"

The oft-quoted phrase above is indicative of this complex’s importance as a site that is sacred to both the regions main religions.

Near the entrance to the complex is Gompa Samba (New Monastery) founded by Syandol as a hostel for Lamas it was later renovated by the local villagers. The Nyingmapa temple they constructed contains an interesting terracotta statue of Sakyamini (the historical Guatam Buddha) flanked by Chinserik (Avalokiteswara; the Buddhist god of protection) and Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava; the 8th-century Tantric saint and founder of the Nyingmapa sect who is credited with converting Tibet to Buddhism).

The sprawling grounds of the walled complex are dominated by the Newari pagoda-style Muktinath Temple (Lord of Salvation Temple) the altar of which is presided over by Vishnu (the preserver god of Hindu mythology) and his consort Laxmi (Hindu goddess of wealth). Around the main altar you can find images of Saraswati (Hindu goddess of learning), Garuda (the birdman vehicle of Vishnu) and curiously Leonardo Di Caprio (the diminutive film star) amongst others. Behind the temple are 108 cow-head shaped waterspouts. Bathing under these is supposed to bring salvation but I suspect it’s more likely to bring pneumonia.

North of the main temple, the Mharme Lha Khang Gompa (Monastery of 1000 Lamps) is situated in the heart of the poplar grove, said to have sprouted from the walking sticks left here by the 84 great magicians on their journey into Tibet. The monastery marks the spot where Guru Rimpoche, is said to have obtained enlightenment. The statue of the guru seated on a lotus takes centre stage on the temple’s altar and he is flanked by two of the Bon gods he is said to have converted. Trakpo sits to the guru’s right and Singe Doma to the left whose lion’s head has lead Hindus to worship it as Narsingh (the man-lion avatar of Vishnu).

The main attraction of the complex is, however, Mebar Lha Khang Gompa (Monastery of the Miraculous Fire) dedicated to Chinserik and worshipped by Hindus as Jaivalumai (goddess of fire). Behind a small curtain beneath the altar is a small hole in the rock that emits a trickle of water and a blue flame of natural gas. This Sale Mebar, Do Mebar, Kla Mebar (fire on soil, fire on rock, fire on water" is worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus. The Buddhists believe it to be a form of Chinserik and the Hindus believe it to be an offering of Brahma (the creator god of Hindu mythology).

Whatever you believe the temple complex is a fascinating place that is well worth taking out a half a day from your trek to explore.

This curious medieval town, situated in a fertile valley amidst barren wastelands, is a maze of mud-brick houses and dark alleyways dominated by a massive and imposing red Gompa.

The town's immense strategic importance, located as it is at the confluence of two river valleys, is demonstrated by the presence of the ruins of a 16th-century fort at the heart of the old town. Surrounding this is the tightly packed layout of streets around which a defensive wall with only two gates once stood. These medieval defences made the town so impregnable that it was deemed sufficient to have only two guards, one for each gate.

In the 19th century, the human guards of these two gates were also deemed superfluous and replaced with Khenis (Ghost Eaters). These primitive gargoyles are remnants of the ancient Bon religion that once held sway here and are one of the most curious sights on the trek. The male figure that guards the northern gate is incredibly well-endowed (even by my standards!) while a female figure that guards the southern gate is sadly quite badly worn and in desperate need of repairs.

The distinctive gompa is somewhat verbosely known as Kag Chode Thupten Samphel Gompa (The Monastery of the Place to Stop and Develop Concentration on the Teachings of the Lord Buddha). Founded in the 13th century, by Dga Bzong Po of the Shakyapa sect, it is just as impressive a site now as it must have been then. It’s impressive presence inspired me, as it must have inspired thousands of pilgrims before, to stop and concentrate on the teachings of the Lord Buddha.

The best place to stay in town is the Red House Lodge run by two sisters from a local noble family and housed in one of the oldest buildings in town. Even if you don’t stay here it is well worth visiting just to see the family’s private chapel, which contains a clay image of Amitbha (the red Buddha) and a bizarre collection of offerings left by guests over the years.

The town has excellent facilities, as it is the starting point for the strictly controlled Upper Mustang trek to Lo Manthang, and while it is a little off of the main trek it is well worth the detour.

Far from the beaten track the isolated little village of Lupra has managed to maintain much of its unspoiled charm as well as some of its pre-Buddhist shamanistic beliefs.

The village is approached from the riverbed where the foot of the steps is marked by a small wooden bridge and an attractively painted stupa. The village is a tight cluster of traditional Thakali homes without a teahouse or lodge in sight and rural village life goes-on here exactly as it has gone-on for centuries.

When Padmasambhava converted Tibet to Buddhism in the 8th century, he is said to have subdued the old gods of the region allowing those that became Dharmapala (defenders of faith) to join the Mahayana pantheon and destroying those that did not. Bon-Po emerged as a curious mix of the two religions and although this too is now dying out, it lives on in the village of Lupra.

The gompa itself is situated right in the centre of the village and is well worth a visit. Ask around to see if you can find Sanjay the caretaker to let you inside. If however you can’t find him then don’t worry as the key is hidden in a crack above the door. Be warned that unlike its Buddhist equivalent the altar, with its striking images of the fearsome Bon gods, should be passed in an anti-clockwise direction.

This village is not easy to get to, the path is unstable and poorly marked, but its isolation is part of the village's charm and I strongly recommend that you make the effort.

While wandering along the valley you should keep an eye out for the curious black spiral stones known as Saliagrama that can occasional be found scattered amongst the far less interesting stones on the bed of Gandaki River.

According to many Hindus, these curious stones are representative of Lord Vishnu in his first earthly incarnation. Vishnu came to Earth in the form of a fish known as Matsya, representing the formation of protoplasm and invertebrates. In this avatar he swam into the hands of king Manu, who was washing in the river, and warned him of the great flood that was coming to wipe out all life. Manu built a boat and took on board the "seeds of life" which Matsya then towed to the safety of a mountaintop.

The stones, found only in this area, are very holy to believers and are not treated like icons but are in fact worshipped as deities in their own rite, as they are self-manifest and not man-made. Because of this, the rules for keeping them are very strict. They must be worshipped daily, never placed on the floor, and the keeper must wash, adhere to a strict Vaishnvaite diet, and abstain from bad practice before using the stone in ritual.

Others claim that the stones are the lingam symbol of Shiva, the goddess Durga in her Binde Basini Bhawati avatar, or most controversially that they are the 180 year old fossilised remains of Jurassic era molluscs known as amenities. According to this, somewhat far-fetched, theory this area was at the bottom of the Tethup Sea until 55 million years ago when the Indian continental plate collided with the Asian continental plate and the Himalayan mountain range was born.

Although you will see them for sale on many souvenir stalls, you should not purchase one, not only because of the complex etiquette involved in keeping a deity in your home but for the more practical fact that the government has banned their export in order to preserve the fossil record.