Chumig Gyatsa ("100 Waters") at Muktinath - Annapurna - Nepal


At the back of the main temple one can find 100 water streams (Chumig Gyatsa) with taps in the shape of boars' heads, one of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu.

According to Tibetan Buddhism in the distant past, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) visited this holy place accompanied by 84 Siddhas. In order to leave something behind, they each poked a stick into the ground. Miraculously, from those 84 holes, 84 springs of water came out from the ground. This water is therefore believed to be blessed holy water, it tasts both sweet and cooling.


Hindus consider that the holy water of Muktinath can wash away negative karma, the results of one's past negative actions. Others say this can only be done by the inner water to be found by meditation. Water and pilgrimage are no doubt connected. Pilgrimage in Sanskrit is tirthra (river ford) or tirtha-yatra (journey to a river ford).

The place has been repaired several times.
The first Shangpa Rinpoche repaired the spouts in Chumig Gyatsa during his time. The wall with the spouts was renovated in 1990.
At the next picture one can see how the spouts looked in 1956

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