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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structures
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Annapurna
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