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Muktinath Temple | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
District | Mustang District |
Deity | Vishnu |
Features |
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Location | |
Location | Muktinath (Dhawalagiri) |
Country | Nepal |
Location in Nepal | |
Geographic coordinates | 28°49′01″N83°52′18″E / 28.816854°N 83.871742°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Pagoda |
Elevation | 3,762 m (12,343 ft) |
Muktinath is a Vishnu temple, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, located in the Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass in Mustang, Nepal. It is one of the world's highest temples (3,800 m). In Hinduism, it is one of the 108 Divya Desams and the only Divya Desam located outside India. But Muktinath was considered a temple of the purely Buddhist deity Avalokiteshvara until the middle of the eighteenth century. After Jumli Raja occupied Mustang's Thini, he encroached on the same Buddhist shrine and worshiped his idol. After King Malebamba sat on the throne of Parbat, Jumla was taken with his help and it was again considered as the temple of Avalokiteshvara. Muktinath was finally Hinduized after Bahadur Shah even waved Mustang. [1] It is also known as Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the 'liberation arena' ( moksha ) and is one of the Char Dham in Nepal. [2]
This temple is considered to be the 106th of the 108 Divya Desam and is considered sacred by the Sri Vaishnava sect. Its ancient name in Sri Vaishnava literature is Tiru Shaligramam. The Gandaki river, which flows nearby, is considered to be the only source of the shaligrama shila, the non-anthropomorphic representation of Vishnu.
Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means "Hundred Waters". For Tibetan Buddhists, Muktinath is an important place for dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers, and one of the 24 Tantric places. They understand the murti to be a manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. [3]
The site is close to the village of Ranipauwa, which is sometimes mistakenly called Muktinath.
The Tibetan Buddhist tradition states that Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, meditated at Muktinath on his way to Tibet. This temple is praised by many saints of the Hindu tradition. Scripts narrating the temple's importance are available in the Vishnu Purana with the Gandaki Mahatmya.[ clarification needed ]
The waterway downstream from Muktinath along Kali Gandaki is the source of the shilas or shaligramas that are required to establish a temple of Vishnu. It is considered one of the holiest places of pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhists.
It has 108 water springs, a number that carries great significance in Hindu philosophy. As an example of the mystery surrounding the number 108, Hindu astrology mentions 12 zodiacs (rashi) and nine planets (navagraha), giving a total of 108 combinations. The 27 lunar mansions (nakshatras) are divided into four quarters (or padas) each giving a combination of 108 padas in total.
The central shrine of Muktinath is considered by Hindu Vaishnavas to be one of the eight most sacred shrines, known as Svayam Vyakta Ksetras. The others are Srirangam, Srimushnam, Tirupati, Naimisharanya, Thotadri, Pushkar, and Badrinath. The temple is small. The murti is made of gold and is the size of a man.[ citation needed ]
The prakaram (outer courtyard) has 108 bull faces through which water is poured. The sacred water that flows in 108 pipes around the temple complex denotes the sacred Pushkarini waters (temple tanks) from the 108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams, where devotees take their sacred bath even in freezing temperatures.[ citation needed ]
Muktinath is sacred to the Sri Vaishnava tradition. The deities of Vishnu and his consorts, Sridevi and Bhudevi, are regarded by adherents as offering jivanmukti to devotees, offering the epithet Muktinath to Vishnu. It is praised by Thirumangai Alvar in the compilation of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. The river Gandaki, flowing adjacent to the temple has a kind of stone called shaligrama. The different patterns of the stone are worshiped as different forms of Vishnu. The colour white is considered as Vasudeva, black as Vishnu, green as Narayana, blue as Krishna, golden yellow & reddish yellow as Narasimha and Vamana in yellow. The stones are found in various shapes with even shapes of the Panchajanya and the Sudarshana Chakra, the attributes of Vishnu. [4] The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham , the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Kulasekhara Alvar in one hymn. The temple is classified as a Divya Desam , one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. Many devotees have contributed to it, most prominently the Alvars. Thirumangai Alvar could not reach Muktinath, but sang 10 pasurams from the nearest place, in praise of the deity. Periyalvar sang in praise of Vishnu as "Salagramamudaiya Nambi". [4]
The pontiff of Srivilliputtur installed the idols of Andal (Gotadevi), Ramanuja, and Manavala Mamunigal there during the yagna performed between 3 and 6 August 2009. This is considered by devotees of the tradition to be a milestone in the history of Muktinath. A large crowd of devotees visits this shrine, where the deity resides in the form of Sri Paramapada Nathan with his divine consorts Sridevi, Bhudevi, Niladevi, and Gotadevi.
The Muktinath Temple is considered a Shakti Pitha for a yatra . It is one of the 108 Siddhpeeth and is named Mahadevi [Devibhagwat 7.14]. Shakti Pithas are sacred abodes of Shakti (primordial cosmic energy), formed by the falling body parts of the corpse of Sati when Shiva carried it as he wandered. 51 Shakti Pithas are revered by Shaktism, connecting them to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. Each Shakti Pitha has a Shakti shrine and a Bhairav shrine in its temple. The Shakti of Muktinath is addressed as "Gandaki Chandi", and the Bhairava as "Chakrapani". Sati's right cheek is believed to have fallen there. [5] [6] [7]
Muktinath is revered as a place on earth to host all five elements (fire, water, sky, earth, and air) from which all material things in the universe are made. Along with the ambient earth, air, and sky, there is a spring at the Jwala Mai Temple with a flame just above the water, fueled by a naturally occurring gas outflow, giving the appearance of the water itself burning. [8]
Worship is conducted by Buddhists, with a Buddhist monk present. A local nun manages the pujas (prayer rituals) in the temple. Pilgrims are expected to offer a prasad (a religious offering of food) to the deity.
Muktinath, being one of the world's most famous religious and tourism locations, receives thousands of visitors every year. According to the data provided by the Jomsom-based information centre of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), 9,105 foreigners visited Muktinath in April 2018 alone, among whom 4,537. [9] were Indian tourists. ACAP's data show that the number of Indian tourists visiting Muktinath temple has been increasing every year. International tourists visit Muktinath mainly en route to the Annapurna Circuit Trek. The route to Muktinath is also popular among the biking community throughout the year. [10]
Uthamar Kovil in Uthamarkoil, a village in the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu Trimurti of Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Purushothaman Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Poornavalli Thayar.
A Divya Desam or Vaishnava Divya Desam is one of the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that is mentioned in the works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition.
Sri Bhaktavatsala Perumal temple is a Hindu temple, located at Thirunindravur, a western suburb of Chennai, India. It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Bhaktavatsala Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Ennai Petra Thayar.
The Jagad Rakshaka Perumal Temple or Thirukoodalur in Vadakurangaduthurai, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Jakath Rakshaka and his consort Lakshmi as Pushpavalli.
Thirumoozhikulam Sree Lakshmanaperumal Temple is located in Thirumoozhikalam (Moozhikkulam) in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. The temple finds mention in some of verses of ancient Tamil Vedam sung by the Sri Vaishnava Alvars, particularly Nammalvar and Tirumangai Alvar and classified as Divya Desams, the 108 holy temples revered in the canon. This belongs to one of the 13 Malai Naatu (Kerala/Chera) Divya Desams, the Divya Desams located in Kerala.
Kolavalvil Ramar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu located 19 km away from Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India on the Kumbakonam-Chennai highway in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Kola Valvill Ramar and his consort Lakshmi as Maragathavalli.
The Purushotama Perumal Temple is located in Thirunangur, a village in the outskirts of Sirkazhi in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Purushottaman and his consort Lakshmi as Purushottama Nayagi.
Thiruarimeya Vinnagaram or Kudamudakoothan Perumal Temple is dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu located in Tirunangur, a village in the outskirts of Sirkaḻi in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Kudamudakoothan and his consort Lakshmi as Amirtagadavalli.
The Taamaraiyaal Kelvan Perumal Temple or Thiruppaarththanpalli is located close to Thirunangur, a small village, 8 km east of Sirkali en route to Thiruvenkadu and is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Taamariyaal Kelvan and his consort Lakshmi as Shegamalavalli.
Parimala Ranganathar Perumal Temples or Tiruindaloor is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Thiruvilandur of Mayiladuthurai, a town in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 poet saints, or the Alvars. This temple is along Kaveri and is one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams.
The Loganatha Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu located 2 km away from Sikkal, Tamil Nadu, India on the Tiruvarur-Nagapatnam highway. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshiped as Loganatha Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Loganayagi.
The Gajendra Varadha Perumal Temple in Thirukkavithalam, a village in the outskirts of Papanasam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Gajendra Varadha Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Ramamanivalli. The temple is one of the five Pancha-Kannan temples, where Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu is given prominence over the presiding deity.
The Neelamegha Perumal Temple or Sowriraja Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple in Thirukannapuram, a village in the outskirts of Nagapattinam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Neelamegha Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Thirukannapura Nayagi. As per Hindu legend, the presiding deity is believed to have appeared with a wig to save a devotee, leading to the name Sowriraja Perumal.
Nathan Kovil or Thiru Nandipura Vinnagaram Temple in Nathan Kovil, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Jagannathan and his consort Lakshmi as Shenbagavalli.
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Irattai Tirupati Temples refer to two temples of the Nava Tirupati, namely, the Devapiran temple and Aravindalochanar temple, which are dedicated to Vishnu. They are part of the nine "Divya Desams" located along the Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route in Tamil Nadu, India on the banks of Thamiraparani river. The two temples are located adjacent to each other. All nine temples are part of the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saint Alvars. The Irattai Tirupati is a Ketu Sthalam, sacred to the deity Ketu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temples are dedicated to Vishnu who is worshipped as Devapiran and Aravindalochanar and Lakshmi as Varagunavalli and Karuthadankanni.
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple or Sri Mayakoothar Permual Temple is one of the Nava Tirupatis, nine Hindu temples dedicated to Vishnu located Perungulam along Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu, India in the southern bank of Thamiraparani river. It is located 5 km from Alvar Thirunagari. All these 9 temples are classified as Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet-saints of Sri Vaishnavism called the Alvars. The temple is referred to as Shani sthalam, a location for the planet deity, Shani (Saturn). Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Mayakoothar and his consort Lakshmi as Kulandhaivalli Tayar.
The Makara Nedunkuḻaikathar Temple is one of the Nava Tirupathi, nine Hindu temples dedicated to Vishnu located Thenthiruperai along Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli route, Tamil Nadu, India in the southern bank of Thamiraparani river. It is located 5 km from Alvar Thirunagari All these 9 temples are classified as Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saints, or Alvars. The temple is referred to as Sukra sthalam, a location for the planet deity, Sukra. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Makara Nedunkuḻaikathar and his consort Lakshmi as Tiruperai Nachiyar.
Shri Naimishnath Vishnu Temple, also known as the Naimishnath Devaraja temple or Naimishnarayan Temple or ramanujar kot Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu and lakshmi located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in naimisharanya town in sitapur district. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 poet saints called the Alvars. The temple is believed to be of significant antiquity with contributions at different times from the ruling kings. The temple is counted as one of the eight temples of Vishnu that self-manifested and is classified as Swayamvyaktha Kshetra. The holy teerths Chankra Kunda and gomati river are associated with the temple and it is a pilgrimage centre where people take a holy dip during festive occasions.
Abhimana Kshethram or Abhimana Sthalam are a list of 108 sacred Vishnu temples apart from the other 108 Divya desams. Abhimana desams or close abodes, these temples are the most significant temples in the Vaishnavite tradition which has similar greatness as Divya Desams. These set of temples is classified as an Abhimana Kshethram as it is mentioned in Various Puranas and Ithihasas such as Ramayana and Mahabharata and have Significant Sthala Puranas based on the Ithihasas and Various Puranas of Hinduism. The temples are also said to be visited by many Religious scholars and saints such as Ramanuja, Adi Shankara, Madhvacharya, Nathamuni, Yamunacharya, Vedanta Desika, Manavala Mamunigal, Purandara Dasa, Narayana Teertha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and by many other great Vedic teachers and Rishis. Some of these Temples are said to be visited by the Alvars who did not sing the god's grace due to various reasons. Out of these 108 temples Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi is considered as the 1st out of the 108 Abhimana Kshethras as Thirumangai Alvar is believed to have visited the temple and is believed to have built the tall flag post outside the temple with the help of cotton bales. The other Alvars who are believed to have visited the temple at various periods were seemingly lost in under the beauty of the presiding deity and were at a loss for words.
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