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Mukatinath darshan - end to end planning

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END TO END Details for Mukthinath(For Indian travellers.).


I will not bother you about the greatness of muktinath, Since you would have already learnt a lot.
This article is having a hassle free trip for the darshan.

Preparation:{Compulsorily start the preparation atleast 3-4 months in advance, Avoid last minute preparation}

1. a. Flight:
No need for passport, voter id card is enough incase going by flight. Book through royal nepal airlines or from indigo airlines, do not book indian airlines(Passport compulsorily), waste of money and lots of paperwork. If you do not have passport or voter id card, there are travel agents who do these paper work for you, you can get them in your local city or I got mine done at coimbatore.
Keep a pen with you compusorily. Once you arrive at emmigration, you need to fill the form, hence better be prepared. Opposite the kathamndu airport there are lots of cheap guest houses, even in your wildest dreams don't stay there. It is fully infested with bed bugs. Even though it is cheap costing NPR.400/-. This place
will be suited for people who sleep with their liquor ON. Not for Pilgrims.


b. Roadways:
Any indian government ID card will be enough, even college id card will be sufficient. But better have atleast a voter id card, which is a bankable one.


2. Will my local debit card work in nepal.
Call your local bank and confirm whether you debit card will work in nepal. Else apply for a valid nepal debit card, Intiate this process atleast couple of months before. Icici delivers debit card 5 days before for a charge. It is a international debit card. Every time you withdraw cash, you will be charged NPR.500/-.

3. Do you need special trekking permit?
No, You do not need any permit. You can visit mukthinath directly.


4. Will my mobile sim work in nepal?
Once again check with your operators. Aircel works, basic incoming SMS, will be delivered, anywhere in nepal(No idea about other telecom networks), even if your sim has zero balance. Try to
have a sim which is compatible with your bank account, the reason being, for internet banking, incase you need to transfer money, and you might end up in OTP generation, then your money or transaction might not get through.


5. Can I get a new sim in nepal?
Once you come out of airport(do not purchase sim inside the airport), the reason- He will compulsorily ask you to take a photo from his photo machine and a photo copy of your id proof. Else no new sim. Cross the road opposite to airport, you can get a new sim from anywhere at pasupathinath temple or at any place in
kathmandu, Opposite the airport, one can find a photo studio selling new sim, don't go to him, he will insist that you take a photo from his photo studio, cost NPR.160/-. Just provide a photo and a photocopy of your passport within kathmandu, outside kathmandu any indian government ID proof will be sufficient.

6. Which cell operator to purchase?
Ncell works almost in nepal, wherein in ghasa it will not work, Only Nepal telecom will work. But in mukthinath, Ncell will work.I will suggest Ncell.


7. Atms in Nepal.
Keep sufficient indian rupees with you, any nepal rupee multiplied by 1.6 is equal to indian rupees. There are very limited ATMs. DO NOT USE ATM WHICH USES THE CARD SWALLOWING TYPE FORMAT, just imagine the scenario, exactly after you had inserted your ATM card, the machine switches-off.(I had experienced once in
HDFC Bangalore). Your card is gone. Always use the ATM machine, which is of swipping type, your card stays in your hand, even if the machine does not have cash or cash does not get released from ATM, atleast the transaction will get reversed after some time. You can reuse the card. Also there is another issue, wherein visa
card ATM's do not accept master card.Better be safe and keep sufficient cash with you. Keep a bundle of
INR.10/ and INR.100/-

8. Pooja items at mukthinath:
You can find coconut there, no flowers, Better purchase thulsi leaves and flowers with you at kathmandu or near your home town (Incase your primary first visit is mukthinath, and secondary visits are nepal).

9. Will Rs.500/- and other denominations work?
Currently it is working. Better check during your time of travel, else better go with indian currency, have lots of rs.10/- notes. It has little bit of better value.

Things needed(Optional):
1. Pen always with you.
2. Passport size photos with plain background.
3. Your id proof photo copy - 3 or 4 nos.
4. As usual winter clothing(it will be cold in the mountains).
5. As usual medicines, etc.


Travel through AIR:
Delhi to kathmandu or (Daily Flights available)
Bangalore to kathmandu (Nepal airlines, weekly trip)
Kathmandu to pokhra to Jomsom.


By Road
From India,
Gorakhpur(India)->Pokhra(Nepal)->Jomsom(Nepal).
No need to go to kathmandu, But if you want to visit pasupathinath temple, need to go to kathmandu.

From Nepal:
Kathmandu->Pokhra->Beni->Ghasa->Jomsom->Mukthinath.

Some Tips for staying in Nepal:
For moderate lodges, most likely to have visitors who have the food in their hotel itself. Hence check this before you book. First ask for accomodation costs, and confirm whether it includes food or will it be seperate. Mostly within the hotels or lodges, they charge food for NPR.500/- for a single meals.

From Kathmandu
Go to thamel, ask for mini van or micro van to Beni. Van starts at 5.30-7am, early morning, The van will reach beni at 5-6pm. Cost of the ticket will be NPR.800/- to NRP.1000/-. In the hills last bus departure will end by 2pm or max by 3pm. Later on no buses will be found. Halt at Beni, early morning at 7.30,am catch the bus for Jomsom or Ghasa, If you catch the bus for ghasa, need to catch the final destination bus for Jomsom. No ATMS at Ghasa.

Another Option is catch early morning first bus to Pokhra, will be arriving at 4-5pm. Ask for lakeside at pokhra, there anyone will guide you for buses to Jomsom. Book the ticket for the next day. The buses to Jomsom will start at 7.am morning and it will reach Jomsom by 5 or 6 in the evening. This is a best option.
Because
1. You will get acclamatized with high altitude by staying overnight.
2. Next day early morning you can catch the first bus for darshan. Because only if the vehicle is full, the driver will take the jeep, Else you have to bear the entire jeep cost (NPR.600 x12), for one way.

Food Experience at Beni and Jomsom:
My bus arrived at beni by night 7pm. I took at standard one, Hotel Cascade. It had hot water facilities. At that time no electricity. Suggest you too check the same. Also check at all hotels whether they have hot water facilities(default solar water heater). The cost was NPR.700/-. I paid them, They asked whether I will have
food, and it will costs NPR.500/-. What? Nepal should be cheaper, isn't it. But alas, all food items come from INDIA. That too in the high mountain, it was not the correct price. I initially did not understand. Hence I went back to the bus depot, there were some cheap hotels, I asked for food, they said along with
accomodation it will be NPR.500/-. I told him, I had already taken the accomodation. Bargain NPR.400~300~200... Atlast settled for NPR.250/-, Rice stomach full, dhal, one sabji, one kheerai and
appalam, and pickles. It was more than worth, No Vanjagam in the food served. I added rs.50/- for extra rice for my mom to be taken at hotel, They gave me a bowl full with dhal in it.

At Jomsom airport, one can find a dhaba, wherein you get food for NPR.250/-. No stay. Only food.

By road and by air:
Arrive Kathmandu by flight from india,
From kathmandu to pokhra by road, NPR.350/-, 7 hours of journey by Bus.
From pokhra to jomsom, take flight.
Always take the first flight, incase there is a delay due to weather(mostly), you can catch the next flight. Mostly flights not available within nepal after 2pm.(Costs INR.5000/-)

Final Destination Mukthinath(Temple closes at 1-3pm):
Most pilgrims from india tour the entire nepal and lastly visit mukthinath, This is a mistake. First have darshan of mukthinath, all over pilgrimage can be done easily. Mukthinath darshan is not easy because of climate, high terrain also due to remote location and the darshan is available during march,april and may, June is
the season wherein rain starts and is risky. The rest of the months happen to be rainy and winter season. And one will be caught between the mountains due to mountain slides.Just like tirupathi is the base of the tirumala hills, Just like Hardwar is the base for reaching kedarnath or badrinath, Jomsom is the base of the mukthinath hill.

Now try to arrive Jomsom during evening. It is good for acclimitizing the climate. Or if you are at Ghasa during evening, have a night stay, your body will get adjusted to the high altitude. From ghasa early morning first bus leaves as 7.30am, you will arrive in 3 hours time at Jomsom,

Best suggestion would be start early morning from Jomsom, you will get plenty of time to stay at the feet of the Lord Muktinath. You can almost a whole day. From Jomsom bus stand, cross the foot over bridge, after a 10
mins walk, one will arrive at bus depot, all buses going to mukthinath can be found. For Jeep it is NPR.800/- per person,(12 sharing).

Now your jeep has reached muktinath, Eager for darshan, WAIT, You still have to do a walk for 20 mins by steps, Or you can get a horse for INR.400/-.

Now last you have reached muktinath, at the temple entrance you cannot find shops, hence purchase the pooja articles at the jeep halt or at the arch entrance. Inside the temple one can get only ghee lamp for NPR.10/-.

There are 108 kunds or water falling from gho mukh, inside the temple, At home, we touch the water and see if it is hot enough, using our finger tip, lest our hand will get boiled, Likewise, just the finger tip touching the water, I was sprinkling the water on my head, I had hardly done it for 10 kunds, my entire hand became numb. Luckily, I was able to complete all the 108 kunds, My mother returned early, she did it only for 5. Initially I took
spare set of clothes to take bath in the falls, Hmmm.... imagine what would have happened.


I gave a NPR.20/-, and got a ghee lamp, the priest had kept all the cash at the Lord's feet. She gave me a change of NPR.10/-, Now I did not want to exchange it for anything.After the darshan, there is a shakti peeth nearby, visit it.

There are lots of accomodations available near the temple. Hence no worry even if you miss the last bus, for going down to Jomsom.

Last bus to Jomsom will leave at 5-6. By default even if the bus is empty, it will start at 4.30pm.

Return by Air:
Jomsom->Pokhra->Kathmandu->New Delhi/ Bangalore (or)

Return by Road:
Jomsom->Pokhra->Gorakhpur(India)

By Road:
Once again from Mukthinath take the jeep or bus to Jomsom.
Night Halt at Jomsom, Opposite the airport you can find a private travels, where buses go directly to Pokhra(I will suggest this bus, because this is POINT-TO-POINT) Costs NPR.1000/-(Purchase tickets one day before itself, counter gets closed at 2pm)

Or after arriving to Jomsom from Mukthinath, one will have to cross the foot over bridge, Here one can purchase tickets directly to Pokhra(Purchase tickets one day before itself, counter gets closed at 2pm),

Arrive Pokhra in the evening, Night Halt. Early morning take bus or mini van to Kathmandu. At pokhra ask for the location where buses go to beni, there are two bus stops at pokhra, other one at lakeside. Go to the place were buses for beni departs. Opposite of the road, one can find buses for Kathmandu, costs NPR.450/-.

By Air:
Jomsom->pokhra->Kathmandu.

I will suggest the cheapest way will be take a flight from Jomsom to pokhra. Catch the first flight at 8am. Arrive pokhra at 8.30am. Go to pokhra bus depot. Catch the buses leaving Kathmandu. Arrive kathmandu by evening 3-4pm. Take rest and next day leave for India.

DO NOT FORGET TO VISIT THE BUDANILKANTHA TEMPLE IN KATHMANDU.Reclining on the coils of a cosmic 11 hoofed serpents over a natural spring is a five meter big carving of Lord Bishnu In the middle of the pond, one can find the GOD in a most beautiful form.

Purchasing Salagramam:
At mukthinath and at Jomsom, the cost of salagram was bit pinchy for ME. I was at Jomsom airport, ready to take get the boarding pass, there was a tea shop inside, I asked for salagramam, I looked for the smallest one. I told him I have only NPR.100/-, Hmmmm, you are my first customer, take it.


Some tips for successful darshan:
I started saving money for the trip, almost finalized it during december with an idea to travel by march, But endedup as failure, due to some documentation issues. It was april end and I had lost all my hope, Once upon a time I had read that siddhargal had or are residing at Nanguneri. I wanted to go there since it was nearby to my place, I was astonished to find that Nanguneri was one of the divya desam(Swayambu). I thought let me first visit which is nearby than trying to go that far.I went to temple, had a darshan. Did have a prayer that If I visit
muktinath, I will do abishegam for the moolavar from the 108 kund teertham. After few hours I tried contact my failed contact list, my documentation issues got sorted out. What I had though almost impossible, became possible.


But unfortunately, I could not do the abishegam with the 108-teertham, The priests refused it saying, no external items will be used for abishegam, all materials for abishegam will be provided by the temple. Now I cannot do anything here.

Some Useful Contact Information:
Please use NEPAL ISD code before the contact number

Ghasa bus depot : 9867744831
No atm at ghasa

Hotel cascade at Ghasa 9857650194(Standard one, costs NPR.700/- without food.)
Hotel Mukthinth at Ghasa 9867691797(This is a sort of shelter cement sheet roofing, costs NPR.500/- with food.)

Bus Depot at Jomsom Counter - 9867744826
(For buses going to Mukthinath)

Bus Depot at Mukthinath - 9867744828

Bus Depot at Jomsom - 069440144
(For buses going to Beni and Pokhra)

Jomsom Airport - 069440006

Note: Hotel details are provided, not for advertisement. Incase one wants to find the climate conditions or if the buses are plying in the hills, it will be very useful. Or it will be useful to get any other contact details.


regards
thiru
 

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