Temples of the
Himalayas
Description Muktinath is a pilgrimage
shrine located 140 miles from Kathmandu in the snow clad Himalayas. It is located near the
Gandaki river famous for the Salagrama stones. River Gandaki is also known as Narayani or
Salagrami. Muktinath is also one of the 51 Sakthi Peethams of India. About 16 miles from
Muktinath is the Damodara Kundam, the source of this river. The Salagrama stones held in
worship are found in this part of Nepal.
The Tamil Alwars of the 1st millennium CE have sung of Salagramam in the Naalayira
Divya Prabandam. Periyalwar refers to Krishna as Salagramamudaiya Nambi in one of
his verses dedicated to Krishna, in a decad describing Krishna as a child. In another
verse, in a decad describing Tirukkandam or Kadinagar, he refers to Salagramam with the
comment that Vishnu enshrined in Mathura, Salagramam, Dwaraka, Ayodhya
and Sree Vaikuntam is the same as the one
(Purushottaman) enshrined in Tirukkandam or Kadinagar (Devaprayag).
Tirumangaialwar in his decad of verses declares that Salgramam is home to Rama and that
the deity of Kudandai, and Ooragam resides at Salagramam.
There is no firm agreement on the whereabouts of the Sree Vaishnava Divya Desam
Tiruchaalagramam. One school of thought considers Muktinath in the snow clad
Himalayas in Nepal to be Salagramam, while another considers the bank of the Gandaki
river enroute to Muktinath from Kathmandu as Tiruchaalagraamam. |
