The temple is at
approximately 13,000 feet at the foot of Annapurna, Nepal's tallest peak, and
is a holy location (tirtha) at the headwaters of the Kali Gandaki River.
Both Hindus and Buddhists revere Muktinath, and each
maintains a temple there.
The Buddhist temple is constructed atop a natural gas vent,
which when fired emits a flame.
The Vishnu temple is constructed above a natural spring that
is channeled outside the temple by 108 spouts styled like cow heads.
The riverbed of the Kali Gandaki is also a rich source of
fossilized black ammonite, making it spiritually significant.
This ammonite, known as the shalagram, is a
self-manifestation (svayambhu) form of Vishnu.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
