Saligrama Sila and Mukthinath

Saligrama Sila and Mukthinath

The stones (Ammonite fossils) collected from the bed of the Gandaki River at a place close to Saligrama or Muktinath (literal meaning – place of salvation) in the Mustang district of Nepal, (where a Hindu shrine of the Shrivaishnava sect founded by the great seer Ramanuja exists) are called Saligram Silas and considered unique and are used for worship. It is also a sacred place for Buddhistswho call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means 'Hundred Waters'..Mukthinath is also called by the Hindus as Mukthiksehtra, which literally means "place of salvation".

These stones are naturally formed round stones, with circular or spiral markings and are fossil ammonite stones found in the rivers of Himalayas, in particular kinds of ocean sediments, which have been uplifted to the top of the Himalayas.

Located between the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain ranges, the Gandaki River flows through the village of Saligrama or Muktinath and the Ashrama of Pulaha. In ancient times, the mountain range surrounding Pulaha was called Salagiris due to the vast forests of Sala (sal) trees. The stones found in this region are therefore called Saligrama – Silas (stones found only in the region of Saligrama. It has great significance to Hindus, particularly to the Shrivaishnava and the Madhva Sects who consider the place of availability of this stone in the river bed of the Gandaki river, and the Mukthinath temple as one of the 108 Divyakshetrams^[7] or Thirthastanas (temples and celestial abodes of Vishnu) to be visited on a pilgrimage (at least once in their life time). At the pilgrimage site of Muktinath (3,710m) one wonders in amazement at the presence of 108 small waterfalls and mysterious natural gas fires, worshipped as Jwalamukhi (in Sanskrit).

For Tibetan Buddhists Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a place of Dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers. It is of great importance for Buddhists that Chumig Gyatsa is one of the 24 Tantric places.

The Tibetan Buddhist tradition states that for this reason Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism had meditated at Muktinath on his way to Tibet. It is one of the 51 Sakthi peetams.

The particular site in the course of the river where the stones become sacred is known as Chakra-Tirtha.The sanctity of this site is said to extend to three yojanas (24 miles) all round.

There is also a river called Chakra-nadi (now called Kagbeni), which flows towards Gandaki and joins it. This river is described in Garuda purana as created by Brahma; and the great peak to the north of the river is said to contain the presence of Vishnu. All the stones found in the river as well as in the mountain are believed to bear the marks of Vishnu. The entire area (including streams and the mountainside to the north of Muktinath) covers as many as twelve yojanas (96 miles), according to the Puranic account. Among the Saligrama stones, some are from the waters (jalaja) and some are from the mountainside (sthalaja). Puranic texts testify that the sacred stones are what are found in the river, and not what are taken out of the rock on its banks.

The stones (Ammonite fossils) collected from the bed of the Gandaki River at a place close to Saligrama or Muktinath (literal meaning – place of salvation) in the Mustang district of Nepal, (where a Hindu shrine of the Shrivaishnava sect founded by the great seer Ramanuja exists) are called Saligram Silas and considered unique and are used for worship. It is also a sacred place for Buddhistswho call it Chumig Gyatsa, which in Tibetan means 'Hundred Waters'..Mukthinath is also called by the Hindus as Mukthiksehtra, which literally means "place of salvation".

These stones are naturally formed round stones, with circular or spiral markings and are fossil ammonite stones found in the rivers of Himalayas, in particular kinds of ocean sediments, which have been uplifted to the top of the Himalayas.

Located between the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountain ranges, the Gandaki River flows through the village of Saligrama or Muktinath and the Ashrama of Pulaha. In ancient times, the mountain range surrounding Pulaha was called Salagiris due to the vast forests of Sala (sal) trees. The stones found in this region are therefore called Saligrama – Silas (stones found only in the region of Saligrama. It has great significance to Hindus, particularly to the Shrivaishnava and the Madhva Sects who consider the place of availability of this stone in the river bed of the Gandaki river, and the Mukthinath temple as one of the 108 Divyakshetrams^[7] or Thirthastanas (temples and celestial abodes of Vishnu) to be visited on a pilgrimage (at least once in their life time). At the pilgrimage site of Muktinath (3,710m) one wonders in amazement at the presence of 108 small waterfalls and mysterious natural gas fires, worshipped as Jwalamukhi (in Sanskrit).

For Tibetan Buddhists Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa is a place of Dakinis, goddesses known as Sky Dancers. It is of great importance for Buddhists that Chumig Gyatsa is one of the 24 Tantric places.

The Tibetan Buddhist tradition states that for this reason Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism had meditated at Muktinath on his way to Tibet. It is one of the 51 Sakthi peetams.

The particular site in the course of the river where the stones become sacred is known as Chakra-Tirtha.The sanctity of this site is said to extend to three yojanas (24 miles) all round.

There is also a river called Chakra-nadi (now called Kagbeni), which flows towards Gandaki and joins it. This river is described in Garuda purana as created by Brahma; and the great peak to the north of the river is said to contain the presence of Vishnu. All the stones found in the river as well as in the mountain are believed to bear the marks of Vishnu. The entire area (including streams and the mountainside to the north of Muktinath) covers as many as twelve yojanas (96 miles), according to the Puranic account. Among the Saligrama stones, some are from the waters (jalaja) and some are from the mountainside (sthalaja). Puranic texts testify that the sacred stones are what are found in the river, and not what are taken out of the rock on its banks.