NA builds changing rooms for pilgrims in Kagbeni

By Harikrishna Sharma,Mustang, May  6: In Kagbeni, a sacred pilgrimage site located in Ward No. 4 of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality, Mustang, pilgrims coming to perform Shrddha had long faced difficulty due to the lack of changing rooms and the overcrowding at the site. These problems have now been resolved.

The Narayan Dal Battalion of the Nepali Army, based in Jomsom, has addressed these concerns by mobilising its resources and manpower to construct separate changing rooms for men and women as well as a Trust House near the Shraddha site. The initiative has significantly eased the ritual process for pilgrims.

As part of the Nepali Army’s civil-military cooperation under its socio-economic development infrastructure programme, these facilities were built at a cost of approximately Rs. 1.8 million. The infrastructure was inaugurated by Major General Madhukargasha Karki, the Western Division Commander of the Nepali Army, and Maya Gurung, the Chairperson of the District Coordination Committee, Mustang.

According to Commander Lekhnath Katuwal of the Narayan Dal Battalion, the Army plans to continue supporting infrastructure development based on future needs. “We completed the project on time with strong support from the community. We will keep working hand-in-hand with the locals on constructive initiatives,” he stated.

At the handover ceremony of the changing rooms and Trust House, Ward Chairperson Karma Dhyachi Gurung, Rural Municipality Chairperson Rinjing Namgyal Gurung, and Chief District Officer Bishnu Prasad Bhusal highly praised the Army’s humanitarian role and its effective disaster response. They expressed hope for continued collaboration in future projects as well. Letters of appreciation were presented to those who contributed to the Trust House construction.

Kagbeni draws thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year, not only from across Nepal but also from neighbouring India and other countries. While the major influx occurs during festivals like Bada Dashain Aunsi and Chaite Dashain Aunsi, devotees perform rituals year-round in memory of their deceased ancestors.

After bathing in the river, pilgrims usually visit the Muktinath Temple, where they believe that worshipping the idol of Lord Vishnu, performing rituals, and bathing under the 108 sacred water spouts and in the two holy ponds will cleanse them of sins and bestow spiritual merit. Scriptures mention that the confluence of the Kali River, flowing from Damodar Kunda, and the Gandaki River, originating from Muktinath’s 108 spouts, makes Kagbeni an especially potent site for Pinda Daan.

According to religious belief, the tradition of offering shraddha, tarpan, and pinda began in Kagbeni after the sage Kag Bhusunda performed rituals in the nearby rivers following meditation in the Himalayan lakes. Thus, Kagbeni holds a sacred place in ancestral salvation rites.