MUSTANG, March 7: Horse rides and stretcher services have significantly benefited devotees visiting Muktinath. Local youths from four villages under Ward-1 of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality provide these services, carrying pilgrims to the Muktinath temple either on horseback or in stretchers.
Reaching Muktinath from the bus park at Purano Ranipauwa takes around 45 minutes on foot. Physically fit pilgrims can walk without difficulty, but elderly, disabled, and physically challenged individuals face considerable challenges in reaching the temple's main entrance. From the first gate to the temple entrance, devotees must walk uphill along a steep railing-equipped path.
However, the route from the bus park to the first gate is relatively flat. The local community prohibits motorbikes or vehicles beyond Ranipauwa Bazaar towards the temple to preserve tourism in the area. Consequently, pilgrims unable to walk must rely on either horses or stretchers to reach the temple.
The youth from Khinga, Jharkot, Muktinath Ranipauwa, and Chhengur villages have established a paid horse service to assist pilgrims. Only the youths from these four villages can provide horse rides to Muktinath, while outsiders cannot. A dedicated committee regulates the transportation of pilgrims via horseback. The fee for this service is Rs 400 for Nepalese pilgrims and INR 400 for Indian pilgrims.
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Local youth Urjen Palden Gurung from Muktinath Ranipauwa said the horse-riding business has become an alternative source of income for young people. He emphasized that, amid increasing youth migration abroad, this business has played a crucial role in retaining the local workforce within the village.
Despite the growing tourism potential, many young people still seek foreign employment, but this horse-riding service has provided them with a viable means of earning a livelihood at home.
Around 120 households in the four villages of Ward 1 rely on the horse-riding service for their livelihood. The committee manages this business on a rotational basis, ensuring fair participation among villagers. Horse owners must register their names by 7 AM daily to be assigned passengers in turn. At the end of the day, they calculate and distribute earnings accordingly.
Horse owners can either operate the service themselves or hire temporary workers from the area. If someone else operates the horse, they receive half of the earnings.
Before road transport reached Mustang, locals widely used horses to transport goods and travel. However, as road connectivity improved, horse usage declined. Despite this, horses remain deeply tied to the local culture.
In Upper Mustang and the Varagung region, the Gurung and Bista communities incorporate horse-related traditions into important festivals. Some Thakali communities in Lower Mustang also regard horses as a cultural symbol.
Local youth Sanjay Gurung from Khinga emphasized that horses are a cultural heritage of Mustang, especially during festivals like Yartung, Dhajyang, Lhosar, and Tiji, where people dress in traditional attire and ride horses in celebration. He warned that discontinuing the horse-riding service at Muktinath would also displace the horses in Varagung.
Similarly, local youth also provide stretcher services for pilgrims who cannot ride horses. Carrying devotees from the bus park to the Muktinath temple costs Rs 4,000 for Nepalese and INR 4,000 for Indian pilgrims. Each stretcher service requires four people. This initiative has particularly helped the elderly, disabled, and physically challenged pilgrims. Despite being a paid service, it serves as a crucial aid for devotees who spend significant amounts of money to visit Muktinath.
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