Wender·Vista
Muktinath Temple
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNepal
high in Mustang, behind the Annapurnas

Muktinath Temple

— — a temple ringed by 108 streams.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Muktinath sits at 3,710 metres in Nepal's Mustang district, behind the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs. The temple is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, and 108 brass water spouts shaped as bull-heads circle the inner courtyard. Pilgrims walk beneath each. Inside the smaller Jwala Mai shrine, a natural gas flame burns next to a small spring.

from the studio
Muktinath Temple
— bring it home

Muktinath Temple, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Muktinath Temple

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Muktinath sits at 3,710 metres in the upper Kali Gandaki valley of Nepal's Mustang district, on the leeward side of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. The site is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists; Vaishnavas count it among the 108 Divya Desams and the only one outside the Indian subcontinent. Vajrayana Buddhists call the site Chumig Gyatsa, the hundred waters. The nearest road-head and airstrip are at Jomsom, about 18 kilometres south-west, served by short flights from Pokhara across the mountains.

— the water

The defining feature of Muktinath is the ring of 108 brass water spouts that line the outer wall of the inner courtyard. Each spout is shaped as a bull's head and pours glacier-fed water from a small reservoir behind. Devout pilgrims bathe under all 108 in sequence, then enter twin pools in front of the main shrine. The number 108 is considered sacred in both Hindu and Buddhist tradition. The water comes off the high range and runs near-freezing through most of the calendar.

— informed by Wikipedia · Divya Desam
— the visit

The temple complex is open daily, with no admission fee. The main pagoda contains a Vishnu murti and is staffed by a Buddhist nun, a long-standing arrangement reflecting the site's shared sacredness. The Jwala Mai shrine nearby contains a natural gas flame burning beside a water spring, the source of the temple's other name. Access from Jomsom is by jeep or on the Annapurna Circuit trekking route; the high season runs March through May and September through November, before the snow closes the higher passes.

— where
Nepal · Mustang District, Gandaki
— within
Annapurna Conservation Area
— elevation
3,710 m · 12,172 ft
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
18 km SW
Jomsom
town and airstrip
12 km W
Kagbeni
village
8 km NE
Thorong La Pass
mountain pass
at the lake
Kali Gandaki Valley
river valley
N
Muktinath Temple
Jomsom
Kagbeni
Thorong La Pass
Kali Gandaki Valley
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Muktinath Temple — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

In Nepal's Mustang district at 3,710 metres, behind the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. The nearest road-head and airstrip are at Jomsom, about 18 kilometres south-west, with short flights from Pokhara.

The number 108 is sacred in both Hindu and Buddhist tradition. The brass spouts, each shaped as a bull's head, line the outer wall of the courtyard and pour glacier-fed water for ritual bathing.

Both. Vaishnavas count it among the 108 Divya Desams; Vajrayana Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, the hundred waters. The main shrine is traditionally staffed by a Buddhist nun.

A small shrine adjacent to the main temple holds a natural gas flame burning beside a water spring. The flame gives Muktinath one of its names: the place of liberation by fire and water.

Spring (March to May) and post-monsoon autumn (September to November) give the clearest weather. Winter brings snow and closes higher passes; the summer monsoon makes the road from Jomsom unreliable.

Fly from Pokhara to Jomsom, then jeep or trek the 18 kilometres up the Kali Gandaki valley. The Annapurna Circuit crosses Thorong La Pass and descends to the temple.

— about the piece in your home

It carries for that recipient. Muktinath reads to anyone who has walked the Annapurna Circuit or knows the upper Kali Gandaki. A Medium with a studio note travels well.

The mountain-and-brass palette suits warm transitional rooms, Himalayan gallery walls, and modern interiors that lean on natural fibre, dark wood, and metal accent.

Yes. The current shift toward textured, place-specific landscape art has lifted high-altitude palettes into front rooms, particularly the greys and warm metal tones that Muktinath carries.

A single Large reads cleanly above a console. Above a standard sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the courtyard ring; for a longer wall, a 9-tile Mural opens the valley.

Yes. Order it in Dura Satin for a soft sheen that resists scratches, or Matte for a flat finish. Both handle steam and splash from a guest bath or backsplash.

A dry microfibre cloth lifts dust. For anything more, a barely damp microfibre and clean water. No solvents, no abrasive pads, no glass cleaner.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to a single studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Reid Wender curates the atlas; the work is hand-finished in-house and never licensed.

— if this one stayed with you

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