PM Modi prays at Mukhtinath temple in Nepal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today prayed at Nepal's iconic Muktinath temple that is regarded as sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists, becoming the first world leader to offer prayers there.

Modi also offered prayers at the Pashupatinath temple, located on the banks of the Bagmati river. The Pashupatinath temple is regarded as the most sacred and oldest temple of Shiva (Pashupati) in Nepal.

After offering prayers at the Pashupatinath temple, Modi signed the visitor's book and was presented with a miniature replica of the temple.

"Jai Pashupatinath! Feeling blessed after praying at the majestic Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu," Modi said in a tweet.

Earlier, in the morning, Modi offered prayers at the Muktinath temple in Mustang district near the Nepal-China border.

Modi was accorded a warm welcome by the people of the remote Himalayan region. He spent nearly half an hour in the temple, which is popular for both Hindus and Buddhist pilgrims.

Modi took the holy water from 108 stone water taps in the temple premises and took pradakshina by circumambulating around the holy temple. Muktinath is one of the most important pilgrimage sites of Nepal for both Buddhists and Hindus. It is a great example to the world of a sacred place shared in harmony by devotees of two world religions.

"Spent a blessed morning at Muktinath. This land is spiritual and serene. From the Muktinath Temple visit. I thank the people for their affection," Modi tweeted with photos of him praying at the temple.

"PM Modi visited the highly venerated Muktinath temple, located at 12,172 ft, to reinforce the strong cultural connect between India and Nepal. PM Modi offered prayers at the human-size golden statue of Lord Vishnu as Shri Mukti Narayan," said Raveesh Kumar, official spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs, after Modi's visit to the Muktinath temple.

Modi will be the first foreign guest to pay homage at the main sanctum of Muktinath temple when he offers his prayers on Saturday, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli said yesterday.

High-security alert has been maintained in Mustang in view of Modi’s visit. The local administration had put in place a special security plan to make Modi’s visit safe and systematic.