At Muktinath, Nepal — one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in the Himalayas — a devotee bathes under sacred spring waters believed to purify the soul, as part of an ancient ritual of renewal and reverence.

I came to Panchasee expecting to stay just one night. It was meant to be a quiet stop, a place to rest before continuing on. But this...

I didn’t plan to find Lupra. It appeared like a whisper off the trail from a meeting with new friends as a small dot on the map, a name...