When I first arrived in Kathmandu, the air was thick with a kind of quiet vibration an ancient hum that seemed to rise from the stone,...

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...