Baglung, May 22 -- In the remote village of Ranipauwa in ward 1 of Baragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality of Mustang district, stands a 219-year-old traditional rest house still offering hospitality to travelers and pilgrims to the Muktinath Temple.

Despite its age and weathered structure, the two-story quadrilateral building-built with wooden pillars, beams and a mud roof-can accommodate up to 200 people at a time. With prior notice, it can even serve meals to around 1,000 individuals.

But this is not a commercial hotel. It's a dharmashala-a religious rest house-that operates solely on donations, particularly the handfuls of grain and vegetables offered by visiting pilgrims.

A stone inscription inside the building confirms it was bu...