INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
way that only nature can. The area
may be accessed by climbing up from
Dhunche or Syabru Besi in the west or
crossing the Lauribina Pass in the east.
Either route may be connected with the
other in order to make the trek into a
loop, taking ten to twelve days: five to
six days up, an extra day at Gosaikunda,
and another four or five days down.
The eastern route to Gosaikunda has
two approaches. The first is to start from
the Kathmandu Valley via the Shivapuri
National Park entrance at Sundarijal or
Budhanilkantha, over the northern ridge
of the Kathmandu Valley, to Kutumsang,
up the Phedi Valley to Gopte, and finally
over the Lauribina Pass, where one is
rewarded by meeting the pristine Surya
Kunda and Ganesh Kunda Lakes. The
other way to Gopte and Lauribina Pass
begins at the bottom of the Helambu
Valley via the bus stop at Timbu, a five-
hour drive northeast from Kathmandu.
The trail passes massive construction
for the Melamchi Water Project bringing
drinking water to Kathmandu, gradually
ascends to Melamchigaon, winds up an
enchanting forest to Thadepati (3640
metres), on to Gopte and the Lauribina
Pass, which at 4610 metres elevation
marks the entrance to the Gosaikunda
wetland area and is the highest point on
the trek for most visitors.
The climb from the west begins in
Thunche or Syabru Besi, via an eight
to ten-hour drive from Kathmandu
through Trishuli Bazaar in Nuwakot
District. By accepting a challenging
shortcut uphill, it is possible to
climb directly from Dhunche to Sing
Gompa (3254 metres). Sing Gompa,
or “wooden monastery”, refers to the
original temple built over 100 years
ago, but completely destroyed by
fire. It is worth taking an extra day and
ascending first to Thulo Syabru from
Syabru Besi to acclimatise and enjoy a
trail that winds through lush forests of
ningala (small bamboo), red laligurans
(rhododendron) trees, deodar cedars,
the trees of the gods, dhoop (juniper)
tree, varieties of pungent herbs, and
orchids perched wherever life offers
a niche. The forested area before
reaching Sing Gompa from the
west is known as Chandan Bari, or
Sandalwood Gardens, although it’s
been a long time since sandalwood
trees were harvested here. Local
cheese is available at the dairy in Sing
Gompa, as in Kyanjin Gompa further
north in the Langtang Valley. The trail
then ascends to Lauri Binayak (3920
metres), with unforgettable panoramic
Himalayan views the Annapurna
massif in the west to Langtang and
Dorje Lhakpa in the west, and finally
passes by Saraswoti Kunda on the way
up to Gosaikunda.
The Legend of Gosaikunda’s Origin
Many eons ago, when the gods were
performing Samudra Manthan to extract
amrita nectar from the ocean, the entire
universe became threatened by the
highly poisonous by-product, which
threatened the existence of the gods
themselves. They requested Lord Shiva,
the god of power and destruction, for
assistance. He swallowed and held
the burning poison in his throat, which
stained it blue, thus earning him the
name Nilkantha, the Blue Throated One.
However, Shiva became desperate for
perfectly pure cold water to soothe his
burning throat, so he stabbed his trident
into the Himalayas. This act created the
Trishul spring and three large basins,
which filled with water and became
Bhairab Kunda, Saraswati Kunda, and
Gosaikunda, by which he cooled his
throat and nullified the poison’s affects,
saving the universe from annihilation by
the poisonous substance.
Pilgrimage to the Sacred Lake
Each year during Janai (“Sacred
Thread”) Purnima, the full moon of the
lunar month of Shravan (July/August),
thousands of Hindu pilgrims trek to
the lake, some walking from Nuwakot
or even Sundarijal for days practically
without rest. They come to make
offerings with aspirations to behold the
image of Lord Shiva in the lake, to atone
for misdeeds, meditate, and pray for
the protection of the pure lake waters
to cool the burning heat of their worldly
burdens and cleanse them of the
poison of negative deeds. Janai Purnima
corresponds with the Newar holy month
of Gunla, and the Raksha Bandhan
festival when the devout wear blessed
bracelets for protection, an important
time for renewal and cleansing. On this
day, Brahmin and Chettri men who wear
sacred threads take a ritual bath and
replace the thread with a fresh one.
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Many pilgrims return home carrying jal
(blessed water) from its source. Pilgrims
also visit on the Ganga Dashahara, the
10th day of the lunar month Jyestha
(May/June), which commemorates
the Ganges River Goddess’ descent to
the earth, as holy lakes and rivers are
worshipped on this occasion.
A COMMUNITY FOR
ADVENTURE &
LOCAL EXPERIENCE
The lake is not only held as sacred
by Hindus and Buddhists, but by the
local
dhami-jakri
(healer-shaman)
community, which holds a large
gathering each Janai Purnima, when
various offerings are made to local
spirits. The festival is important to the
local communities for maintaining the
well-being of the relationship between
the human and spiritual worlds of
the environment, natural deities, and
ancestors who are believed to reside at
the Trishuldhara.
Climbing Surya Peak
At 5145 metres Surya Peak is a vigorous
day trip ascent from Gosaikunda and
offers breathtaking close-up mountain
views, on top of the real sense of
climbing a Himalayan peak. Our group
of fifteen (three Nepali guides with
twelve international trekkers) got an
ill-advised late start from Gosaikunda
around 8am, so by the time we reached
the summit, clouds had risen to obscure
the view of the far-off mountain ranges
to the east and west. However, we were
still rewarded with incredible close-ups
of imposing Langtang Ri (7205 metres)
and Langtang Lirung (7234 metres)
towering over us in the north.
Though Surya Peak does not require
technical climbing skills, one should go
with a guide to show the way, as it is not
easy to follow the rock cairns amongst
granite rock falls on the scramble up
the boulder field. Loose sliding rocks
require a slow, careful ascent and add a
sense of danger to the adventure. A light
snow greeted us as we returned to our
campsite in Gosaikunda around 3pm,
which felt like the gods were showering
blessed white confetti down upon us to
congratulate our success.
Whether or not one climbs Surya
Peak, or is rewarded with light snow
or blue skies, the blessings of sacred
Gosaikunda are felt by all who visit -
tourist and pilgrim alike.
NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
TRAVEL-NEPAL
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www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
Lal Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Email: [email protected] URL: www.royalmt.com.np
www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
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