INTRODUCTION

Gosainkunda, the name itself spells out the meaning; Gosain refers to Monk and Kunda refers to lake. Hindu mythology identifies Gosainkunda as the abode of Hindu deities-Lord Shiva and Gauri. Myth says the lake was created by Lord Shiva by thrusting his Trishul into a mountain to extract water so as to settle down his stinging throat after he had swallowed poison. The origin of Gosainkunda is also referred by the Hindu scriptures Bhagavata Puran and Vishnu Puran and the epics Ramayan and Mahabharata. Anyone, who takes a dip into the ice-cold water of Gosainkunda, is believed to be free of sins, even of previous lives. They are also believed to be healed of diseases they have been suffering from. The lake remains frozen during winter season whereas it melts and sips down during summer to form Trishuli.

Gosainkunda trek route is the third most popular walks of Nepal. Allocating one week of time would be a justice for this trek route. Gosainkunda is spaced inside Langtang National Park. The trekking begins once you take your Entry Permit of Langtang National Park from Kathmandu. The Entry Permit Fee for Langtang National Park is about 1,000 rupees. If you wish to start your trek from Sundarijal area, you need to take an additional Entry Permit of Shivapuri National Park. Generally, trekkers begin their trek from Dhunche, the capital of Rasuwa District. Dhunche is 6-7 hours drive away from the capital town Kathmandu Gosainkunda is 21 km away from Dhunche. Some trekkers who are strong enough both physically and mentally reach Gosainkunda in just a day but generally trekkers prefer two days of climb to reach there. Trekkers might take the night stay at Sing Gompa or places nearby. 

The expedition to Gosaikunda is not just limited to walks. You get to learn a lot of things. You get to enjoy the fresh cheese of the local area. You will have no regret about this trek, once you are introduced to the hospitality and warm-welcoming of the local people. You get top class food and accommodations anywhere you wish to stay throughout the trek. Majority of the trail is through the forests and narrow passes. Exquisite springs, ever flowing rivers and rivulets and eye-catching mountain peaks will make you realize that you made a wonderful decision by planning the trek. Trekkers encounter a variety of species of plants and animals on the way. Gosainkunda Lake itself is an alpine fresh water oligotrophic lake that has allowed a large number of aquatic species to live in. Typical Himalayan floras such as deciduous oak and maple and evergreens like Pine, along with many types of rhododendron can be found on the way. Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Tahr and Red Pandas also live in Langtang National Park. You may encounter them if you’re lucky enough to gather a life-long reminiscence. You will also encounter some peculiar kind of trees having their leaves on their barks. Most of the tourists are found to be amazed by such features and it is one of the things that they recall about this trek route. Enjoying the greenery of mother-nature and scenic beauty of mountain ranges like Langtang, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu etc. your steep approach finally comes to halt when you witness the heart-warming beauty of Gosainkunda Lake escorted by panorama of mountain ranges. There are more than 100 lakes in the area, you can obviously visit most of them, but only if you have a lot of time. After spending some time around the lake, having some photographs taken and maybe after a dip in the lake, trekkers walk back down to their destination. The descending trail follows Ghopte, Tarepati, Chisapani, Sundarijal and finally an hour drive to Kathmandu. Descending down the path is not as easy as it seems. This needs some patience and physical ability as well.

Trekking to Gosaikunda can be done at any part of the year but be wise enough to avoid rainy weather. It is during the festival of Janai Purnima, the number of visitors reach to peak and creates a lot of difficulties out there. It is difficult to manage accommodations. Even if you get one, it may cost you far expensive. So, better manage everything before your trek if you want to have one during such time. Unlike in many other trek routes, a lot of amateurs tend to trek to Gosainkunda as it isn’t far from Kathmandu valley. Quite often, they seem to underestimate the route. Many of them are found to have suffered from Acute Mountain Sickness (Altitude Sickness) while trekking through this route. So, better get some medical consultation before trekking and carry necessary medicines and equipment.