Gosaikunda Pilgrimage Trek-7 days Gosaikunda Trekking in Langtang Nepal 2023/24

Gosaikunda Lake is situated an altitude of 4380m north of Kathmandu in Langtang National Park region.  Ten thousands of devotees make a pilgrimage trek to Gosaikunda Lake every year on the full moon day of July/August to take a holy bath on this frozen alpine lake.According to the Hindu legend, the lakes Gosaikunda, Saraswatikunda and Bhairabkunda were formed when the God Shiva plunged his trident (Trisul) into the ground in order to obtain water. The main sources of the Trisuli River are importance of these lakes. Thus, this is the most popular pilgrimage destination outside the Kathmandu Valley for Hindu devotees.
There is a large rock at the center of the lake, which is said to be the remains of the Shiva shrine.  It is also said that the water from Gosaikunda Lakedisappears underground via a subterranean channel and surface in Kumbeshwor pool, adjoin to the five stored temple of Shiva in Patan.

Gosaikundaalso spelled Gosainkunda is an alpine freshwater oligotrophic lake in Langtang National Park at an elevation of 4,380m. The lake melts to form the Trishuli River, it remains frozen for six months in winter. There are 108 lakes in the vicinity. Gosaikunda is a significant place of interest for pilgrims. Gosaikunda pilgrimage trek adjoins the famous Langtang Valley trek. Both treks can be combined. Basic accommodation is quite easily available. Tea houses offer a variety of food and snacks.The trek to Gosaikunda starts in Dhunche Village or Syabru Besi in the Langtang Himal, or in Sundarijal in the Kathmandu Valley.

Gosaikunda is a religious site. Hindu mythology attributes Gosaikunda is as the abode of the Hindu deities Shiva and Gauri. The Hindu scriptures Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata refer to Samudra manthan, which is directly related to the origin of Gosaikunda. Its waters are considered holy and of particular significance during the Gangadashahara and the Janai Purnima festivals when thousands of pilgrims from Nepal and India visit the area. Gosaikunda is believed to have been created by Lord Shiva when he thrust his Trishul/holy Trident into a mountain to extract water so that he could cool his stinging throat after he had swallowed poison

When starting from Dhunche, the first day involves a long steady climb to reach Chandanbari at an altitude of 3,200 m. Laurebinayak at about 3,700m can be reached on the second day. At this point, some trekkers choose to climb ahead to Gosaikunda, though altitude sickness is a concern as the ascent is rather steep. Many trekkers choose to stay at Laurebinayak, which also provides sunset and sunrise views of the Langtang and Ganesh Himal. The descent from Gosaikunda to Sundarijal takes about four days and involves a short climb to Laurebina La at 4,610 m, a rapid descent to Phedi and onward to Ghopte. Depending on pace, there are options to stay at Thadepati, Mangengoth, Kutumsang and at many villages farther downhill. The trails are well marked, except between Ghopte and Thadepati.

Day 1: Kathmandu - Dhunche(1,965m, 6/7 hours). 
After breakfast, we board our vehicle and head north out of Kathmandu driving through scenic foothills and ridgeline vistas to Dhunche. Stay overnight at lodge.
Day 2: Trek to Syabru Village (2,720m, 5-6 hours) 
The trek today is pretty leisurely and goes through forests and terraced hill slopes. As we enter Syabru, we descend to the ridgeline that separates the Langtang Khola from the Trisuli River. We will continue through the village to your campsite about fifteen minutes beyond on the slopes below the village. From here we can enjoy spectacular views of Langtang Lirung (7245 m.) and Tibetan Himal ranges. Stay overnight at lodge.
Day 3: Trek to Sing Gompa / Chandanbari(3,250m, 4-5 hours)
As we hike on, a few areas on top of the ridge open up Langtang valley to Langtang Lirung in the morning. To the west, we see the Himalchuli, Ganesh Himal and Manaslu peaks rise up. The trial goes down across Laurebina and Cholangpati to Sing Gompa. Sing Gompa is the main attraction at Chandan Bari, which also has a few hotels and a small cheese factory. Reckon we sample some cheese! 
Day 4: Trek to Gosainkund (4,380m, 6 hours).
From Chandanbari we hike up at a slow pace to reach the Gosainkunda Lake. We cross the source of the sacred Trishuli River and haul up for a meditative view at the Saraswati Lake. Bhairav Lake has a special beauty. The next sacred bowl is Gosainkunda. According to Hindu myth Lord Shiva, a powerful Hindu deity, created this lake by piercing the glacier with his trident to obtain water to quench his thirst after having swallowed Kalkut poison that threatened to destroy the world. The large rock in the center of the lake is said to be the remains of a Shiva shrine. We spend the night camping close to the lake.
Day 5: Trek to Sing Gompa (4-5 hrs)
After a hearty breakfast, we revert to our earlier path where the trail descends all the way to Sing Gompa passing Lauribinayak with magnificent mountain views and forests. It’s a lovely hike all the way down to Sing Gompa. Overnight in lodge
Day 6: Trek to Dhunche (5-6 hrs)
The first part of the trail descends through lovely pine, silver oak, and rhododendron forests and wild marijuana plants as the whiff of the plants hits the nose straight away until we cross the suspension bridge over the Sing Gompa stream. The path then stretches across a flat level. Stay overnight at lodge.
Day 7: Drive back to Kathmandu
It’s a seven hours drive through a scenic highway on our way back to Kathmandu. We check into our hotel and the rest of the day is free to chill out and reflect on a wonderful trip. Overnight at hotel