The Gosainkund area is named after the primary attraction which are several high altitude lakes. It is a very holy religious site for both Buddhists and Hindus. Several legends exist concerning the formation of the lake. One commonly accepted version simple described here mentions Gods trying to obtain immortality from the ocean. As a result, the ocean became unbalanced and poisons rose to the surface. Then the Hindu god Lord Shiva sacrificed himself after seeing the poisons and drank it. He became very ill and thirsty so he traveled into the Himalayas and created the lakes by piercing the snow covered mountainside to obtain pure water to cure a terrible sickness and thirst. There are five or more lakes at the area called Gosainkund but the two largest lakes are referred to the most. The are roughly 14,000 feet in elevation. They lie on a ridge just off the crest and the waters collected here by the snows forms the headwaters of the Trisuli River.
The religious significance of the area is illustrated by the number of pilgrims who visit the lakes each year. Every year during the full moon between July and August thousands Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims travel by foot to bathe in the pure waters here.
Gosainkund is quite easily accessible and takes only 5 days to reach from Kathmandu. Two buses daily leave from the new bus park in Kathmandu to Dhunche (100 Nepali Rupees) with a lunch stop in Trishuli. Bye your bus ticket the day before you want to leave to reserve a seat. The new bus park is about 20 to 30 minutes away from the tourist area of Kathmandu (Thomel). The taxi ride out to the bus park may cost about the same as the ticket itself but its worth getting a seat to insure smooth travel. The bus ride by most tourists standards is scary and a jaw breaker. It takes about 6 hours from Kathmandu to Dhunche (the end of the road more or less). The ride is very beautiful especially during the rice growing season (June to October).
There are at least 3 checkpost stops where the bus waits for the tourists to get there trekking permits checked. One right before Trishuli, one between Trishuli and Dhunche and an army camp right before Dhunche. The bus trip will take the entire day from your taxi right in Thomel to your lodge bed in Dhunche which might include a half hour for bus repairs along the way. However, the effort is well worth it as Dhunche is the beginning of a beautiful and peaceful trek into either Langtang or Gosainkund. See the Langtang trek for information on that route.
A conservative itinerary for Kathmandu to Gosainkund is listed below. Of course, a trekking permit and National Park pass is required to trek in this area. One can get these in the days before one starts at the immigration office in the tourist area (thomel) of Kathmandu.
The description that follows include photos of the area during the winter at the beginning of March. Typically the area in inaccessible during the heart of the winter from say mid December till the beginning of March. The snow covered trail just opened up the day before the (snow covered) lake photos were taken.