Day 6 to Laurebina Phedi to Gosainkund via the Laurebina Pass
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Day 6 to Laurebina Phedi to Gosainkund via the Laurebina Pass |
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The prayer flag does not mark the path... |
Leave the lodge and make the short steep climb uphill to the Hotel Dawa Bebi.
Beyond here the path ascends steadily and gently all the way to the Laurebina Pass. Pass a roofless yak herders’ hut and campsite set in beautiful pasture land at 3,850 metres (45 minutes). [28°03.66’N 85°27.30’E]. Pass more yak herders’ huts at 3,950 metres (1 hour 5 minutes). Reach the Sudi Yak Kunta Phedi Lodge after 1 hour and 45 minutes. [28°03.89’N 85°26.85’E 4,100 metres]. The upper direct path from Tharapeti joins the main path here. Cross a first stream (2 hours 30 minutes) [28°04.31’N 85°26.41’E 4,350 metres]. Cross a second stream (2 hours 40 minutes) Cross a third and final stream ( 2 hours 50 minutes). Arrive at more yak herders’ roofless huts (3 hours 5 minutes) [28°04.33’N 85°26.22’E 4,483 metres]. From here you can see the top of the pass. To the left is a Buddhist white flag. Note that it does not mark the path, which lies to the right. |
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This porter carries about 20 trekker's rucksacks... |
The crest of the Laurebina Pass - part 2
It all looks the same... yak herders' huts and snow everywhere you look.
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Jans and Urte.
Inside a lodge... |
At the crest of the pass, known as Laurebina East, are still more yak herders’ huts (3 hours 50 minutes) [28°04.40’N 85°25.89’E 4,704 metres] and a lake, Suraj Kund. The name Laurebina, according to the the geographer Harka Gurung, means ‘place of sticks’. The sticks, of which I saw none, were left behind in the past by the Shiva pilgrims who no longer needed them, having completed their long climb. Since leaving Sundarajil you have ascended 3,350 metres. Follow the path, under snow even in October, past lakes until the main lake, Gosain Kund, and the lodges of Gosainkund come into view below. From here you can see the small white island in the lake that is said by Hindu pilgrims to be Shiva’s head. Indeed, the name Gosainkund is said to mean ‘the place where Shiva resides’. 
Gosainkund Lake Continue down, with the lake on your left. Pass the pilgrim lodges, with their unwelcome fragrance, to reach the huge tourist lodges above (4 hours 20 minutes). They are:
These lodges are a lot bigger than the ones you have stayed at earlier, and it can be a bit of a culture shock arriving here. There are clean sheets on the beds! - Doors with handles! Glass windows! Still, don’t get too carried away, there aren’t any baths with taps. |
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The lake and the lodges of Gosainkund Shiva pilgrims come to the lake here to worship Shiva. It is a site sacred to Shiva, for he visted the main lake at the time of creation. The Hindu creation legend, in the Mahabharata, tells that at the beginning of time, both the gods and demons sought the secret of immortality. They knew that the mysterious substance, ambrosia, the food of the gods, would enable them to live forever. To create it, they had to churn the ocean with sap from the divine trees of Mount Meru, liquid gold and magical herbs. As they churned, the water turned to milk, then to clarified butter. The gods became knackered, and complained to Brahma, the chief Hindu god, that no ambrosia had been formed. Brahama directed Vishnu to give the gods renewed strength. Thus refreshed, they churned with relentless vigour. From the churned ocean arose the moon, the sun, the goddess of wine and the Kaustubha Gem, which they gave to Vishnu. On and on they churned, churning excessively in their desire to obtain the ambrosia. Just before the ambrosia was formed, their excessive churning caused the terrible Kalukata poison to arise and threaten the universe. Shiva swallowed the poison to prevent the demons from trying an early form of substance abuse. The poison turned Shiva’s throat blue, for it was hotter than the hottest hot vindaloo curry. He was urgently forced to seek a cooling drink. As there was no lager (a kind of English beer often drunk with curry) available in those days, he flew to the Himalayas, and drank from the soothing cool waters of lake Gosain Kund to obtain relief. The ambrosia was formed shortly afterwards in a white pot. Vishnu, appearing as a beautiful woman, tricked the demons, and made sure that only the gods drank the ambrosia. Vishnu is the keeper of the ambrosia to this very day. Hindu pilgrims visit Gosainkund during the Janai Purne festival, which occurs during the August full moon each year. Many other glacial lakes throughout the Himalayas are the object of pilgrimage at this time. Gosainkund is sacred to devotees of Shiva for the reason above. During Janai Purne, high caste Hindus change their sacred janai cord. This cord is worn over the left shoulder and around the torso by Hindu men. All over India and Nepal at this time, Hindus visit sacred sites, such as this one, to change their janai cord. This is a complex activity, in which the many different castes, together at the same time, have to avoid being made ritually impure by one another. Their culture requires the different groups to stay separate. This, I presume, is why there are so many small lodges for pilgrims, but 3 big ones for trekkers. Last updated March 2000 - copyright Ian Johnson |
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