Hotels, restaurants along Gosainkunda route gradually coming into operation

Kathmandu - Hotel and restaurants closed owing to the threat of COVID-19 outbreak about four months back have come into operation gradually. The hotels and restaurants along the trekking route to Gosainkunda came into operation in the wake of coming Janaipurnima festival, said hotel entrepreneurs committee vice-chair Pemba Lama.

He added that the hotels will gradually resume from coming Saturday. Lama said that the security and health safety of pilgrims to Gosainkunda along the route is managed properly. He shared that there are seven luxurious hotels along the route towards Nuwakot side while over two dozen hotels and restaurants along the trekking route to Gosainkunda.

Dupcheshwar Rural Municipality chair Yobindra Singh Tamang shared that most of the hotels will gradually come into operation. A large number of pilgrims visit Gosainkunda for Janai Purnima festival, which falls on full moon day in August. Devotees take ritual dips in the (Gosainkunda) holy pond and make offerings to the god Shiva.

They then change their sacred threads wishing good health and protection from evil. Tamang further added that devotees can trek from Sundarijal in Kathmandu and then along Chisapani, Kulungsang, Manganigoth, Chhaharethati to Suryakunda and Gosainkunda. It takes two days on foot.

He also shared that they failed to see a large number of the visitors in Gnagadashara in Jestha due to COVID-19 threat but are expecting to see more visitors in Janaipurnima. Because of it, they were working out to resume hotels and restaurants along the route. The festival, Janaipurnima is on August 3 this year.