My New Published Book GOSAINKUNDA:NATURE,CULTURE and HISTORY

I strongly believe, the book can play an important role in providing a better understanding of Gosainkunda and promoting its tourism industry as well as supporting the maintenance of socio-religious harmony in Nepal. Similarly, we can also expect that this type of study may also help to understand the unique Nepali tradition of unity that helped establish pilgrimage centers like Gosainkunda between Hindu, Buddhist, and shamanistic practices throughout the country. I congratulate the author for his successful endeavor. I also would like to extend my best wishes to the author and hope that he would be able to produce many more disciplined academic books in the years to come.
Cultural Historian and Coordinator, Himalayan and Buddhist Studies
Research Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
(US visit-Columbus, Ohio, July 5, 2010)

Prologue
A post-graduate student of Journalism, Subash ‘Agaman’ is known to me for about five years when he came to me for an article to be published in a journal on his native Rasuwa, a mountain district north of Kathmandu, on the Langtang Himalayan Range, to be precise. Then there was no news about him or his activities and his native Rasuwa. Now, after this gap of five years he appeared and to find him with this rather bulky volume on the nature, culture and history of Gosainkunda.
Located in the mountain on the district Gosainkunda is a pilgrimage site associated with the name of Shiva, one of the highly adored Hindu Trinity. It was more so when Agaman-ji asked me to write this review-cum-introductory chapter in English. It has been a challenging task for me because, first of all, it is a voluminous work; then it is a mixture of several themes around the main theme – the history and culture of Gosainkunda. Doing a synopsis of the entire book is thus a time consuming and challenging. I accepted the offer and took the challenge because by doing so I could also explore the importance of the holy site through the writer’s narration. Then I also thought it is a task worth accepting because the nature and culture of Rasuwa in general and Gosainkunda in particular have been the chosen destination of foreigners – from trekkers to the researchers. So, for those who may not have access to the literature on natural and cultural repertoire of the holy lake and the surroundings because of the language barrier, this preface might be of some help. I sincerely hope this brief outline of the book may serve some purpose in this direction.
In the foreword the writer says – he was inclined to highlight on the multi-dimensional importance of the famous pilgrimage Gosainkunda. This place located in the high mountainous region has played a source and inspiration of cultural unity amidst diversity. So, he further adds that at a time when the country is likely to face cultural erosion on the fabric of social and cultural harmony and unity and head toward instability a concerned effort to highlight on the social and cultural history and natural aspects of the place and the highly integrative feature of the famous site frequented by the Hindus, Buddhists, Shaministics, Lamas and a host of other creeds and groups would demonstrate the presence of religious tolerance and highly assimilative nature of our culture.
The book has a very comprehensive content. For example, there are altogether 39 chapters or units. Roughly, these units can be grouped into the following categories:
1. Geo-cultural landscape on the way to Gosainkunda
2. Trip to Gosainkunda – information the major attractions, facilities and features
3. Nature and Culture of the famous Gosainkunda Fair
4. Gosainkunda Fair and participation of several religious faiths
5. Gosainkunda and ethnicity
6. History of Gosainkunda – the Malla and the Shah rulers
7. Gosainkunda in media and literature
8. Conclusion and recommendation for the improvement of the holy site of Gosainkunda
The book opens with the narration of the famous Hindu Puranic (Classical) story of the ‘Churning of the Ocean’. According to the story once the gods and demons happened to come together in a bout to churn the all pervading Ocean in order to bring the valuable bounty from the bottom. They used Basukinaga as the rope. But as the Destiny would have it they first brought the valuable of all kinds to the surface and hustled and bustled for the possession of these items. As they continued with the churning spree continued with strong force, suddenly there was the flood of kalakuta poison gushing through. Quickly it spread all over the world and posed a serious danger to all the living beings. All the gods then stopped the churning work and sat down to pray to Lord Siva who in no time sensed the emerging danger that could sweep the entire Creation into annihilation in a brief few seconds and decided to take action at once. Then he suddenly began to drink the entire stock of poison to relieve the divine and the mortal worlds from possible danger. As a result, the part of his throat where the poison was accumulated turned blue. Further, Siva felt like eating fire so he headed towards the cold country, the Himalaya, to satiate his thirst. As he saw no water around even after his long trip, he stopped at the bottom of Mount Dharma and pierced the surface of the mountain with his mighty weapon Trishula, the Trident. Lo and Behold! Cold water began to gush out from the mountain. Siva drank and drenched to his heart’s content. The water later accumulated in a valley that is now called Gosainkunda, or the ‘Pond of the Chief or the Master.’
At the end of the main text, the writer presents some suggestions for the improvement of Gosainkunda. For example:
First of all, in the light of the historical, natural and cultural significance, the urgent need is to extend the drivable access road to the holy site of Gosainkunda after Dhunche, the last stop so far.
Second, the concerned agencies could also explore the possibility of installing a cable car with the financial participation of the people of Rasuwa. The existing road also needs qualitative improvement to make it an all weather road.
The government must allow more lodges and rest houses to function to cater for the need of more pilgrims. But such facilities must not be allowed to come and function in the close vicinity of the lake in order to save its beauty.
There is an urgent need of rest, toilet and washing facilities. There is also need to clean the trail on timely basis as the littering is the problem now.
There are also very steep places where there is a need to have railing, steps etc. in order to protect the travelers.
Conclusion
In the concluding part the writer emphasizes that
the special feature of the holy site – Gosainkunda – is the extraordinarily clean, pure and captivating color of the water.
the water is the main attraction of this site, for people make hard effort to make this trip to the site to take a dip into the holy water.
Several improvement plans have been prepared and submitted to the concerned agencies but these files often times remain stuck at this desk or the other.
This lethargic tendency will only delay the urgent task of implementing the reform and improvement plans.
The cash offering should be made transparent and meaningfully used
The importance of the multi-faceted significance of the trip to the holy site must be properly and adequately publicized
There can be provision for a small ‘tax’ or donation for the improvement of existing facility for the pilgrims and preservation of the site,
A fresh management to continue the ‘yoghurt’ and ‘leaf umbrella’ offering tradition for the pilgrims is to be installed
It is also essential to study the several inscriptions located in various site to provide knowledge of history and also for the improvement of the site
In order to publicize the importance of the holy site, a website could be installed
Similarly, a documentary could also be made to publicize the importance of the site
The Fair Management Committee should collect suggestions from the pilgrims and should implement the improvement plans based on these suggestions
With special focus on these suggestions Gosainkunda should be given priority to promote it as a tourist destination.
The Appendix
This part of the book has several documents – inscriptions, other historical documents, literary works dedicated to the holy site, list of bio-botanic assets such as plants, insects, birds, etc., many of them in tabular form. This has made the book not only an interesting reading but also reliable and scientific. The historic documents compiled and included in the text help the students and readers of history understand the importance of the holy site of Gosainkunda and its fairs.
The most remarkable collection in the book is the series of photographs taken to show the site from various angles and perspectives.
Thus, the book is an excellent scientific document compiled by a young native scholar committed to do everything possible to promote and preserve the holy site of Gosainkunda. The district of Rasuwa is so close to the country’s capital, Kathmandu, yet is so less knows despite the fact that its natural beauty and cultural richness is beyond explanation. With Langtang Himal, Chilime Hydropower, invaluable minerals such as mica, precious stones, ethnic minority such as the Tamang and their culture, and the Gosainkunda holy site, the district of Rasuwa is a place worth visit, study and publication.
Finally, this monograph is one important step in this direction and this will surely draw the attention of many readers, development workers, travel-tourism agencies and other concerned agencies and local partners for development.
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