The blogger is a native of the Langtang region of Nepal. My name is Pasang from Baruwa village which is located in the vicinity of Panchpokhari Lake and at the lap of Dorji Lakpa (6,966 m) within the Mahalangur Himalaya range. Most of the travelers visiting Nepal get involved in the Langtang Valley Trekking, Gosainkunda Lake Trekking, Ganjala Pass Trekking, and Kyanjing Gompa Trekking as well as Helambu and Aama Yangri Baruwa Trekking in Nepal. However, there are numerous mythical wonders and cultural grandeurs to experience in this region other than just walking on the hills of Langtang.
As a native of this place, I would like to shed some light on the various local festivals as well as myths behind the various religiously sacred place of the region. It would be fascinating to understand the history, culture and values associated with this region of Nepal. Here are some excerpts of the festival and religious significance of various iconic places in the Langtang region of Nepal.
Gosainkunda Lake
This is the most popular trekking destination in Nepal and Langtang region. It is situated at the crossroads of Langtang Valley Trek and Helambu valley trekking in Nepal. It is believed that the lake is formed by the strike of Lord Shiva’s trident. According to myth demons and gods did some excavation in the sea to get the elixir. While mining the elixir the poison got excavated and was about to engulf the entire universe and fortunately, in order to save the universe, Lord Shiva drank all poison.
Panch Pokhari Lake
Up in the hills, there are five different beautiful lakes. The place is so holy that locals pay tributes and visit this place during August to worship Lord Shiva. According to ancient myth, it is believed that cattle herder once saw Lord Shiva planting seeds of rice on the plains of the hills around lakes. As the Lord heard the voice of the herder and his watchdog he vanished from the site.
The bulls used by Shiva later climbed downhill and turned themselves into statues. The remains are still visible and one can relate the myth to all the geographical landmarks seen around the Panch Pokhari. Apart from the religious aspect, the area is equally popular for its scenic beauty.
Explore Kyanjing Gompa and Langtang Village
Langtang Village is situated at the lap of Langtang Lirung (7,234 m) Mountain overlooking more than 2 dozen of the mountains of Nepal and the Tibetan side. After the earthquake of 2015 and the glacier outbreak, the village was completely washed away. The calamity tolled heavy damage destroying almost every household school and monastery. However, with the intrepid people and kind help from the traveler hamlet slowly returns to normalcy.
Kyanjing Gompa is a mythical place about 2 hours of walking distance from Langtang Village. The Gompa is the oldest monastery in the region. Therefore, these places too can be visited in order to understand the intrepidity of people as well for the mystical experience.
Aama Yangri Hilltop
This is the holiest place for Buddhist followers. Most of the people of this region are Lama and exercise various Tibetan-influenced festivals. The place becomes vibrant during the local festival the followers climb the holy Mountain Ama Yangri before daybreak.
Once they are on the summit of the mountain they offer prayer to the first-morning sunray. The festival is observed during the months of March or April. The prayers are offered to bask in the sun and relish the local barley beer (Chhyang/Nigar), butter tea and local wine. Apart from these religious significances, the place is the vantage point for the scenery of splendid mountains as far as Manaslu (8,156 m) and Everest (8,848 m)
For more information about the Lama culture and religion as well as cultural aspects of the Langtang region don’t forget to write to me. You can connect with me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email. It would be a pleasure for me to share various aspects of my homeland. It is truly the most mythical and mystical place in Nepal.