Discover Nepal guide
Janai Purnima & Gosainkunda Mela
Learn about Janai Purnima & Gosainkunda Mela through verified cultural context, key facts, regions, traditions and references.
Communities
Hindu communities nationwide; great pilgrimage to Gosainkunda
Regions
Nationwide; Gosainkunda (Rasuwa) hosts the mela
Calendar
Shrawan purnima (BS)
Season
Aug
Rituals
Men renew their janai cords; brothers receive rakhi from sisters; tens of thousands climb to the Gosainkunda lake at 4,380 m, sacred to Shiva.
Significance
The monsoon full moon that turns a high alpine lake into one of Nepal's largest mountain pilgrimages.