August 31: Devotees in larger numbers have reached Gosaikunda since the early morning today to observe the Janai Purnima festival.    
Over 4,000 people have arrived at the sacred place in Rasuwa district to partake in the Janai Purnima festival. Gosaikunda, a freshwater lake of profound religious importance, lies at an altitude of 14, 370 feet above the sea level.    
 Gosaikunda Area Development Committee chair Sanjiv DM said most of the devotees arrived at Gosaikunda on the eve of the festival. A few more are on the way to the lake, District Police Chief Subas Budhathoki said.

A fundamental tradition of the festival involves devotees taking a holy dip in the lake, seeking blessings for familial happiness and unity to be bestowed upon them.    
The Nepalese Army, the Gosaikunda Rural Municipality, Rasuwa District Hospital, District Ayurved Health Centre, and the Himalaya Rescue Association have been here for the services of the devotees, Chief District Officer, Prakash Chandra Adhikari told RSS.

Meanwhile the Directorate of Public Relations and Information of the Nepalese Army issued a press statement on  Wednesday stating that the army deployed in Gosaikunda area rescued people who were taken ill during the pilgrimage and treated them at the security base  in Chandanbari.

The adverse weather during the monsoon and the high altitude causes problems for the pilgrims, many of whom suffer from altitude sickness during the trip.