Gurudongmar takes its name from Guru Padmasambhava, the teacher who is said to have brought Buddhism to Tibet and Sikkim in the 8th century. Buddhists in Sikkim call him Guru Rinpoche, and many places in the state are linked to his travels.
The story most often told is that herders who lived on this cold plateau had no water in winter, because the lake froze solid. They asked the Guru for help, and he touched part of the lake, so that a section of it would stay unfrozen even in the coldest months. Pilgrims still regard the water as blessed and some carry a little home.
The lake is also revered by Sikhs, some of whom link it with a visit by Guru Nanak. The question of who should keep a shrine at the lake later became a dispute that reached the courts, and today the shore has a small Buddhist shrine. Whatever your faith, the lake is treated as holy ground, so behave as you would in a temple.
Sources
- Gurudongmar Lake (Wikipedia)
- Told locally in Lachen
Legends are retold differently from village to village. Where a story is told locally rather than written down, we say so.
