Tsomgo has long been treated as a sacred lake by the Buddhist and Hindu people of Sikkim. Its name is usually given as source of the lake, and it sits on a route that pilgrims, traders and soldiers have used for centuries on the way to Nathu La and Tibet.
One tradition recorded in accounts of the lake is that lamas once studied the colour of its water to read signs of the future. A change in the lake's colour was taken as a warning of troubled times ahead, and a clear, steady colour as a good sign.
The lake is also linked to healing. On the full moon of Guru Purnima, jhakris, the traditional shamans of Sikkim's Nepali and Lepcha communities, are said to gather at its shore to pray and renew their healing powers.
Today most visitors come for snow and yak rides, but you will still see prayer flags strung above the shore and small offerings left by local drivers. The rule against throwing things into the water is not only about litter; it is about respect for a place many Sikkimese consider holy.
Sources
- Lake Tsomgo (Wikipedia)
- Sikkim Tourism, Government of Sikkim
- Told locally in Gangtok
Legends are retold differently from village to village. Where a story is told locally rather than written down, we say so.
