Culture · Tashi View Point
Tashi View Point and Kabi Lungchok half day
Combine the Kangchenjunga view with a drive 9 km further up the North Sikkim Highway to Kabi Lungchok, where Sikkimese tradition places the 13th-century blood-brotherhood pact between Lepcha and Bhutia leaders. A short morning that tells Sikkim's founding story.
Photo: walter callens · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
After sunrise at Tashi View Point, continue north on the highway to Kabi Lungchok, about 17 km from Gangtok and 30 minutes from the viewpoint. Here, in a grove of trees, stands a circle of memorial stones. In Sikkimese tradition, as told in Wikipedia's article on the site, the Lepcha chief Thekong Tek and the Bhutia prince Khye Bumsa swore blood brotherhood here in the 13th century, with Kangchenjunga as witness.
Life-size statues of the two leaders now stand at the site, and the grove has a quiet, sacred atmosphere. Walk slowly, keep voices low and do not climb on the stones. The pact is still honoured at Pang Lhabsol in late summer, when Sikkim's guardian mountain is worshipped.
Kabi Lungchok lies in Mangan district (North Sikkim) but outside the protected areas, so no permit is needed. Return to Gangtok for a late breakfast or lunch. A reserved small car for the morning costs about ₹1,800–2,500. In the monsoon, check the highway status before going.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
How far is Kabi Lungchok from Tashi View Point?
About 9 km further north on the North Sikkim Highway, roughly 25–30 minutes by car. Kabi Lungchok is about 17 km from Gangtok in all. A half-day car covering both costs indicatively ₹1,800–2,500. In the monsoon, landslides can slow the road, so check current status before you travel.
Do we need a permit for Kabi Lungchok?
No. Kabi Lungchok lies in Mangan district (North Sikkim) but outside the protected areas, so no permit is needed for Indian travellers, and foreigners with a valid Sikkim restricted area permit can go. Permits are needed only further north for Lachung, Lachen and Dzongu.
What happened at Kabi Lungchok?
In Sikkimese tradition, the Lepcha chief Thekong Tek and the Bhutia prince Khye Bumsa swore blood brotherhood here in the 13th century, with Kangchenjunga as witness, sealing friendship between the two peoples. Memorial stones and statues mark the site. Wikipedia's article on Kabi Lungchok summarises the tradition.
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