Kabi Lungchok is a memorial site about 17 km north of Gangtok on the North Sikkim Highway, where Sikkimese tradition places the blood-brotherhood oath between the Lepcha chief Thekong Tek and the Bhutia prince Khye Bumsa, in the 13th century. Stone pillars mark the place. It lies below the protected areas, so Indian visitors need no permit.
Lepcha nameKabi Lungchok (also spelled Kabi Longstok)Means: Commonly translated as 'stone erected by our blood', the stones that mark the blood-brotherhood oathSource: Wikipedia, Kabi Lungchok
Best months
October to May
Nights we suggest
0 (a stop on the way)
From Gangtok
≈ 17 km · 45 min to 1 h
Altitude
≈ 1,300 m (approximate)
Known for
Lepcha and Bhutia blood-brotherhood treaty site
Permit
Not needed for Indian visitors; foreigners need the Sikkim restricted area permit
Kabi Lungchok is a quiet forest clearing beside the North Sikkim Highway, roughly 17 km and 45 minutes to an hour from Gangtok. Stone pillars stand here to mark the place where, in Sikkim's own histories, a Bhutia prince named Khye Bumsa and a Lepcha chief named Thekong Tek swore a treaty of blood brotherhood. Wikipedia's article on the site gives the literal meaning of the name as 'stone erected by our blood'.
The oath matters because of what it stands for. Sikkim's migration narratives describe the Lepcha as the earlier people of the land and the Bhutia as newcomers from Tibet, and the treaty is remembered as the moment the two agreed to live together. The oath is dated by tradition to the 13th century and is not recorded in a contemporary document, so it is best read as Sikkim's founding story rather than a dated fact.
For travellers it is a short, free stop of 20 to 40 minutes that fits easily into a day on the North Sikkim road. Walk the grove slowly, read the plaque and leave the stones alone. Kabi Lungchok is in Mangan district but outside the protected areas, so no protected area permit is needed for Indian visitors. Check current status before you travel.
Highlights
What to see and do
The memorial stones
A circle of upright stones marks the spot of the treaty, with a plaque that tells the story in brief. The site is small and the atmosphere quiet. Walk around the stones rather than over them, keep voices low and do not climb or sit on the pillars.
Statues of the two leaders
Statues of Khye Bumsa and Thekong Tek stand at the site, representing the two peoples who swore the oath. They make a good starting point for explaining the story to children. Please do not touch or lean on them.
A forest setting
The site sits in subtropical broad-leaved forest beside the highway, with streams and waterfalls close by. Birdsong is easy to hear in the early morning, and the air is a few degrees warmer than in Gangtok.
A natural pause on the road north
Kabi Lungchok breaks the drive between Gangtok and Phodong, Mangan or Lachung. A 20 to 40 minute stop costs nothing, and it pairs well with Tashi View Point before it and the Seven Sisters Waterfall after it.
A story that still matters
The oath is remembered each year in prayers at the site, and in the festival of Pang Lhabsol, which Sikkimese accounts also connect with the bond between Lepcha and Bhutia. For many Sikkimese, this is a place of respect rather than a photo stop.
The story of Kabi Lungchok
The oath of two peoples
Wikipedia's article on Kabi Lungchok tells the story as Sikkim's histories tell it. Khye Bumsa, a prince from the Minyak house in eastern Tibet, settled in the Chumbi valley and sought the blessing of the Lepcha religious leader Thekong Tek, whose blessing is said to have brought him sons. Thekong Tek had no children of his own, and a prophecy held that Khye Bumsa's descendants would rule. The two men then swore a treaty of blood brotherhood at Kabi Lungchok. The oath recorded in the article is that Khye Bumsa would not discriminate against his new Lepcha subjects. Stone pillars were later raised to mark the place, and Wikipedia notes that ritual prayers are held each year to commemorate the treaty. Khye Bumsa's grandson Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned the first Chogyal at Yuksom in 1642. The event itself belongs to oral tradition and later Sikkimese histories, and its details differ between tellings, so we give it as tradition and not as a dated record.
Source: Wikipedia, Kabi Lungchok and Khye Bumsa (Sikkimese migration narratives)
Little known
Things most visitors never hear
The name is pronounced roughly 'Kayu sha bhi Lungchok' and is translated as 'stone erected by our blood'. Wikipedia also records the spelling Kabi Longstok.
Source: Wikipedia, Kabi Lungchok
The forest around the site is subtropical mixed broad-leaved hill forest, with trees such as Nepal alder, Castanopsis and Toona ciliata listed, and several waterfalls nearby, one known as the Seven Sisters.
Source: Wikipedia, Kabi Lungchok (citing ENVIS Sikkim)
Thekong Tek, the Lepcha signatory, is described in Sikkim's histories as a religious leader, and the treaty is the first bond between the Lepcha and the Bhutia in the Sikkimese narrative.
There is no shared jeep to Kabi Lungchok as such. Shared jeeps to Mangan from Gangtok pass the site, and the driver may stop if you ask in advance, though this is not guaranteed. Fares to Mangan are roughly ₹300 to 450 a seat, indicative.
Private car
A reserved small car from Gangtok takes about 45 minutes to an hour for roughly 17 km. A half-day car covering Tashi View Point and Kabi Lungchok is indicatively ₹1,800 to 2,500. NH10 and the North Sikkim Highway can close after monsoon slides.
From Bagdogra / NJP
Go to Gangtok first, which takes 4.5 to 5 hours from either on NH10, longer via Kalimpong or Algarah when NH10 is closed by slides. Visit Kabi Lungchok on a morning from Gangtok or on your way north.
Permits in North Sikkim
Indian travellers need a protected area permit for Lachung, Yumthang, Zero Point, Lachen, Thangu and Gurudongmar, issued only through Sikkim Tourism-registered agents and tied to a registered tourist vehicle; operators require a minimum two-night stay. Dzongu needs its own permit, usually obtained in Mangan. Children under five are not permitted in North Sikkim protected areas. Foreign nationals need the online Sikkim restricted area permit and may visit Lachung, Yumthang and Zero Point on a group permit, but not Gurudongmar; for Lachen and Thangu, ask us. Check current status before you travel.
There are no tourist stays at Kabi Lungchok itself and we do not plan nights here. Most visitors stay in Gangtok and visit on a morning or on the way north. For a night closer to Phodong and Labrang, ask us about small homestays and lodges in the Phodong area, and for the next planned halt on the North Sikkim road, Mangan has simple hotels. Budget rooms in Gangtok run about ₹1,500 to 3,000, and better hotels there cost more.
From the Gangtok desk
Tips we give friends
Go in the morning, when the light is soft and the site is quiet.
Keep your voice low and do not climb on or sit on the stones.
Carry a refillable bottle and a rain jacket, because the forest is damp for much of the year.
Pair the stop with Tashi View Point before it and the Seven Sisters Waterfall and Phodong after it.
Ask your driver about road status before leaving Gangtok in the monsoon, when slides are common.
Kabi Lungchok is about 17 km north of Gangtok on the North Sikkim Highway, in Mangan district (North Sikkim). It stands in forest beside the road, a little before the Seven Sisters Waterfall and Phodong. It takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour by car from Gangtok.
What happened at Kabi Lungchok?
According to Sikkim's histories, the Lepcha chief Thekong Tek and the Bhutia prince Khye Bumsa swore an oath of blood brotherhood here in the 13th century, pledging friendship between their peoples. Stone pillars mark the site. It is a founding tradition rather than a dated written record.
What does Kabi Lungchok mean?
Wikipedia gives the literal meaning as 'stone erected by our blood', with the name pronounced roughly 'Kayu sha bhi Lungchok'. It is also spelled Kabi Longstok. The stones mark the place of the treaty between the Lepcha and the Bhutia, and are the reason the site is remembered.
Do I need a permit for Kabi Lungchok?
No protected area permit is needed for Indian visitors, as the site is outside the protected areas of Mangan district. Foreign nationals need the online Sikkim restricted area permit to be in the state. Rules can change, so check current status before you travel.
How much time do we need at Kabi Lungchok?
Twenty to forty minutes is enough for most visitors, who walk around the stones, read the plaque and take a few photographs. Add time if you want to watch birds in the forest around the site, or to combine it with the Seven Sisters Waterfall and Phodong.
Is there an entry fee?
As far as we know, entry is free. It is an open memorial beside the highway. Fees and opening arrangements can change, and there may be a donation box or prayer events, so check current status before you travel and ask your driver or hotel in Gangtok.
What is the best time to visit Kabi Lungchok?
October to May is best, with the clearest weather in October, November, March and April. The monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain and slides on the highway, and the damp forest has leeches. A morning visit is quiet. Check current status before you travel.
Can we visit Kabi Lungchok on the way to Lachung or Mangan?
Yes. It is on the road north and makes a natural 20 to 40 minute stop, so ask your driver to include it. On a shared 2N/3D tour the schedule is fixed by the operator, and a stop may not be possible, so ask when booking. Tourist vehicles must cross the Toong check post by 4:00 pm.
Is Kabi Lungchok worth the stop?
Yes, if you care about how Sikkim's peoples tell their own story. It is a small, quiet site with no ticket and little to see beyond the stones, statues and plaque, so it suits a short stop and not a half-day trip. Combine it with the Seven Sisters Waterfall and Phodong.
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