Dzongu | Tholung Valley | Tholung Monastery | Tingvoong Home Stay  | Kamsel Ceremony | Points to Remember

PRIOR INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR THESE PLACES OF VISIT

Rugged and beautiful in northwestern Sikkim, it is the homeland of the Lepchaism, the original inhabitants of Sikkim.its rocky peaks and remote valleys are homes to rare fauna and flora that are endemic to the area. Dzongu is about 70 km north of Gangtok and takes 2 hours by jeep. Many of the village trails pass through gorgeous, pristine forest dripping with moss and orchids. Birds, waterfalls and dense pristine vegetation makes the place ideal for botanical excursions.

Dzongu (Homeland of the Lepchas)
And for a typical Lepcha experience, come to Dzongu in north-west Sikkim. Apart from exotic out-of-the-world natural beauty, this protected village offers you a number of attractions. Living in the homes of Lepchas and taking part in their daily activities – like farming-besides sharing their traditional food in itself is an enriching experience. There unique lifestyle manifest in their agricultural, religious and cultural traditions are not only fascinating, but also enriching.
While the Buddhist monasteries at Tingvong, Lunggthem and Hee-Gyathang are sure to give you an insight into the religious lives of the people, a cultural show, which can be put up on request, is sure to paint your stay with colours.

THOLUNG VALLEY
Tholung valley is the home of the Ethnic Lepcha people of Sikkim and is now a protected area. The Lepchas live in small villages amongst the dense forested slopes high above the Tholung valley.

THOLUNG MONASTERY
The Tholung monastery houses many relics and antiques collected from other monasteries for safe keeping. Many of these relics are displayed on a special day every three years. The trek up this beautifully forested valley leads to the higher alpine valleys where yaks graze below the snow capped mountains of the Khanchenjunga range.

Apart from the Dzongri trek in extreme Western Sikkim, trekking in sikkim, particularly to northern frontiers is still in its nascent stage owing to permit formalities or its proximity to the borders.
A trek up to Tholung via halts at Tingvoong homestay at Thingvoong is one of the best trekking areas following the northern fringes. The trek demands good fitness and medically sound body so as to meet the challenges like steep trek through thick forest as well as resistance to sleep in makeshift jungle houses, caves, cowsheds etc. When the night falls, local Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese gather at the homestay and entertain the guests with traditional folk songs and dances. Tingvoong is one of the happening villages in Dzongu, the Lepcha reserve.

The Kamsel ceremony usually lasts for three days.The Kamsel Ceremony is something very special, as it is held only after a gap of three years. The ceremony refers to the airing and sunning of the belongings of, particularly the Thankas, and other personal effects of Lhatsun Chenpo, one of the three great lamas who met at Yuksom in West Sikkim.

Additionally, before reaching this spring, there is a sacred rock on which is seen a conch but surprisingly nobody has reached it to feel the touch of it. There is a waterfall nearby that would cure from headache. In another direction of the rock are the footprints of Guru Rimpoche, his rib parts, imprinted whole opening the tear and nearby a place to pray for wealth at a place called Sinje Badong..The waterfall produces a loud, scary sound, which if get a drop one would go to heaven after death.

Before you jump into the idea, get the following points straight into your head.
Leave behind all your urban hang-ups. Don’t come here with the expectation of five-star facilities. The facilities are very basic. Villagers have come up with western toilets and trust them to put you in clean rooms and serve you healthy food. Come only if you are game to simple home cooked dal-chawal. There may be some places where there is no electricity supply even and bad roads should not come as a surprise or pain. You may even have to trek in some places.

Respect the sanctity of the villages. Alas, there is little government legislation to this effect but as a responsible citizen come only if you are bona fide eco tourist. Which mean you say no to the following
Plastic (don’t think it needs to be repeated why?)
Littering (the pristine villages are not to be used as dumping grounds for your beer cans and wafer packets)
Loud music (carry a walkman if the song of the bird is not enough to enthrall you)
Old polluting cars.