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Dzongu
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Tholung Valley
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Tholung
Monastery
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Tingvoong
Home Stay |
Kamsel
Ceremony
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Points to Remember |
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PRIOR INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR THESE
PLACES OF VISIT |
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VILLAGE HOME STAY |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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TINGVOONG HOME STAY |
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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.
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KAMSEL CEREMONY |
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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. |
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Points to
Remember |
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Before you jump into the idea, get the
following points straight into your head.
Leave behind all your urban hang-ups. Dont 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 (dont 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.
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