20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Sacred Gurudongmer Lake

Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest lakes in the world and in India, located at an altitude of 5,425 m (17,800 ft), in Sikkim. It is considered sacred by Buddhists, Sikhs and Hindus. The lake is named after Guru Padmasambhava—also known as Guru Rinpoche—founder of Tibetan Buddhism, who visited in the 8th century. The high altitude lake is located 190 kilometres (120 mi) away from Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim, and about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the Tibetan (Chinese) border, in the district of North Sikkim. If anyone believe in Nature magic then really need to visit the Gurudongmar Lake, Sikkim. Nestled amidst snow-covered mountains, it is highly sacred for both the Hindus and the Buddhist. According to the local beliefs, it is said that one of the parts of this lake was blessed by Guru Rimpoche, so one can always find that particular spot never freezing no matter how hard the winter is.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Gangtok, Sikkim, India, India
Camera: NIKON Z 6
Copyright: © Apurba Das