Folklores of Sacred Khecheopalri Lake in the Sikkim Himalaya of India A Plea for Conservation

Abstract

Although locals regard all lakes in the Himalayan mountains as sacred, Khecheopalri Lake in the Sikkim Himalaya of India is considered the most sacred. There are many folk- lores associated with it—it is famous as a "wish ful³lling lake." The pristine setting of the lake combined with its huge biodiversity attracts a large number of tourists, and it is also a pilgrimage site. However, the lake's sacredness is limited to the water only and it faces immense anthropogenic and other biotic pressures in the watershed, such as those relat- ing to the collection of ³rewood, the felling of trees for timber, fodder collection, free live- stock grazing, and various agricultural practices. The impact of tourism, with consequent garbage management issues and impact on wildlife, adds another dimension to the lake's fragile ecosystem. This has led to environmental and cultural changes of the area that all pose a threat to the ecosystem and its surrounding resources, thus raising questions over the lake's longevity and economic viability.

Full text

ALKA JAIN, H. BIRKUMAR SINGH, S. C. RAI, AND E. SHARMA
G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development
Sikkim, India
Folklores of Sacred Khecheopalri Lake
in the Sikkim Himalaya of India
A Plea for Conservation
Abstract
Although locals regard all lakes in the Himalayan mountains as sacred, Khecheopalri
Lake in the Sikkim Himalaya of India is considered the most sacred. There are many folk-
lores associated with it—it is famous as a “wish ful³lling lake.” The pristine setting of the
lake combined with its huge biodiversity attracts a large number of tourists, and it is also a
pilgrimage site. However, the lake’s sacredness is limited to the water only and it faces
immense anthropogenic and other biotic pressures in the watershed, such as those relat-
ing to the collection of ³rewood, the felling of trees for timber, fodder collection, free live-
stock grazing, and various agricultural practices. The impact of tourism, with consequent
garbage management issues and impact on wildlife, adds another dimension to the lake’s
fragile ecosystem. This has led to environmental and cultural changes of the area that all
pose a threat to the ecosystem and its surrounding resources, thus raising questions over
the lake’s longevity and economic viability.
Keywords: Khecheopalri Lake—biofolklore—Sikkim Himalaya—conservation
Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 63, 2004: 291–302

THE NATURAL beauty of the Himalayas, including snow-capped
mountains, huge biodiversity, crystal clear high altitude lakes, a clean
soothing environment, and pilgrimage sites frequently draws the
interest of both local and international trekkers and tourists.* The mountain
people have very rich folklores associated with their life and the surrounding
resources, and have consequently maintained the pristine setting of the sites
and developed taboos concerning human interference. These areas have a
great advantage over the other tourist sites because visitors can see and appre-
ciate the connections between religious beliefs and practices on the one hand,
and environmental restoration and conservation on the other.
Khecheopalri Lake in the Sikkim Himalayas of India is a unique area
that is gaining popularity within the tourism sector due to its landscape and
rich biodiversity, in addition to the various ethnic religio-cultural aspects and
sacred beliefs associated with it. Of the one hundred and ³fty lakes in Sikkim,
Khecheopalri Lake is the most sacred and is revered by the local people
(FIGURE 1). A large number of national and international tourists visit the site
throughout the year. One of the authors, Alka Jain, conducted an intensive
research study of the lake and its surroundings. In the study the watershed
was considered as a support system for the lake and various parameters, such
as forest ecology, precipitation partitioning pathways, and sediment and
nutrient deposition into the lake from the surrounding watershed were
taken into account. Also considered were physico-chemical parameters, such
as pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate-phosphorus, total nitrogen,
and so on, in addition to biological parameters, such as lake water plankton
and the transition zone between the lake and the surrounding watershed
(that is, peat land). These studies showed that the lake is facing immense
pressure from the surrounding catchments and its longevity is under threat
mainly because of anthropogenic pressure. By promoting traditional sacred
beliefs and its folklores and linking ecotourism with social and economic
development of the local populace, it may be possible to conserve the natu-
ral and cultural heritage of the lake and the Himalayan region as a whole.
[ 292 ]

FOLKLORES OF SACRED KHECHEOPALRI LAKE 293
FIGURE 1: Birds-eye view of Khecheopalri Lake and surrounding areas. Photo by H. B. Singh, 1997.
The present study summarizes basic information on biofolklores of
Khecheopalri Lake in order to revive and reinforce its sacredness and
encourage conservation for the sake of future generations.
Lake Khecheopalri (27Þ22' 24'' N and 88Þ12' 30'' E) is situated 147 kilo-
meters west of Gangtok, the state capital of the Sikkim Himalaya, in the West
District (see MAP 1) at an altitude of 1700 meters amsl (above mean sea level).
The lake represents the original névé (that is, compact granular snow that
eventually forms a glacier) region of an ancient hanging glacier, and the
depression is formed by the scooping action of the glacier. A moraine ridge
forms the southern bank of the Lethang valley (RAINA 1966). The lake has
been estimated to be more than 3500 years old (JAIN et al. 2000).
Khecheopalri Lake is surrounded by the forested Ramam watershed
(named after Ramam Mountain) and covers an area of 12 square kilometers. It
falls on the southern boundry of the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve
(Buffer Zone IV), limiting on the reserved forest boundaries of Khecheopalri
Village. It has an open water surface area of 3.79 hectares with a mean water
depth of 7.2 meters. The lake is well drained from the watershed with inter-
nal seepage μows from 2 perennial and 5 seasonal inlets and is drained out

through a major perennial outlet. The lake drainage area constitutes of 91
hectares from the total area of the Ramam watershed. The morphometric
data of the lake, bog, and its watershed are presented in TABLE 1. The lake
is a halting place for Trans-Himalayan migratory birds. In addition to being
a pilgrimage site, the lake provides recreational tourism opportunities. A
large number of religious festivals are performed every year and these attract
pilgrims (7,800 in 1998) from within the state as well as the nearby countries
of Nepal and Bhutan. About 8,000 national and 2,000 international tourists
visit the lake annually. The uniqueness of the destination can also be attrib-
uted to its rich biodiversity.
294 ALKA JAIN, H. BIRKUMAR SINGH, S. C. RAI, AND E. SHARMA
MAP 1: Map of Khecheopalri Lake and the region.

LEGENDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SACREDNESS OF KHECHEOPALRI LAKE
Many legends and beliefs are associated with the formation, existence, and
sacredness of Khecheopalri Lake. The lake is part of the sacred landscape of
“Demazong,” a valley of rice that is often referred to as a land of hidden treas-
ures (the local communities believe that the rice produced from this area can
ful³ll the food requirements of the people). During PRA (Participatory Rural
Appraisal—a participatory program conducted in the village whereby infor-
mation is collected from knowledgeable people within the community) exer-
cises with the local communities at Khecheopalri and Yuksam held in
February 1997, senior citizens narrated to the authors Jain and Singh the fol-
lowing story of Guru Padmasambhava.Padmasambhava, who is known as
the savior of Buddhism in Tibet, came to Sikkim and subdued many evil spir-
its, blessed the land, and sancti³ed it. He is highly revered and worshipped
by Sikkimese Buddhists. He concealed innumerable scriptures (chos), wealth
FOLKLORES OF SACRED KHECHEOPALRI LAKE 295
Latitude (N) 27Þ22' 24''
Longitude (E) 88Þ12' 30''
Lake elevation (m) 1700
Lake watershed elevation range (m) 1700–2375
Open water area of the lake (m2)37900
Maximum depth (m) 11.2
Minimum depth (m) 3.2
Mean depth (m) 7.2
Water volume (m3)272880
Boggy area (m2)70100
Total boggy and lake water area (m2)108000
Lake watershed area (km2)12
TABLE 1. Morphometry of Khecheopalri lake.

(nor), and sacred objects (wangten) in the holy land of Beyul Demajong
(Hidden Valley of Rice). At one time, Padmasambhava was seen in a place
called “Hungri” on the tenth day of the full moon of a lunar eclipse. It is
believed that he blessed the entire area.
The sacred landscape Demazong has four religious sites, which are
considered to be the four plexuses of the human body. They are
Khecheopalri (lake and religious site), Yuksam (lake and religious site),
Tashiding (religious site), and Pemangstey (religious site). Khecheopalri
symbolizes the thorax of the body (Khecheo=μying yoginis or Taras [female
manifestations in Tibet of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion];
palri=palace). Of the other three places, Tashiding symbolizes the head
plexus (tashi=holy sky; ding=island); Yuksam symbolizes the third eye
(meeting place of three lamas) and a place of meditation, and Pemangstey
the heart plexus (pema=lotus; ngstey=center) of the body.
As the lake water is considered sacred, it is only used for rites and rituals.
The locals strictly prohibit ³shing and boating in the lake. The indigenous
Lepcha communities dominate the area. One story holds that the Lepchas
and the Limboos are descendants of two brothers: the Limboos settled in
Nepal and established a Limboo Kingdom while the Lepchas settled in
Sikkim. Another story is that the Lepchas originated from Mayel Lyang, a
mythical land at the foothills of Mount Khangchendzonga in Sikkim itself.
They followed “Bon” or “Mune” religion and performed animal sacri³ces
(animism) to placate the various deities of forests, rivers, and winds
(GOWLOOG 1998). Presently they follow Buddhism and animal sacri³ces are
not common. However, their belief in the sacredness of Khecheopalri Lake
shows that they maintain a strong relationship with the natural surroundings.
The lake was originally named Kha-Chot-Palri, meaning the heaven
of Padmasambhava. He is said to have preached to sixty-four yoginis there.
According to Buddhists, the lake is a dwelling place for the Goddess Tara
Jestum Dolma, who is the mother of Lord Buddha. Lake Khecheopalri is
considered to be her footprints, as the shape of lake indicates. The people
also worshipped the lake as the Goddess Chho Pema. It has a number of
religious sites located all around the lake, including holy caves named
Dupukney, Yukumney, and Chubukney, where lamas incarnated and rim-
poches (an honori³c reserved for recognized reincarnated Mahayana
Buddhist high lamas) meditated. The footprints of Macha Zemu
Rimpoche can also be seen on a stone near the chorten (stupa). There are
two monasteries in the Khecheopalri area where pilgrims and the local
communities offer prayers. Hindus believe that Lord Shiva meditated in
Dupukney Cave, which located just above Khecheopalri Lake. Lord Shiva
is worshipped during “Nag Panchmi,” which generally falls between July
296 ALKA JAIN, H. BIRKUMAR SINGH, S. C. RAI, AND E. SHARMA

and September (nag=snake; Panchmi=³fth day of Bhadua month, a spe-
cial month in the Hindu calendar; the snake symbolizes Lord Shiva).
According to popular legend, there were two sister lakes in the north-
western part of the Himalayas. The elder lake is still there but the younger
lake, which is called Labding Pokhari, moved to the western part of Sikkim
to a place called Yuksam. The people in Yuksam (the ³rst capital of Sikkim)
did not respect Labding Pokhari and deposited waste into her waters. The
goddess got dismayed and μew the lake ³rst to a place called Chhojo. It
could not fit into the area so the goddess then shifted the lake to
Khecheopalri. Apart from the marshy land with terrestrial vegetation, the
dead Chhojo Lake, located at the bottom of the hill, has no open water sur-
face (FIGURE 2).
The other legend holds that the lake is called “Chho,” and that many
years ago some Bhutia communities had settled around Khecheopalri Lake.
They had herds of cattle that grazed in the dense forests around the lake.
The lake was called Chholang (chho=lake, lang=ox) and was sent by the
FOLKLORES OF SACRED KHECHEOPALRI LAKE 297
FIGURE 2: The dead Chhojo Lake. Photo by Alka Jain, 1998.

lake goddess (FIGURE 3). One day a white holy ox emerged from the lake
and started to graze around the lake. It ³nally mingled with the herd of cat-
tle that belonged to the Bhutias. When the Bhutia owner noticed the foreign
animal in his herd, he tried unsuccessfully to locate its owner. He then
slaughtered the animal for its meat and was surprised to notice that a milky
discharge oozed out instead of blood. He washed the discharge, cooked the
meat, and had a great feast with his friends. After that he began to notice that
all his cattle and those belonging to the Bhutia community in the locality
started to vanish one by one due to strange ailments. It is believed that in this
way the entire Bhutia community vanished from Khecheopalri Village.
These days, mostly Lepcha settlements are found around Khecheopalri
Lake and only a few Bhutias who married Lepchas are believed to have sur-
vived the dreadful curse.
The other story holds that the Lepcha girl Nenjo Asha Lham was blessed
by the lake goddess and was given a precious gem, which was unfortunately
lost by her mother. Even today local people believe that the gem is stored
inside the lake and that the lake water can cure many human diseases. This is
why the local people keep the lake sacred and do not allow the water to be
used for any purpose other than rites and rituals. Strong belief persists with
the local and pilgrims visiting the lake. Khecheopalri Lake is therefore
298 ALKA JAIN, H. BIRKUMAR SINGH, S. C. RAI, AND E. SHARMA
FIGURE 3: Thick and luxuriant forest growth around Khecheopalri Lake. Photo by Alka Jain, 1998.

famous as a “wish ful³lling lake” or its shorter name “wishing lake.” The
local people believe that the lake water has healing properties as well.
RELIGIO-CULTURAL FEATURES
Beside folklores, there are a number of religious festivals associated with the
lake. The rites and rituals of individuals are performed according to their
own wishes but community rituals are performed on days of the full moon
and the new moon. The two main festivals associated with the lake are
Chho-Tsho, which generally falls in the month of October, and Bhumchu,
which occurs around February/March (this falls on the fourteenth day of
Losar, the New Year’s month in the Tibetan calendar). The rites and rituals
are performed by communities and pilgrims aided by Buddhist monks or a
Hindu priest (FIGURE 4).
Chho-Tsho, which occurs after the cardamom harvest, is a festival
offering thanks for providing the people with food. The villagers gather
together and collect money from each household, perform rituals on the
FOLKLORES OF SACRED KHECHEOPALRI LAKE 299
FIGURE 4: Buddhist monks and Alka Jain (far left) pray during Bumchu Festival at the lake site. Photo
by H. B. Singh, 1998.

lake, and enjoy the feast together. In the Bhumchu Festival the lake goddess
is worshipped in order to maintain peace and harmony in the village for the
forthcoming year. Colorful idols of gods made up of μour and butter are seen
arranged beautifully with lit lamps and offerings (FIGURE 5). The monks
and the local communities perform rites and rituals for three days. Pilgrims
generally place prayer μags, which are attached to bamboo poles or small
trees (Symplocos thaefolia and Eurya acuminata), around the lake. The
inscriptions are prayers for the sake of dead relatives, sick people, for the
ful³llment of wishes, or for maintaining peace in the family. There are
between 11 to 108 flags. These numbers are considered holy in Buddhism
and Hinduism: in Buddhist temples there are between 11 to 108 praying
wheels and in Hindu rituals the goddess is symbolized by 108 lotus-μower
petals. According to the senior citizens of the area, rituals around the lake have
been performed traditionally since time immemorial. This festival is a major
attraction for the pilgrims of Sikkim and Darjeeling and also from adjoining
countries like Bhutan and Nepal. The local community also organizes fêtes
where games are played and various stalls selling food, clothing, and other
items are opened. Large numbers of holy books, prayer μags, rosaries, and
photographs of various gods and goddesses are also sold to generate income
300 ALKA JAIN, H. BIRKUMAR SINGH, S. C. RAI, AND E. SHARMA
FIGURE 5: Idols of gods and lit lamps during “Bumchu” Festival. Photo by Alka Jain,
1998.

for the local community. Thus the festival serves both religious and recre-
ational purposes.
DISCUSSION
The folklores of the lake are deeply rooted within the surrounding commu-
nities. It is still acknowledged as a “wish ful³lling lake” and is considered
sacred. Despite the fact that its unrivalled scenic beauty, rich biodiversity,
and pristine surroundings make it a major tourist destination, there are no
modern tourist amenities for activities such as ³shing, boating, and swim-
ming. Although the local communities and pilgrims have maintained strong
beliefs about the lake’s effacacious properties, its sacredness is limited only
to the water. The agricultural practices and the exploitation in the water-
shed, including the extraction of trees for ³rewood and timber, the use of
non-timber forest products, fodder collection, and free livestock grazing,
have led to changes in the forest structure and composition, which has
resulted in the exposition of soils. During the rainy season a huge quantity
of soil and nutrients is washed away from the surrounding watershed and
deposited into the lake thus affecting its longevity (Jain et al. 2000).
Furthermore, the offerings made by pilgrims and tourists in the lake also
have some negative impact on the water quality in that they affect the aquat-
ic biodiversity (Jain et al. 1999).
The major ³ndings of intensive research conducted by Alka Jain
between 1997 to 2000 regarding factors that pose a threat to Khecheopalri
Lake are as follows:
1. A land-use/cover change study revealed that the once dense forest has
decreased tremendously with increase of degraded forests, settle-
ments, and cropped areas. The open water surface area, which was 7.4
ha in 1963, had decreased to 3.8 ha by 1997, and peatland increased
from 3.4 ha to 7 ha over a period of four-and-a-half decades.
2. The local people extract 28 percent of the woody biomass productiv-
ity (the wood mass of trees increased per annum) of the surrounding
watershed forest while livestock grazing removed 47 percent of the
herbaceous annual primary productivity (ground vegetation biomass
increased per annum).
3. Annual deposition from the surrounding watershed to the lake
accounts to 141 Mg of sediment, 1.42 Mg of total nitrogen, 0.31 Mg
of total phosphorus, and 6.88 Mg of organic carbon.
FOLKLORES OF SACRED KHECHEOPALRI LAKE 301

4. Radiocarbon dating of the samples revealed that the lake is about
3500 years old.
5. Around 3000 kg of solid waste, which is categorized as 81 percent
biodegradable and 19 percent non-biodegradable waste, is deposited
annually in the watershed area through tourism.
The accelerated growth of human population, recent environmental and
cultural changes, and the environment development in the area all pose a
threat to natural resources in the Sikkim (SINGH et al. 2002, 309). Economic
development associated with forest and biodiversity conservation in the form of
ecotourism is perhaps the best option that will both promote sustainability and
satisfy the needs of nature lovers.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND NOTES
*The authors are grateful to the Director, G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan
Environment and Development, and The Mountain Institute, USA for providing facilities.
The authors are associated with the Sikkim Biodiversity and Ecotourism Project that received
support from the Biodiversity Conservation Network funded by USAID. IDRC-Canada also
provided ³nancial support to Alka Jain.
Alka Jain and H. Birkumar Singh are currently at the Regional Research Laboratory,
Substation (CSIR), Lamphelpat, Imphal, Manipur, India.
S. C. Rai is based at the G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development,
Northeast Unit, Itanagat, India.
E. Sharma is currently at the International Centre for Mountain Development, Kathmandu,
Nepal.
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302 ALKA JAIN, H. BIRKUMAR SINGH, S. C. RAI, AND E. SHARMA