Pre-celebration of Tendong Lho Rum Faat at sacred Tendong Hill

GANGTOK,: A vibrant pre-celebration of Tendong Lho Rum Faat 2025 was held on Wednesday at Tendong Hill, South Sikkim, with enthusiastic participation from the local community and cultural enthusiasts.

Forest minister Pintso Namgyal Lepcha was the chief guest for the event organised by RMRT South District, highlighting the cultural significance of the festival and promoting the rich heritage of the Lepcha community.

Minister Pinsto Namgyal is also the president of Tendong Lho Rum Faat 2025 celebration committee. He visited the sacred site for the Lepcha community at Tendong Hill in South Sikkim.

Among the highest altitude places in South Sikkim, the Tendong Dichhen Salhun Gumpa, commonly known as Tendong Gumpa, is a Buddhist monastery situated at an altitude of 8,530 feet above mean sea level.

During his visit, the minister offered prayers at the sacred Tendong Hill for the well-being of Sikkim and the Sikkimese people. He then inquired about and thoroughly inspected the monastery premises and the sacred worship site for the Lepchas.

Throughout the visit, the minister expressed the need for beautification efforts in the area surrounding the monastery to attract tourists and visitors. He mentioned the need to address the construction of waiting sheds every 300 meters along the trek, which is approximately 6 km long, starting from Damthang Bazar.

The proposals and concerns raised for the welfare of the Lepcha community, devotees, and tourists visiting the sacred Tendong Hill will enhance the trekking experience in the days to come, expressed the minister. He informed that the matter will be directly communicated to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay.

The minister was accompanied by the ACF Namchi Bhuan Subba, RO Namchi John Rai, officials from the Forest department, and representatives from the Lepcha community.

Minister Pintso Namgyal Lepcha also visited the under-construction cafeteria site at Damthang to review the progress of the ongoing work. The visit was aimed at ensuring timely completion and maintaining quality standards of the infrastructure being developed to promote eco-tourism and public convenience in the region.

During the inspection, the team assessed the structural progress and discussed key aspects related to landscaping, sustainability, and future functionality of the site.