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Tsomgo Lake'','' also known as Tsongmo Lake or Changgu Lake, is a glacial lake in the
East Sikkim district Gangtok District, formerly the East Sikkim district, is an administrative district of the Indian state of Sikkim. It was renamed in 2021 as a result of administrative reorganisation of the state, which also saw three subdivisions of the East Si ...
of the
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n state of
Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Silig ...
, some from the capital Gangtok. Located at an elevation of , the lake remains frozen during the winter season. The lake surface reflects different colours with change of seasons and is held in great reverence by the local Sikkimese people.
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monks prognosticated after studying the changing colours of the lake.


Etymology

In Bhutia language the name Tsomgo is made of two words 'Tso' meaning "lake" and 'Mgo' meaning "head" which gives the literal meaning as "source of the lake".


Topography

The lake is surrounded by steep mountains which are covered with snow during winter. During summer the snow cover melts and forms the source for the lake. The lake which remains frozen in winter season, sometimes extending up to May, receives an average annual precipitation of with temperatures recorded in the range of . The lake is about away from Gangtok on the Gangtok-Nathula highway. Further, the road to
Nathu La Nathu La (, ) is a mountain pass in the Dongkya Range of the Himalayas between China's Yadong County in Tibet, and the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal in Bengal, South Asia. The pass, at , connects the towns of Kalimpong and Gangtok to ...
skirts the lake on the north side. The Chinese border crossing is only some east-northeast in a straight line, but some by road.


Features

The lake is formed in an oval shape and has a surface area of . The maximum length of the lake is and has a maximum width of . The maximum depth reported is while the average depth is . The lake water quality is of moderate
turbidity Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality. Fluids ...
. The lake is the venue for the Guru Purnima festival which is also the
Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan Quote: m Hindi ''rakśābandhan'' held on the full moon of the month of Savan, when sisters tie a talisman (rakhi q.v.) on the arm of their brothers and receive small gifts of money from them. is a popular and traditionally Hin ...
festival when the faith healers known as '' Jhakris'' of Sikkim assemble at the lake area to derive benefits from the healing qualities of the lake waters. Alpine forests cover the catchment of the lake. After the winter season ends in middle of May, the periphery of lake has scenic blooms of flower species of
rhododendrons ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
(the state tree of Sikkim), primulas, blue and yellow
poppies Poppies can refer to: *Poppy, a flowering plant * The Poppies (disambiguation) - multiple uses *'' Poppies (film)'' - Children's BBC remembrance animation *"Poppies", a song by Patti Smith Group from their 1976 album '' Radio Ethiopia'' *"Poppies", ...
, irises and so forth. Also seen in the precincts of the lake are several species of birds including Brahminy ducks. Wildlife seen includes the
red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle ...
. Tourist attractions at the lake site include joy rides on decorated
yaks The domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox or hairy cattle, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibetan Plateau, Kachin St ...
and mules where kiosks offer variety of food and drinks. There is also a small
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
temple on the bank of the lake.


Entry permits

As the lake is located in a restricted area it is essential for all Indians visiting the area to obtain permits. In case of foreign nationals special permit is essential.
Indian Postal Service India Post is a government-operated postal system in India, part of the Department of Post under the Ministry of Communications. Generally known as the Post Office, it is the most widely distributed postal system in the world. Warren Hastings ...
released a commemorative stamp on the lake on 6 November 2006.


Border trade market

The nearby habitation of Changgu was declared a border trade market in 2003.


Gallery

File:Changu Lake, Gangtok.jpg, Tsongmo Lake, January 2014 File:Tsomgo Lake.jpg, Tsomgo Lake File:Chsungo.jpg, Tsongmo Lake in Winter File:Source of the Lakes "Sikkim".jpg, Tsomgo Lake in April 2017 File:Tsomgo Lake in October.jpg, Tsomgo Lake in October File:Tsomgo Lake in April 2019.jpg, alt=Tsomgo Lake in April 2019, Tsomgo Lake in April 2019


See also

* Tilicho Lake *
Gurudongmar Lake Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest lakes in the world and in India, at an elevation of according to the Government of Sikkim. It is located in the Great Himalayas in the Mangan District in Indian state of Sikkim, and considered sacred ...
*
Nathu La Nathu La (, ) is a mountain pass in the Dongkya Range of the Himalayas between China's Yadong County in Tibet, and the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal in Bengal, South Asia. The pass, at , connects the towns of Kalimpong and Gangtok to ...


Tourist Attraction

It is one of the biggest tourism draws in the Eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim receiving around 300,000 (3 lakh) tourists annually. The best time to visit the lake is January to March.


References


Tsomgo Lake travel guide - Permit Regulations Climate Temperature
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Bibliography

* {{Hydrography of Sikkim Tsongmo Gangtok district Tsongmo