Photo: walter callens · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kabi LungchokHeight above mean sea level 1,400 m

village · North Sikkim

Where Lepcha and Bhutia leaders swore blood brotherhood

Best Oct – MayStopover nights

Kabi Lungchok is a forest clearing on the North Sikkim Highway, about 17–21 km from Gangtok, where stone pillars mark the blood brotherhood sworn between the Lepcha leader Thekong Tek and the Bhutia prince Khye Bumsa. No permit is needed for Indians, and it makes a perfect first stop on the drive north.

Kabi Lungchok is a small, quiet site in a patch of forest beside the North Sikkim Highway, near the village of Kabi. The Mangan district administration puts it 17 km from Gangtok; other sources say about 21 km by road. It takes 45 minutes to an hour by car, and it is the first real stop on the way to Phodong, Mangan, Lachung or Lachen.

What you see is modest: a cluster of standing stones in a clearing among tall trees, prayer flags, a small shrine and, in recent years, statues of the two leaders. What it means is large. This is where, according to Sikkim's founding story, the Lepchas, the indigenous people of Sikkim, and the Bhutias, who came from Tibet, swore to live as brothers. The stones are said to mark the spot.

Ritual prayers are still held here each year to remember the treaty. For travellers, a 20–30 minute stop helps make sense of everything you will see further north: Lepcha Dzongu, Bhutia Lachen and Lachung, and the monasteries that link them. Indian citizens do not need a permit, and shared jeeps to Mangan pass the gate.

Don't miss

Highlights of Kabi Lungchok

The memorial stones

A group of upright stones in a forest clearing marks the place where the treaty was sworn. Walk around them slowly; they are treated as sacred. A signboard explains the history in English.

Statues of the two leaders

Life-size statues of the Lepcha leader Thekong Tek and the Bhutia prince Khye Bumsa have been erected at the site. They make the story easy to explain to children.

The forest itself

The site lies in a patch of mixed broadleaf forest with alder, chestnut and other trees. It is cool, shady and quiet, a good place to stretch your legs after the first hour of the drive.

Phensang Monastery nearby

On the slope between Kabi and Phodong, Phensang Monastery of the Nyingma school was founded in 1721. It is a short detour if you have time on the way north.

Free and permit-free

There is no entry fee, and Indian citizens do not need a permit. It costs nothing but 20–30 minutes of your journey, and gives the rest of the trip context.

Told in the hills

The oath sworn on blood at Kabi

In the 13th century, according to Sikkimese tradition, a Tibetan prince named Khye Bumsa, honoured for his strength in raising the pillars of a monastery at Sakya, settled in the Chumbi valley. He and his wife had no children, and he travelled to Sikkim to seek the blessing of the Lepcha leader and sage Thekong Tek. After that blessing, the story says, three sons were born.

Out of gratitude, Khye Bumsa returned to visit Thekong Tek, and the two men sealed a treaty of blood brotherhood at Kabi Lungchok, binding Lepchas and Bhutias together. Khye Bumsa swore not to discriminate against his new Lepcha subjects, and stone pillars were set up to mark the place where the oath was taken.

Khye Bumsa's descendant Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned the first Chogyal of Sikkim at Yuksom in 1642. The name Kabi Lungchok is usually explained as 'stone erected by our blood'. Treat the details as tradition, recorded in Sikkimese histories, but the friendship it stands for still matters in Sikkim's politics today.

Pinned to the board

Did you know

Kabi Lungchok is also the name of a Sikkim assembly constituency, one of three in Mangan district.

Phensang Monastery, a Nyingma gompa founded in 1721, stands on the hillside between Kabi Lungchok and Phodong.

The forest around the site is home to birds such as the rufous-necked hornbill and crested serpent eagle, according to the site's Wikipedia article.

Things to do

Four ways to spend a day in Kabi Lungchok

20–30 minutes Standing at the blood brotherhood stones Kabi Lungchok · Free

45 minutes Detour to Phensang Monastery Kabi Lungchok · Free; offerings welcome

1.5–2 hours Birding in the Kabi forest Kabi Lungchok · Free; local guide ₹800–1,500, indicativ…

4–5 hours from Gangtok Half-day history circuit: Kabi, Phodong, Tumlong Kabi Lungchok · Car ₹2,500–3,500, indicative, 2026

Getting there

How to reach Kabi Lungchok

Shared jeepShared jeeps from Gangtok to Mangan pass Kabi Lungchok; ask to be dropped at the gate and flag down another jeep afterwards. The fare to Kabi is about ₹80–150, indicative, 2026. Return jeeps can be full in the afternoon.

Reserved carOn any North Sikkim package, ask your driver to stop for 20 minutes. As a half-day trip from Gangtok with Phodong, a reserved car costs about ₹2,500–3,500, indicative, 2026.

Rail / AirThe nearest airport is Bagdogra (IXB) and the railhead NJP, about 135 km away. Go to Gangtok first, then take the North Sikkim Highway towards Mangan.

Costs in Kabi Lungchokindicative, 2026

EntryFree
Shared jeep Gangtok → Kabi₹80–150 a seat, indicative, 2026
Half-day car Gangtok–Kabi–Phodong₹2,500–3,500, indicative, 2026
Tea at a roadside stall₹20–40, indicative, 2026

Fares and fees change with fuel prices, season and local union rates. Check current rates before you travel.

Money-saving tip

Combine Kabi Lungchok, Phensang and Phodong in one half-day car from Gangtok, or see them free on the drive north by asking your package driver for short stops.

Where to stay

Sleeping in Kabi Lungchok

Most travellers visit Kabi Lungchok as a stop on the way north and do not stay. Gangtok, under an hour away, has hundreds of hotels at every price. If you want to stay further up the highway, Mangan and Singhik, about two hours on, are quiet and cheap, and the government-owned Singhik Bungalow has views of Kanchenjunga. Small homestays exist around Kabi and Phodong; ask locally.

budget

Singhik Bungalow Government lodge · Mangan and Singhik ₹2,000–3,500 per room night, indicative

On the map

Drawn by Darjeeling Tour Plan from Natural Earth outlines (public domain). Borders as depicted by India. Not for navigation.

Next stations

Near Kabi Lungchok

All of North Sikkim

Phodong1,400 m

One of Sikkim's six great monasteries, 38 km from Gangtok

Monastery town · best Oct – May · 0–1 nights

Mangan and Singhik1,000 m

District town of cardamom, with Kanchenjunga from Singhik

Hill town · best Oct – Apr · 1 nights

Dzongu1,200 m

The Lepcha reserve across the Teesta from Mangan

Valley · best Oct – Apr · 2–3 nights

Questions people ask

Kabi Lungchok: questions answered

How far is Kabi Lungchok from Gangtok

About 17–21 km by the North Sikkim Highway, depending on the source; the Mangan district administration gives 17 km. The drive takes 45 minutes to an hour. It is the first major stop on the road north to Phodong, Mangan, Lachung and Lachen.

Do I need a permit for Kabi Lungchok

No. Indian citizens do not need a Protected Area Permit for Kabi Lungchok, which lies on the open part of the North Sikkim Highway. Foreign nationals should check their Sikkim permit conditions with their operator. Check current status before you travel.

Who were Thekong Tek and Khye Bumsa

Thekong Tek was a Lepcha leader and sage, and Khye Bumsa a prince from Tibet who settled in the Chumbi valley. According to Sikkimese tradition, they swore blood brotherhood at Kabi Lungchok in the 13th century, uniting Lepchas and Bhutias. Khye Bumsa's descendants became the Chogyals of Sikkim.

How long should I spend at Kabi Lungchok

Twenty to thirty minutes is enough for the stones, statues and signboards. Add 45 minutes for Phensang Monastery and an hour for Phodong if you are making a history circuit. Birdwatchers may want 1.5–2 hours in the early morning.

Is Kabi Lungchok good for children

Yes, as a short stop. The path is easy, the forest is pleasant and the story of two leaders becoming brothers is simple to tell. There are no facilities, so plan toilet and snack stops in Gangtok or further on. Keep children off the stones.

Is there an annual event at Kabi Lungchok

Yes. Ritual prayers are held every year to commemorate the blood brotherhood treaty, with participation from Lepcha and Bhutia communities and officials. Dates vary; ask in Gangtok if you want to attend, and treat it as a ceremony rather than a tourist show.

Can I reach Kabi Lungchok by shared jeep

Yes. Shared jeeps from Gangtok to Mangan pass the site; ask to be dropped at Kabi Lungchok, about ₹80–150, indicative, 2026. Getting a seat back in the afternoon can be hard, as jeeps pass full, so a reserved car is easier if you have plans after.

What else is near Kabi Lungchok

Phensang Monastery (1721) on the slope towards Phodong, Phodong Monastery about 38 km from Gangtok, the Seven Sisters Waterfall about 32 km from Gangtok, and Tumlong, the old royal capital below Phodong. Further north are Mangan, Singhik and Dzongu.

Is Kabi Lungchok worth a stop on a Lachung trip

Yes. It adds only 20–30 minutes to the long drive and gives you the founding story of Sikkim. Ask your driver the evening before, since group vehicles do not always stop by default. It also breaks the drive nicely about an hour out of Gangtok.