culture · Kabi Lungchok, North Sikkim
Standing at the blood brotherhood stones
Kabi Lungchok is easy to miss: a gate by the highway, a short path and a clearing in the trees. In the centre are the memorial stones, upright slabs set in the ground and hung with prayer flags. Nearby are newer statues of the Lepcha leader Thekong Tek and the Bhutia prince Khye Bumsa.
According to Sikkimese tradition, this is where the two leaders swore blood brotherhood in the 13th century, binding their peoples together. Khye Bumsa promised not to discriminate against the Lepchas, and his descendant became the first Chogyal of Sikkim in 1642. The site is still used for annual prayers.
There is little to do but stand, read and think, and that is the point. Walk clockwise around the stones, keep your voice down and do not touch or climb them. Twenty minutes here gives you the key to Sikkim's history before you reach Lepcha Dzongu and the Bhutia valleys further north.
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What happened at Kabi Lungchok
According to Sikkimese tradition, the Lepcha leader Thekong Tek and the Tibetan prince Khye Bumsa swore a treaty of blood brotherhood here in the 13th century, binding the Lepcha and Bhutia peoples. Stone pillars mark the place. Khye Bumsa's descendant Phuntsog Namgyal became the first Chogyal of Sikkim in 1642.
What does Kabi Lungchok mean
The name is commonly explained as 'stone erected by our blood', referring to the memorial stones set up when the blood brotherhood treaty was sworn. The site is near the village of Kabi on the North Sikkim Highway. It is also sometimes spelled Kabi Longstok.
Is there an entry fee at Kabi Lungchok
No. Entry is free, and Indian citizens need no permit. The site is open during daylight. There are no facilities beyond the clearing, the stones, a small shrine and signboards, so use toilets in Gangtok or at roadside stops further on.
