Told in the hills
Two conch shells and a lake that keeps itself clean
A legend told on a plaque by the lake, put up by Sikkim's Ecclesiastical Affairs department, says that long ago a Lepcha couple were peeling the bark of nettle plants to make fibre. They saw two conch shells fall from the sky. The earth shook, and water rose from the ground to fill the hollow where they stood. That water became the lake. Local people call it Sho Dzo Sho, which is translated as 'Oh Lady, sit here'.
Other traditions add more layers. The older name, Kha-Chot-Palri, is linked to Padmasambhava, and the lake is said to be shaped like a footprint, of Tara for many Buddhists and of Shiva in Hindu belief. The best-known legend is that no leaf is allowed to float on the water for long, because birds fly down and pick it up. Watch the surface for a while and judge for yourself; it is true that the water stays unusually clear of leaves.
The real story is about care. The lake's open water shrank from about 7.4 hectares in 1963 to about 3.8 hectares in 1997 as bog and reeds spread from the edges. In 2001 the state declared it a protected lake, and boating, fishing and swimming were banned. The Lepcha families who live around it still treat it as sacred. Your entry fee and your quiet on the jetty are part of that care.
Pinned to the board
Did you know
Khecheopalri Lake was declared a protected lake by a Government of Sikkim notification dated 20 September 2001.
Wikipedia gives the lake an average depth of 7.2 m and a maximum depth of 11.2 m.
The older name, Kha-Chot-Palri, is usually explained as 'the heaven of Padmasambhava'.
