Poisoned pond and village walk

Bikh Pokhari means poisoned pond in Nepali. Local tradition holds that Lepcha and Gorkha fighters poisoned this water source with herbs when a British force passed, and many soldiers fell sick. We tell it as a tradition, because no written record we know gives a date or names. The documented history is the 1860–61 conflict that ended with the Treaty of Tumlong in March 1861. Your host may tell it a little differently, and that is fine.

The walk is gentle and you can shape it as you like. Start at the bazaar, take the steps up to the monastery, then follow village paths past terraced fields, cowsheds and houses with marigolds by the door. Ask your homestay for directions to the pond; it is small and easy to miss. Do not drink from it, and do not throw anything in. Greet people with a namaste and ask before photographing anyone or their home.

A local guide or your host's son or daughter makes the walk better, because the story changes a little in each telling and that is part of it. A fair fee is ₹500–1,000 for a few hours, indicative, 2026. Finish at a tea shop in the bazaar before the evening wind picks up along the ridge. Carry water and a light jacket, wear shoes with grip, and keep to the paths so you do not trample crops on the terraces.