Khecheopalri Lake — the wish-fulfilling lake north of Pelling
What it is
Khecheopalri Lake lies in the hills north-west of Pelling and is sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus. Wikipedia records an old name, Kha-Chot-Palri, which it renders as Padmasambhava's heaven, and a local name as Sho Dzo Sho, "Oh Lady, Sit Here". It is called a wish-fulfilling lake, and it belongs to the Demazong valley, the valley of rice.
Photos: Amitabha Gupta (CC BY 4.0) · Amitabha Gupta (CC BY 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
The legends
Wikipedia lists several. Guru Padmasambhava is said to have preached to sixty-four yoginis here, the lake is said to be the footprint of the goddess Tara, and Shiva is said to have meditated in a cave above it, which is why it is worshipped on Nag Panchami. In one folk story a Lepcha couple saw two conch shells fall from the air, the ground shook, and the spring that made the lake rose. Local people hold the water to cure, and keep it for rites alone.
The leaves
The detail most often repeated is that no leaf stays on the water, because birds lift each one off as it falls. Wikipedia repeats it as a belief rather than a measured fact. Wikipedia adds that the lake and the Khangchendzonga National Park are protected jointly, for wildlife and for their sacred value.
Getting there
Wikipedia gives 34 km from Pelling; our routing gives a shorter road distance, and the time is in the quick facts. The lake is a pilgrimage place, so dress and behave as you would at a temple. We have no verified fee or opening hours.
Combine it with
The two-day Pelling plan gives the lake a day of its own, and the Tashiding and Yuksom day covers the other pilgrimage sites. Read things to do in Pelling and how to reach Pelling.
Plans that include this
All 1 plans that stop here →
Nearby places
All of Pelling →
Nearby destinations
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Questions people ask
What is Khecheopalri Lake?
A lake in West Sikkim, sacred to Buddhists and Hindus and called a wish-fulfilling lake. Wikipedia records the old name Kha-Chot-Palri, which it renders as Padmasambhava's heaven, and the local name Sho Dzo Sho, "Oh Lady, Sit Here". It lies in the valley of Demazong, the valley of rice.
Why are no leaves seen on Khecheopalri Lake?
Wikipedia says leaves are not allowed to float on it, which the birds ensure by picking them off the surface as they fall. It adds that the water is kept for rites and rituals only. These are local beliefs, repeated by Wikipedia, and we have not checked them.
How far is Khecheopalri Lake from Pelling?
Wikipedia says 34 km to the north-west of Pelling. Our routing gives about 27 km and 55 minutes by road, so allow roughly an hour each way. We have no verified entry rule or hours; the lake is a place of worship, so ask locally about how to behave.