Gurudongmar Lake

Gurudongmar Lake, is one of the highest lakes in the world and highest lakes in India, located at an altitude of 17800ft in the Indian state of Sikkim. It is a lake which is considered sacred by both Buddhists and Hindus. The lake is named after Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, founder of Tibetan Buddhism who visited the lake in the 8th century.The lake has been claimed to have been blessed during the 15th century by Guru Nanak, the spiritual leader of Sikhism while he had passed through this area. However, this claim has been falsified since by the Namgyal Institute of Technology, Gangtok.GeographyThe high altitude lake which remains frozen during winter months is located in the region of northern Sikkim, in the district of North Sikkim. It is about to the south of the Chinese border. The lake can be reached by road from Lachen via Thangu. It is away from Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim. The approach road from Thangu to Gurudongmar passes through a rugged and enchanting terrain with "stony moraine", which has high alpine pastures covered with many rhododendron trees. While Indian tourists are allowed to visit the lake, foreigners need to get a special permit from the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi.