Good news for tourists before Puja. North Sikkim's 'holy' lake Gurudangmar, a dream destination for Bengali tourists, has been opened. This message was given by the Sikkim administration yesterday, Friday. It is reported that the road to Lachen has been conditionally opened for tourists. That part of Sikkim has been ravaged by landslides for the past few years. The access road to the lake was closed for more than a year so that tourists do not face any major problems. This Puja season, the number of tourists in Sikkim will increase a lot. The tourism department of Sikkim thinks so.
Gurudangmar Lake in North Sikkim near the India-Tibet border at an altitude of about 17,800 feet above sea level. It is also known as 'Amartyalok' to tourists. The distance of this lake from Gangtok via Lachen is about 190 km. It is very sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. According to the ancient history of Sikkim, the Buddhist guru Padmasambhava visited the lake in the eighth century. Guru Padmasambhava is also known as Gurudangamar. Perhaps the lake is named after him. If you travel to North Sikkim, Bengalis are the only ones. Tourists from home and abroad do not return without seeing the snow-covered lake.
In June 2025, the Taram Chute to Lachen road was closed due to a massive landslide. Repairs to damaged roads and bridges in Taram Chu have been going on for a long time. Finally the Sikkim administration has given permission for tourists to travel. Gurdungmar lake was opened on Friday. However, certain conditions must be followed for movement on that road. It has been informed that the tourist vehicles going from Gangtok or Mangan towards Lachen and Lachung will have to cross the Tung check post by 4 pm. Small vehicles will not be allowed to cross the check post after the scheduled time. It is said that the move is so that the tourists can reach their destination before dark. Cargo trucks will ply Sanklong-Safo-Shipgear route. Samrat Sanyal, spokesperson of the tourism department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said, “The tourism industry will benefit as North Sikkim is fully opened up. Now there will be an increase in the number of tourists.”