Festival · Namchi
Tendong Lho Rum Faat
The Lepcha festival of Tendong Hill, held every 8 August, giving thanks to the hill that, in Lepcha tradition, rose above a great flood and saved their ancestors. Prayers, songs and dances across Sikkim, with special meaning around Namchi.
Tendong Hill rises above Namchi and Damthang to about 2,600 m. Lepcha tradition tells of a great flood, when the rivers Rangeet and Teesta rose and the water covered the land. The Lepcha people climbed Tendong and prayed, and the hill rose higher like a horn, keeping them above the water until it fell. Tendong Lho Rum Faat, roughly 'the prayer to the god of Tendong Hill', is the thanksgiving for that rescue.
Today it is held on 8 August and is a state holiday in Sikkim. Lepcha associations hold prayers led by bongthings (Lepcha priests), with traditional songs, dances, archery and food. Some groups also climb towards the hill itself. For visitors it is a rare chance to see Lepcha dress, music and language in public, and to understand that the Lepchas, Sikkim's earliest known people, see this landscape as sacred.
August is monsoon season, so expect rain and possible road delays. Namchi is about an hour from Ravangla and makes a good base; Damthang, the starting point for the Tendong walk, lies between the two.
Tips
- Ask a Lepcha association or your hosts where public celebrations are held that year
- Do not attempt the Tendong climb in heavy rain; the trail is slippery and leech-prone
- Dress modestly and ask before photographing prayers led by bongthings
Most hill festivals follow lunar calendars, so dates move each year. Check current status before you travel.
Questions people ask
Good to know
What is Tendong Lho Rum Faat?
It is the Lepcha festival honouring Tendong Hill, near Namchi. In Lepcha tradition, the hill rose up during a great flood and saved the Lepcha people who took refuge on it. The festival gives thanks for that rescue with prayers led by Lepcha priests, songs, dances and community meals.
When is Tendong Lho Rum Faat celebrated?
On 8 August every year, a fixed date that is a public holiday in Sikkim. Unlike most Buddhist festivals here it does not move with the lunar calendar. Events are organised by Lepcha associations, so locations change from year to year. Check current status before you travel.
Can visitors climb Tendong Hill?
Yes. The usual walk starts near Damthang, between Namchi and Ravangla, and climbs through forest to the top at about 2,600 m in roughly 3 to 4 hours. In August the trail is wet and leech-prone, so most visitors save the climb for October to April and attend the festival in town.
Where can I learn more about Lepcha culture in South Sikkim?
Ask your homestay hosts, many of whom are Lepcha or have Lepcha neighbours, and visit during Tendong Lho Rum Faat if you can. In West Sikkim, Rinchenpong and Kaluk have Lepcha heritage displays. For a deeper visit, Dzongu in North Sikkim is the Lepcha reserve, though it needs a separate permit.