Culture and history · Singhik
A Lepcha village walk and the Kongchen story
Nearly 80% of Singhik's people are Lepcha. Walk the village paths with your host or a local young person, past cardamom groves and vegetable plots, and hear how Lepchas see Kanchenjunga, Kongchen Konglo, as the guardian from whose snows the first people were made.
Lepchas call themselves Mutanchi Rongkup, often translated as beloved children of the Rong and of God, and regard Sikkim as Mayel Lyang, their homeland. Singhik, across the river from the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu, is a mainly Lepcha village. Ask your host whether someone can walk you round for an hour or two.
Lepcha elders tell that the creator mother, Itbu-moo, made the first man, Fudongthing, and the first woman, Nazaong Nyu, from the snows of Kanchenjunga, which Lepchas call Kongchen Konglo. The mountain is therefore a guardian and ancestor, not just a peak. Many families still honour it at home and in community rituals.
On the walk you pass houses, cardamom under shade trees, maize and vegetables, and paths down toward the Teesta. Ask about Lepcha words, food and the Lepcha script. Ask before photographs. A tip of ₹200–400 for a young guide is fair; offering to buy tea at a village shop is also a good way to say thanks.
Cost: Free · ₹200–400 tip for a local guide
Questions people ask
Good to know
Who are the Lepchas?
The Lepchas, who call themselves Mutanchi Rongkup, are regarded as the earliest inhabitants of Sikkim. They live mainly in Sikkim, especially Dzongu, and in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills. They have their own language and script and a strong tradition of nature worship centred on Kanchenjunga.
Why is Kanchenjunga sacred to the Lepchas?
In Lepcha tradition, the creator mother Itbu-moo made the first man and woman from the snows of Kanchenjunga, called Kongchen Konglo. The mountain is seen as a guardian and ancestral home. This is a matter of belief and folklore that Lepcha elders pass down.
Can I visit a Lepcha home in Singhik?
Possibly, through your host or a homestay. There is no formal programme. Be polite, ask first, and do not treat it as a show. For a longer stay with a Lepcha family, cross into Dzongu with a permit and book a homestay there.
