Culture and history · Rinchenpong
The poison lake and the 1860 campaign
A short walk to Bishey Pokhari, the poison lake, where villagers say Lepcha fighters poisoned the water during the British campaign of 1860–61. The poisoning is folklore; the campaign is history. We explain which is which, and why the spot still matters to people here.
Start with the history, which is solid. In 1849 Archibald Campbell, the British superintendent of Darjeeling, and the botanist Joseph Hooker were seized and held by officials of the Sikkim court while travelling in the kingdom. Britain answered by annexing the Sikkim Terai in 1850. Ten years later, in late 1860, Campbell crossed into Sikkim with a small force, reached Rinchenpong, and was attacked and forced back. A larger expedition in 1861, with the envoy Ashley Eden, went on to the capital at Tumlong and imposed the Treaty of Tumlong.
Now the folklore. The local story is that while the British were camped on this ridge, Lepcha fighters poisoned the pond they drew water from, and the soldiers who drank fell ill, which is why the force had to turn back. Nepali speakers call the place Bishey Pokhari, from bish, poison, and pokhari, pond. No British record we know of mentions a poisoning, and retreats have many causes, so we tell it as a village tale. It matters because it casts the Lepcha, Sikkim's oldest people, as defenders of their land.
Pokhari means pond or small lake, and that is what you find: a small body of water by the forest, not a scenic lake. Ask your host for directions or for a child of the house to walk you there, since signs are few. The paths can be muddy and full of leeches between June and September, so go in the dry months and wear shoes with grip. Do not drink or wash in the water, out of respect as much as caution.
Cost: Free
Questions people ask
Good to know
Is the poison lake story true?
The British campaign is documented: Campbell reached Rinchenpong in late 1860 and was forced back, and the Treaty of Tumlong followed in 1861. The poisoning is a local story with no confirmation we know of in British accounts. We present it as folklore that Rinchenpong people tell with pride, not as established history.
Is the water still poisonous?
There is no evidence that it is poisonous today, but you should not drink untreated water from any pond or stream in the hills. Villagers treat the spot with some respect, so do not wash, swim or throw anything into it. Look, listen to the story, and walk on to the monastery.
How do we find Bishey Pokhari?
Signs are few, so ask your homestay host or someone in the village to point the way or walk with you. It is a short walk on the ridge, under an hour there and back for most people. Wear shoes with grip, and avoid the monsoon months when paths turn muddy and leeches are common.
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