The local story
Three lamas, one throne, 1642
Yuksom's name is usually explained as 'meeting place of the three lamas'. The traditional account is that three Tibetan lamas of the Nyingma school, Lhatsun Chempo, Kathok Kuntu Zangpo and Ngadak Sempa Chempo, came over the mountains into this valley, which Buddhists call Demazong, the hidden valley of rice blessed by Guru Rinpoche. They sought out a layman named Phuntsog Namgyal, and in 1642, at a place called Norbugang, they consecrated him as the first Chogyal, the 'religious king', of Sikkim. The Namgyal dynasty that began here ruled Sikkim until 1975.
The coronation site still stands at Norbugang, a short walk from the bazaar: a stone throne with a chorten beside it and an old pine behind. Below it lies Kathok Lake, whose water is traditionally used in consecration rites. Yuksom stayed the royal seat until 1670, when the second Chogyal, Tensung Namgyal, moved the court to Rabdentse near Pelling. Tashi Tenka, a terrace above the village, is remembered as the site of the old palace. In 1701, under the third Chogyal, Chakdor Namgyal, Dubdi Monastery was built on the ridge above, and it is often called Sikkim's oldest.
Since 1977 Yuksom has also been the gateway to Khangchendzonga National Park, which in July 2016 became India's first 'mixed' UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed for both nature and culture. That double listing fits the village. In April and October the main street fills with trekkers, guides, porters and pack animals heading for Dzongri and Goecha La, and in the evenings you hear Nepali, Bhutia, Hindi and Bengali at the same tea stalls. Out of season Yuksom slips back into being a farming village of cardamom, maize and quiet lanes.
