Lachen, Sikkim

Lachen
Chatan
town

Lachen village in 1938
Lachen

Location in Sikkim, India

Coordinates: 27°43′00″N 88°33′28″E / 27.71668°N 88.557755°ECoordinates: 27°43′00″N 88°33′28″E / 27.71668°N 88.557755°E
Country  India
State Sikkim
Languages
  Official Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha, Limbu, Newari, Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Sherpa, Tamang and Sunwar
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)

Lachen is a town in North Sikkim district in the Indian state of Sikkim.[1] It is located at an elevation of 2,750 metres. The name Lachen means "big pass". The town is being promoted as a tourist destination by the Sikkimese government. The town forms the base to the Chopta Valley and Gurudongmar Lake. An annual yak race, the Thangu is held here in summer.

Transport

Lachen is about 129 km from Gangtok, and can be reached via a six-hour road journey. A short two-day-long trekking route also connects Yumthang Valley to Lachen. It has a population of around 1000. Lachen has its own system of rules and regulationscalled Dzumsa. The heads of the Dzumsa are known as Pipon & Gyenbos.

To the north there is the old town of Thangu. In Thangu the daytime temperature varies from 4 to 12 degrees Celsius (40 to 55 °F) even in the months of June and July.

Gurudongmar Lake can be reached from Lachen, a sacred lake in the Great Himalayas Region.

The best time to visit Lachen is from November to June.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lachen.