Photographer’s Note
Gurudongmar Lake is one of the highest lakes in the world located at an altitude of 17,200 feet (5,243 m). It lies on the North side of the Khangchengyao Range in a high plateau area contiguous to the Tibetan Plateau.
The lake is named after Guru Nanak, who is said to have visited this lake. It is located close to the Indo-China Border in the province of North Sikkim, Sikkim, India.
The lake remains completely frozen in the winter months from November to Mid-May except for one small part of the lake which is supposed to be touched and blessed by the Guru Nanak.
The lake is highly revered by the Sikkimese and Buddhists and the waters are supposed to have curative properties.
Due to the extremely inhospitable terrain and the difficulties associated with reaching the place, the lake sees only a handful of visitors each year. Access is strictly controlled at the Army checkpost at Giagong. Due to the altitude, there is a scarcity of oxygen. Visitors are advised to acclimatise overnight at Lachen. But I would prefer to stay at Thangu as it is at a higher altitude - 13,500 ft. And its much cloder. We stayed at Thangu. There are only two guest houses - made of wood, but are clean. There is no electricity - so be careful about your batteries.
This lake is ranked 15th in a list of highest lakes in the world. You can visit this website : http://www.highestlake.com/highest-lake-world.html
litiancai has marked this note useful
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litiancai
(1040) 2008-11-27 21:24
Hi Somak,
Great notes about this place, it's really useful because I plan to visit Sikkim in about 6 months. I'll try and see if I can get to this place! As for the photo, I like the simple horizontal bands of colours and the mist in the mountains in the distance creates intrigue about what lies beyond.
Nice shot, thanks for sharing this place with us
all the best
Lee
Photo Information
-
Copyright: Somak Gupta (somak_g)
(463) - Genre: Places
- Medium: Color
- Date Taken: 2008-10-05
- Categories: Nature
- Camera: Canon A540
- Exposure: f/5.5, 1/800 seconds
- More Photo Info: view
- Photo Version: Original Version
- Date Submitted: 2008-11-27 21:00
Discussions
- To Angshu: hi (2)
by somak_g, last updated 12-11 20:22 - To litiancai: hi (2)
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