The celebrations of the ancient festival of Tendong Lho Rum Faat mark the day when the Lepcha tribe was saved by the sacred Tendong Hill from a great deluge. It is believed that this natural calamity had lasted for a period of 40 days and 40 nights.
It is to celebrate this victory of life over death that, Tendong Lho Rum Faat festival is observed with great fanfare and fervor. During this festival, people offer their prayers and seek blessings from the sacred hill. Majorly, this festival of Sikkim is celebrated in Namchi city that lies in the southwards direction of Sikkim.
Tendong Lho Rum Faat is a vivid mix of ceremonies and rituals and is celebrated for a span of three days in the 3rd month of the Tibetan Lunar calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, the dates of this festival fall in the month of August. Tendong Lho Rum Rum Faat 2021 will be observed on August 8, however, courtesy of the crisis that we are in, the biggest one that mankind has ever witnessed - COVID-19, the celebrations might remain from understated to nil.
History of Tendong Lho Rum Faat
As per the Lepcha legends, when the whole Himalayan region was still in its nascent stage of formation, a great volcanic eruption had occurred, destroying both the Naho and Nather Pokh which were the prime sources of the Teesta and Rangeet rivers.
After this natural calamity, floods and rains followed. It felt as if the Gods had become angry with humans. Consequently, there was a great loss of life and property. The most affected were the people belonging to the Lepcha tribe, as these people were the primary inhabitants of those regions.
It is believed that as nature’s grace, the Tendong hill rose like a giant horn out of Mother Earth and people started climbing upon it, saving themselves from the catastrophe. And it is from those times, that the Lepcha tribe worships Tendong Hill. In English, the name of the hill is translated to the hill of the raised horn.
Major Attractions of Tendong Lho Rum Faat Festival
The major highlight of this Sikkim festival is the trek that starts from Ravangla and goes up to Tendong hill. Thus, people who love to trek and are fans of an adrenaline rush are surely going to like their visit to Tendong Lho Rum Faat very much.
Apart from the trek, a carnival of immense grandeur is organized locally wherein the locals and tourists get to indulge themselves in a variety of activities like cultural performances and also taste the flavors of scrumptious local dishes. Overall, it is a great opportunity to relish and know the Sikkim culture.
How to Reach
Namchi meaning top of the sky is truly a place to travel your heart out. Known for its stunning natural beauty Namchi City is also referred to as Namtse and is situated at a distance of about 1,548, 2,372, 649, 2,593 km from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. Follow the below-mentioned routes to travel here.
By Air
The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport which is situated at a distance of around 110 km from the city. Once you deboard at the airport, you will need to take a cab or some other means of public transportation to reach your respective destination.
By Train
You will need to deboard at New Jalpaiguri railway station and from there you would have to take a cab or a taxi. The railway station has fairly good connectivity with other Indian cities and states.
By Road
You can also plan on traveling to Sikkim via well-maintained road networks. For this, you will need to hire a government or private bus, cab or if it suits you, then you can also consider traveling via your own car. Nothing beats the satisfaction of traveling at your own pace.
You can plan your trip and create your own route to the city with Adotrip’s technically driven circuit planner. Click here
