Lachen is a town in

Mangan District North Sikkim (now officially named as Mangan District) is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its district headquarters is Mangan. It is the seventh least populous district in the country (out of 640). Geography Mangan is the largest o ...

in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...

. The name ''Lachen'' means "big pass". The Sikkimese government promotes it as a tourist destination. The town forms the base to the Chopta Valley and Gurudongmar Lake. An annual yak race, the ''Thangu'' is held there in summer. Unlike other places in India, Lachen has a unique form of self-governance, ''Dzumsa''. Every household is a member of this traditional administrative system, which is in charge of governing and organizing village activities.

Tourism

The Lachen monastery and the women's handicraft centre to view the weaving of traditional blankets and carpets reveal the local way of life. Gurudongmar Lake at 17,800 ft elevation is encircled by snowy massifs. Thangu offers accommodations 30 km from Lachen. During summer and monsoon, it is dotted with flowers. The relatively unexplored and untouched Chopta Valley is located north of Lachen. Rich with alpine vegetation and

rhododendrons ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan region, b ...

, lakes, and rivers add to the valley's beauty. Chopta is known for its historical and religious monuments. Wildlife enthusiasts can spot rare species. Bird watching is popular and the region is suitable for trekking and other adventure sports.

Geography

Just about 129 km from

Gangtok Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of East Sikkim district, eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100 ...

, Lachen is located at an altitude of 8838 ft. Seasons unfold timelessly in this high altitude habitat: gaily painted with myriad flowers in the spring and monsoon, bathed in spectacular weather in autumn and snow clad fairy-tale winters.

Transport

Lachen is about from the capital Gangtok, and can be reached via a six-hour road journey. A short two-day trekking route also connects the Yumthang Valley to Lachen. It has a population of around 1,000. Lachen has its own system of rules and regulations known as '' Dzumsa''. The heads of the Dzumsa are known as Pipon and Gyenbos. To the north, there is the old town of Thangu where the daytime temperature varies from 4 to 12 degrees

Celsius The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius temperature scale "Celsius temperature scale, also called centigrade temperature scale, scale based on 0 ° for the melting point of water and 100 ° for the boiling point ...

(40 to 55 °F), even in the months of June and July. Gurudongmar Lake can be reached from Lachen, a

sacred lake Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. Th ...

in the Great Himalayas Region. Lachen is connected with numerous routes in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The most convenient ways to travel to Lachen are by Air, Rail, and Road.

Banking Facilities in Lachen

As per RBI records only Axis Bank and SBI Bank presently has a branch in Lachen: *

Axis Bank Axis Bank Limited, formerly known as UTI Bank (1993–2007), is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai. It is India's third largest private sector bank by assets and fo ...

Lachen *

State Bank of India State Bank of India (SBI) is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Public sector undertakings in India, public sector bank and financial service body headquartered in Mumbai. It is the largest bank in India with a 23% market shar ...

References

Cities and towns in Mangan districtbr>Entry & Permit Formalities in Lachen,Sikkim
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