Tendong Hill

Tendong Hill is a forested hilltop near Damthang in Namchi District, Sikkim, rising to about 2,600 metres. Revered in Lepcha tradition as the hill that sheltered people during a mythical flood, it features a small monastery and the Tendong State Biodiversity Park. The summit offers panoramic views of the Kanchenjunga range, the plains of West Bengal and the surrounding valleys, and is reached by a 6-kilometre trek through rhododendron and oak forest.

Visitors can expect a moderate 6 km uphill trek from Damthang through dense temperate forest of rhododendron, oak and magnolia within the Tendong State Biodiversity Park to a small summit clearing. At the top there is a modest monastery and viewing area with 360-degree panoramic views of Mount Kanchenjunga, the Singalila range, Namchi and Ravangla valleys and on clear days the plains of West Bengal. The site is tranquil, with forest trails, birdlife and prayer flags, and no commercial development at the summit.

In Lepcha tradition, Tendong Hill is believed to have risen to save the Lepcha people during a great flood that submerged the rest of the land, making it a place of refuge and origin in local oral history.

The hill is sacred to the Lepcha community and revered by Buddhists. A small monastery at the summit is a place of worship, and the annual Tendong Lho Rum Faat festival is observed by Lepchas to honour the hill as their saviour. The surrounding Tendong State Biodiversity Park reflects Sikkim's conservation of sacred natural sites.