Himalayan Lake Unfrozen Even in Winters

The Himalayas are full of mysterious places including a few lakes. Gurudongmar is one of such lakes highest in the world, at a towering height of 17,800 feet. Still, a portion of the lake does not freeze in winter and worshiping the holy water body is believed by couples to have children! This lake is the best example of tranquillity one attains in a magical place. The legend has it that the lake used to remain totally frozen most of the year as most parts of Himalayas with no possibility of getting drinking water. So, the people living around the lake appealed to famous Buddhist Guru Padmasambhva who was on his way back from Tibet for water during such hard times. 

The guru placed his hands on a small part of the lake area, which stopped freezing during winter facilitating drinking water to the people. That portion of the lake remains unfrozen even today despite peak winter though the rest turn into ice like all other water bodies of Himalayas. Since then, the lake has been considered sacred for Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs and devotees carry this holy water in containers. 

The Guru also himself believed that the lake and its surroundings have some divine presence. The lake is named after the Guru -also known as Guru Rinpoche- founder of Tibetan Buddhism, who visited it in the 8th century. The high-altitude lake is located 190 kilometres away from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, and close to the south of the Tibetan border. The area surrounding the lake, also known as Gurudongmar, is inhabited by yaks, blue sheep and other wildlife of high altitude.

Source: Himalayan News Chronicle