Chungthang

Chungthang is a town located at the confluence of the Lachen Cho (river) and Lachung Cho (river), which forms the Teesta river is the most important river that flows in the state of Sikkim. This town is located at an altitude of 1790m which acts as a very important military base for the Indian army due to its proximity to the Chinese international borders.
Chungthang is believed to be the place where Guru Padmasambhava himself walked around and sat on a rock and thus it is considered to be a sacred site by locals and Buddhists.
The rock here which to this day bears the hand and footprints of Saint Padmasambhava. From a small opening in the rock, there is a continuous flow of mineral water into a small patch of land here from which grows paddy every year.
The nature-defying miracle is believed to be the blessing of Guru Padmasambhava who sprinkled a handful of grain on the spot that has sprouted paddy ever since. Chungthang is well connected by roadways to the town of Gangtok and other towns of Sikkim. As being close to international borders, any tourist traveling to Chungthang needs to get a tourist permit issued before traveling to this place.