Khecheopalri Lake

Khecheopalri Lake, originally known as Kha-Chot-Palri (meaning the heaven of Padmasambhava), is a lake located near Khecheopalri village, 147 kilometres (91 mi) west of Gangtok in the West Sikkim district of the Northeastern Indian state of Sikkim.

Located 34 kilometres (21 mi) to the northwest of Pelling town, the lake is sacred for both Buddhists and Hindus, and is believed to be a wish fulfilling lake. The local name for the lake is Sho Dzo Sho, which means "Oh Lady, Sit Here".

According to folklore legend related to Sikkim topography, the Khecheopalri is said to represent one of the four plexus of the human body namely, the thorax; the other three plexes are said to be represented by Yuksom (the third eye), Tashiding (head) and Pemayangtse (the heart).

The formation of the lake is estimated to be 3500 years old. The lake is situated amidst pristine forest at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) near Tsozo village. The lake drains a catchment area of the Ramam watershed (Ramam mountain gives its name to the valley) and has a drainage area of 12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi) (including area of bog of 70,100 square metres (755,000 sq ft). The periphery of lake has the shape of a foot.