“Not Just a Mountain”: Sikkim body demands Nepal ban on Khangchendzonga treks

The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) has made an appeal to the Government of Nepal to immediately halt all mountaineering expeditions to Mount Khangchendzonga from its territory. The committee considers such expeditions a direct violation of religious sentiments and cultural heritage.

In letters addressed to Nepal’s Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Pandey, and the President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, SIBLAC expressed deep concern over recent summits, particularly by the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) from Arunachal Pradesh, which climbed the sacred peak via Nepal on May 18.

Mount Khangchendzonga is not just a mountain to the people of Sikkim—it is a guardian deity, worshipped and revered for centuries. To honour this belief, Sikkim celebrates the Pang Lhabsol festival annually, offering prayers and performing rituals that uphold the mountain's sacredness. In 2009, the Sikkim government passed a law that banned mountaineering to the peak, reinforcing its status as a protected religious site under Indian law.

Also Read: Sikkim tribal leaders organise purification puja for Mt Khangchendzonga

“We are disturbed to learn that expeditions continue from the Nepal side. This act not only disregards our culture and religion but desecrates a peak we hold sacred,” said Chiten Tashi Bhutia, Coordinator of SIBLAC.

The appeal also urged Nepal to consider banning expeditions to other revered peaks like Machapuchare and Khumbila, citing both religious importance and environmental concerns. The letter emphasises mutual respect and cooperation in preserving cultural heritage that transcends borders.

In closing, the committee requested the Nepalese government to show solidarity with the people of Sikkim by respecting their long-held beliefs and halting all expeditions to Mount Khangchendzonga from Nepalese territory.

“Let us work together to protect not just mountains, but the soul and spirit they represent to many of us,” the letter read.