Sikkim CM flags sacred peak violation, demands Amit Shah to intervene after Khangchendzonga ascent

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing deep concern over the recent ascent of Mount Khangchendzonga by a team from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), reportedly from the Nepal side. 

In a letter addressed to Shah, Tamang called the act a violation of both Sikkim's legal protections and its sacred religious traditions.

Mount Khangchendzonga, the third-highest mountain in the world, is not merely a geographical landmark in Sikkim but a sacred entity. The people of Sikkim revere it as the abode of the principal guardian deity “Dzoe-Nga,” designated by Guru Padmasambhava himself. The mountain is considered inviolable and deeply embedded in Sikkimese spiritual belief.

“The recent reports of this ascent have caused widespread anguish among the people of Sikkim. The mountain is not just a peak—it is a living deity,” Tamang wrote.

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He reminded the Union Home Minister that the Government of Sikkim has officially banned all climbing activities on Mount Khangchendzonga through multiple notifications under the Sacred Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991—namely Notification No. 59/Home/98 (dated October 26, 1998) and Notification No. 70/HOME/2001 (dated September 20, 2001).

Tamang urged Shah to raise the matter diplomatically with the Government of Nepal to prevent any future attempts to scale the sacred mountain. He emphasised that such incidents must be treated with “utmost sensitivity and respect” in deference to the deeply held spiritual values of Sikkimese society.

On behalf of the people of Sikkim, the Chief Minister thanked the Union Government for its understanding and support on this matter of “profound cultural and spiritual importance.”

The letter comes amid rising local sentiment that the sanctity of Mount Khangchendzonga must not be compromised in the name of adventure or tourism, regardless of which side the expedition originates from.