Khachoedpalri lake is situated in west Sikkim. The approach road to this lake bifurcates from Pelling- Yuksam road. Khachoedpalri now a day became one of the most important visiting places in Sikkim for the pilgrims as well as for tourists. Legend has it that once it was simply a grazing ground for the cattle abounded with stinging nettles and the primitive Lepchas use their fibers for making multiple articles like ropes, bags, wrapping clothes etc. One day as usual, a Lepcha couple while peeling off the barks of the nettle heard a strange sound from the sky above and saw a pair of conch-shell flying towards them. To their utter surprise the Conch-shell entered straight into the ground nearby them. Another surprise shook them when the whole ground vibrated and immense spring of water engulfed the ground and formed a huge lake. Poor couple, in embarrassment, lost their life. According to oral tradition, one conch shell have come from Yuksam, which was earlier known as ‘Lhatsun Lahtsho’ or Soul- Lake was later dried out due to pollution by human habitants and other conch came from the place called ‘Tshokam’ near Lingdam, south Sikkim, which was also dried out due to similar fate. In Later Buddhist Saints sanctified this lake and gave it a sacred name as ‘Khachoedpalri’(mKha-sPyod-dPal-ri) which means “mountain of blissful heaven” and recognized it as an abode of ‘Tsho-sMan Pemachen’ the protective Nymph of the Buddhism. There is a religious belief that Goddess Tara also resides on the hill-top above and the shape of the lake appears like a foot print of the Tara when seen from the air. This site was also consecrated by Guru Padmasambhava during his travel to this zone. Old record reveals that High lama forecast the coming year events on the basis of the observation of the colour of the lake annually.
