Timbung Pokhari is a natural freshwater lake at about 4,335 m in Sidingwa Rural Municipality, Taplejung District, eastern Nepal. It is roughly 466 m long and 154 m wide and is named, according to the Limbu people, for a sound like gunfire that the lake is said to make.
Where it is
The lake lies in Taplejung District in the far east of Nepal, in the same wider hill country as the Kanchenjunga trek. See the Kanchenjunga region.
Size
The lake is about 466 m long and 154 m wide.
The name
The name comes from the Limbu word timbak, meaning the sound of gunfire. Local people say the lake makes a booming sound. This is a local belief and not a measured fact.
A sacred lake
The lake is sacred to local people, and pilgrims come to pray and ask for wishes. One account links it to the Yakthung Mundhum, the oral tradition of the Limbu, which describes sacred waters created for highland communities.
Pilgrimage season
Visits are said to be heaviest in Shrawan, from mid-July to August, with Nag Panchami and Janai Purnima named as occasions. Sources do not give exact dates, so ask local contacts before you go.
Views
Kanchenjunga is the main mountain seen from the area. See the Kanchenjunga mountain guides.
Common questions
- How high is Timbung Pokhari? About 4,335 m.
- Where is it? Taplejung District, eastern Nepal.
- Is it part of the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek? No, it is a separate trek in the same district.
Plan it
See the itinerary and altitudes or permits, difficulty and season.
