40.
Lake Guru Dongmar
According
to a legend some local people approached Guru Ji with an appeal for help.
The lake remained frozen during most of the year and rendered it incapable
as a source of water. Guru Nanak Dev Ji is said to have touched the lake and
it has never frozen since. Guru Nanak's footprints, a robe and a
water-carrying utensil are preserved in a nearby place called Lachen Gompha.
Here the locals refer to Guru Ji as Rimpoche Nanak Guru who on his way to
Tibet had rested there.
Some
grazers projected another problem to Guru Nanak Ji. Due to the effect of
altitude, their virility was affected. They requested the Guru to do
something about it. Guru Nanak blessed the lake, saying," Whosoever takes
the water of this lake will gain virility and strength and will be blessed
with children." The people of the area have firm faith in Guru's words and
consider the water of the lake as nectar. A Gurdwara was constructed in
eighties to commemorate Guru Nanak's visit to the place.
A
story they tell is that Guru Ji had brought with him a rice meal packed in
banana leaves, as is the custom even today in banana growing areas. The two
commodities were unknown to the hill folks. Guru Ji having noticed their
inquisitiveness bestowed them with a share of this strange cereal. They
displayed forethought andinstead of eating it sprinkled the rice over the
meadow and buried the banana packing in a corner. Today the village harvests
a rich crop of rice and bananas.
The
local people of the area and Lamas of Karmapa Nyingmapa Sect confirm Guru
Nanak's visit to these areas. The Lamas from these areas have been visiting
Golden Temple, Amritsar, regularly to pay obeisance to their beloved Guru
Rimpoche, Guru Nanak, also known as Nanak Lama in their areas.
Guru
Nanak's footprints, a robe and a water-carrying utensil (kamandal) are
preserved in Lachen Gompha, Sikkim, commemorating his visit to the place.
Records show that during his journeys to the Himalayas and the Far East,
including China, Guru Nanak visited all these states around 1516 AD. This
itinerary is found recorded in Janam Sakhee Bhai Bala; Janam Sakhee Walait
Wali; Janam Sakhee Meharban; Janam Sakhee ; Suchak Parsang by Bhai Behlo;
Mahima Parkash by Baba Sarup Chand; Parchian Sewa Das; Nanak Prakash by Bhai
Santokh.