Pende- Lhaptse in the verge of Crumple

Pende Lhaptse- Counting its days for collapse

Namchi has played an imperative part in the history of Sikkim. If we go back to the reign of   Chador Namgyal (1700-1716 AD) the Pende Ongmoo affair allocates a special place in the Sikkimese history. It is said that Pende Ongmoo was executed at a place called Pende-Lhaptse, a few kilometers away from today’s Namchi town. It is necessary to discuss here about Pende Ongmoo, who has shared, such a special place in the early history of Sikkim. Pende Ongmoo sometimes written as Pende Wangmo was born of the first wife of King Tensung Namgyal (1670-1700 A D) who was a Bhutanese princess. During the accession of Chador Namgyal, she put a strong opposition regarding the succession of her brother. For her, being the eldest child of the deceased King Tensung Namgyal she was the legitimate successor to the throne of Sikkim after her father. Her stubborn nature led her to invite a force from Bhutan to assassinate the boy king who was just 14 during his accession. A loyal minister of the Sikkimese Court Yugthing Yeshe took the boy King to Lhasa via Ilam and Walong (then in western Sikkim now in Eastern Nepal). The event led to the Bhutanese occupation of Rhabdentse, then capital of Sikkim. For nearly 8 years of occupation the Bhutanese withdrew themselves from Sikkim with the mediation of Sixth Dalai Lama of Tibet. But, Pende Ongmoo was not reconciled. She was in search of an opportunity to take a beautiful chance to capture the throne of Sikkim. In 1716, when the King Chador Namgyal was at Ralang hot spring Pende Wangmo conspired with a Tibetan doctor to cause bloodletting from a main artery. The doctor, in a pretext of check-up cut the main vain of the king that caused his death.

After the death of the king, a force was sent to Namchi to execute the Tibetan doctor and the crooked princess. The doctor was granted a fierce death by the Sikkimese ministers. Likewise, Pende Wangmo strangled to death with a silk scarf inside a room of the said palace.

Few years back, I have visited the said place which is now at the verge of its downfall. It is a palace built for Pende Wangmo by then ruler of Sikkim. The most unfortunate matter which I witnessed during my visit was the least paid attention of the concerned authority to preserve the heritage. In some unknown period, to keep the structure stand, few iron pillars were erected which now bowing down due to the heavy load of the building. If some effective measures are not taken to protect this ‘living history’, within few years it will get collapse which would not only lead to a loss of an old building but also a treacherous page of Sikkim History.  

Note:- The picture shown above was taken few years back and due to a low resolution its not properly visible. Latest picture of  the site will be featured soon on this blog.