Gurudongmar Lake, Sacred lake in Mangan district, India.

Gurudongmar Lake lies at 5,430 m (17,800 ft) in the Mangan district of Sikkim, about 5 km south of the Chinese border and north of the Khangchengyao range. It is a moraine-dammed lake fed by the Gurudongmar glacier, covering 118 hectares with a 5.34 km shoreline. In the photographs, broken sheets of translucent ice float on pale blue and grey water beneath a low, snow-dusted bank and snow-covered mountains.

Padmasambhava visited the lake in the 8th century, and local Buddhists hold that he touched a small section of the then mostly frozen water so it never froze again. In 1997–1998 a Sikh regiment of the Indian Army built a gurudwara on the bank, considering it the place visited by Guru Nanak. After protests by Sikkimese people, the army handed the building to Lachen Monastery on 6 July 2001.

The lake is named after Padmasambhava, who is said to have visited it in the 8th century. Local Buddhists call the lake Dorje Nyima and hold it sacred; a lama from Lachen Monastery now keeps watch over the site. A gurudwara built by a Sikh regiment in 1997–1998 was handed to the monastery on 6 July 2001.

Visitors need a special permit from authorities because of the proximity to international borders and the extreme elevation. On site, it helps to walk slowly and dress in warm layers, as temperatures and wind can shift quickly.

Local Buddhist belief holds that Padmasambhava touched a small section of the then year-round frozen lake in the 8th century, and that this spot has never frozen since, securing drinking water for the people. The lake is fed by the Gurudongmar glacier and is dammed by a moraine.