Why is Khangchendzonga National Park a mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site?

At present (in 2022), there are 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. Among these 40 sites, 32 are cultural, seven are natural, and one mixed.

Khangchendzonga or Kanchenjunga National Park, located in Sikkim, is the mixed type. Now this brings us to – why is Khangchendzonga National Park a mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Firstly, what is a mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site? A site is considered as a mixed heritage site if it is of both natural and cultural significance. Secondly, how does Khangchendzonga National Park qualify as a mixed site?

Khangchendzonga National Park, located in Sikkim, is home to Mt. Khangchendzonga, the third highest peak in the world. The park is also an important biosphere reserve, where there are a number of ancient original forests, mountain lakes, valleys and plains that support many species of flora and fauna. Some of these forests have important medicinal plants that are also endemic in nature.

A natural site

Khangchendzonga National Park is a part of the Himalaya global biodiversity hotspot. It supports sub-tropical to alpine ecosystems, and has one of the highest concentrations of plants, birds and animal species in the Central or High Asian Mountains.

There are over 20 peaks in the region, most of which supports vegetation, meaning, this high altitudinal zone has not only some of the oldest, but also the original forests, undisturbed by human activities. That, in itself, is a thing of wonder. The park covers about 25% of the entire state of Sikkim, and about half of India’s bird diversity and one-third of India’s flowering plants call it home. The national park is also home to important flagship species such as the snow leopard, Tibetan wolf, red panda, blue sheep, Himalayan Tahr, mainland serow, among many.

Khangchendzonga National Park has, in total, 18 glaciers, the largest one being Zemu glacier, one of the largest glaciers in Asia. As per records, there are 73 glacial lakes in the region, 18 of these high altitudinal lakes have crystal clear water.

A cultural site

Starting off with the most important one – home to the Lepcha community. Did you know that the Lepcha people, their culture and language come under the endangered category? Khangchendzonga National Park is one of the very few places where you will find the Lepcha tribal settlements. There are a lot of efforts made in order to protect their dying language and culture. The Lepchas are thought to be the earliest and original inhabitants of Sikkim, thus making their homeground an important site.

With the Lepcha culture and language under threat, there’s also the danger of disappearance of indigenous traditional knowledge about local plants and their medicinal properties.

Mt. Khangchendzonga and many other rivers, lakes and caves in the region are of tremendous religious importance to the Sikkimese people as these places are also related to a lot of Buddhist beliefs. A lot of the mythological stories about these places form the base for Sikkimese identity.

The region is known to the Buddhists as beyul or the hidden sacred land, and to the Lepchas as Mayel Lyang or the Land Blessed by God. With different religious traditions and ethnicities related to Mount Khangchendzonga, the region as a whole, is an important socio-religious centre.