31/12/2025
Gaeboo Achyok, revered as the last Lepcha king or chieftain from 1660 to 1676, led epic resistance from Damsang Fort in modern Kalimpong against Bhutanese incursions into eastern Himalayan Lepcha lands. Ruling amid Tibetan Bhutanese rivalries, his greatest feat was capturing Dalingkha (Dalim) Fort, a Lepcha built stronghold seized by Bhutan in the 1650s, around 1663. This disrupted Drukpa expansions with outnumbered warriors. He appealed to the 5th Dalai Lama in Lhasa in 1668, securing brief Tibetan invasions that forced a 1669 peace treaty. Damsang was his capital at 6300 feet, distinct from border outpost Dalingkha. In 1676, Bhutan overwhelmed him, recapturing the fort. Captured and executed with his head staked on a pole. Folklore elevates him as ultimate hero over successors like Monpa Adzin. Lepchas remember him annually on 20th December.
Source - MoutainMedia
