Gangtok (Sikkim), Sep 9(ANI): Hundreds of people came together in Gangtok recently to celebrate Tendong Lho Rum Faat, which is a festival of the indigenous tribe of Sikkim "The Lepchas".

During the festival, Lepchas offer prayers and worship Mount Tendong; the Kanchenjunga mountain range, that they believe saved them from destruction by floods.

"This festival is more than worshipping the mountain. It shows a strong connection and affinities of Lepchas with Nature. This is not something recent. They have been carrying on this, the worshipping of Nature since time immemorial," said Sheba Sasm, a local.

To mark the day, quiz, debate and flute competitions were also organised.

Norzang Lepcha, the organiser, said that through the festivals they want to educate youngsters about to try and respect nature as well as to save it.

"Through these festivals and seminars what we are trying to inject in the minds of young generations is to save the nature and to plant more trees, so that the temperature can be maintained. We can come to the natural level of temperature," Lepcha said.

The festival falls on the 3rd lunar month each year. By Tashi Pradhan(ANI)