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# Sikkim Holds First Yak Festival at Gnathang Near China Border
- URL: https://newsanek.com/sikkim-first-yak-festival-gnathang-border-village/
- Published: 2026-11-03T15:51:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T15:51:38.000Z
- Description: Herders from Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh met at Gnathang to discuss shrinking pastures, erratic weather and the future of yak rearing.
- Author: Kumar Ujjwal
- Tags: India, Sikkim, #state-sikkim, #starter

Gnathang, a remote village in eastern Sikkim close to the India-China border, recently hosted the state's first Yak Festival. According to Northeast Live, citing NDTV reports, the event brought together herders from across the Himalayan region to celebrate their traditional way of life and to discuss the problems facing yak rearing.

### Key points

- The festival was held at about 13,500 feet in Gnathang, eastern Sikkim.
- Herders from Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh took part.
- Shrinking grazing grounds, unpredictable weather and low interest among young people were key concerns.
- The venue reflects the Centre's Vibrant Villages Programme for border settlements.

## What the herders discussed

Talks at the festival focused on shrinking grazing land, unpredictable weather, conservation challenges and the declining interest of younger people in continuing the centuries-old occupation. Around 400 to 500 yaks were brought to the festival. Stalls displayed yak-based products and the traditional practices of herding communities.

Thupden Lachungpa, president of the Yak Association of Sikkim, said the festival gave herders a platform to bring their concerns to a wider audience. "The fact that our voices are being heard makes me feel really good," he said. He described yaks as "ecological machines" that help maintain the fragile mountain ecosystem and are closely linked to high-altitude grasslands and wildlife. He added that yak numbers have improved somewhat, but the overall population is still low, so conservation must continue.

Gnawang Phuntsok, a herder from Gnathang, said his family has reared yaks for five generations. "The yak I have today is not something I bought. It has come down to me from my great-grandfather," he said. He explained that herders move animals between pastures according to the season, but sudden snowfall and untimely rain now make this harder. He also acknowledged the support herders receive, including annual vaccination programmes.

## Link to the Vibrant Villages Programme

As per the report, the choice of Gnathang reflects the Centre's wider effort to strengthen economic activity in remote villages along the India-China border. Under the Vibrant Villages Programme, the government aims to improve infrastructure, promote tourism and create lasting livelihood options in strategically important border settlements.

The aim is to encourage people to keep living in these villages by offering better economic prospects and reducing migration. Cultural events such as the Yak Festival are seen as a way to attract tourists while promoting local traditions, indigenous occupations and regional products. Promoting yak milk, dairy products and fibre is also expected to give herding families additional income.

## Why it matters

For herders in high-altitude areas, yak rearing is both a livelihood and a family inheritance. Gnathang-Machong MLA Pamin Lepcha stressed the need to preserve the practice for communities in Sikkim's high-altitude regions, where difficult terrain and harsh climate shape daily life. "The conditions are very harsh, and the people living in these areas face many challenges," he said.

Phuntsok hoped the festival would raise awareness about yak rearing and the economic value of yak-based products.

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### Source

- [Northeast Live: Sikkim Hosts First-Ever Yak Festival In a Village Near China Border; Read to Know Where and Why?](https://northeastlivetv.com/topnews/sikkim-hosts-first-ever-yak-festival-in-a-village-near-china-border-read-to-know-where-and-why/?ref=newsanek.com)