 The south-facing slopes are covered in dense tropical jungles of rhododendron and bamboo, while the north-facing slopes, in the rain shadow, have a drier colder climate similar to that of the near-by Tibetan Plateau.The entire sanctuary was held as sacred to the Gurung people, one of the many native people to inhabit the area.They believed it was the repository of gold and various treasures left by the Nāgas, the serpent-gods known in India.