Lepcha people

The Lepcha (; also called Rongkup (Lepcha: <span style="font-family:'Mingzat', 'Mainwaring Rong', 'XenoType Lepcha', 'Noto Sans Lepcha';">ᰕᰫ་ᰊᰪᰰ་ᰆᰧᰶ ᰛᰩᰵ་ᰀᰪᰱ ᰛᰪᰮ་ᰀᰪᰱ</span>, Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup, "beloved children of the Róng and of God") and Rongpa (Sikkimese: )) are among the indigenous people of the Indian state of Sikkim as well as the bordering Darjeeling and Kalimpong in the state of West Bengal, and in the neighbouring country of Nepal. They number around 80,000. They speak a Tibeto-Burman language which some classify as Himalayish. Others suggest a more complex migration, a migration to Cambodia, then a navigation of the Ayeyarwady River and Chindwin rivers, a crossing of the Patkoi range coming back west, and finally entering ancient India; this idea is supported by Austroasiatic language substrata in their vocabularies. While migrating westward through India, they are surmised to have passed through southern Bhutan before reaching their final destination near Kanchenjunga. The Lepcha people themselves do not have any tradition of migration, and hence they conclude that they are autochthonous to the region, currently falling under the state of Sikkim, Darjeeling District of West Bengal, eastern Nepal and the southwestern parts of Bhutan. In the Koshi Province of Nepal, they form 7% of the population of Ilam District, 2% in Panchthar District, and 10% of the population in Taplejung District. In India's Sikkim as a whole they are considered to be around 15% of the population of the state.

The Lepcha people were earlier ruled by Pano (King) Gaeboo Achyok. Gaeboo Achyok was instrumental in uniting the Lepcha people and to honour him, the Lepcha people celebrate 20 December of every year as Gaeboo Achyok celebrations day. Gaeboo Achyok extended the Lepcha kingdom from Bhutan in the east to Ilam (Nepal) in the west and from Sikkim to the northern tips of present-day Bangladesh.

Language

The Lepcha have their own language, also called Lepcha. It belongs to the Bodish–Himalayish group of Tibeto-Burman languages. The Lepcha write their language in their own script, called Róng or Lepcha script, which is derived from the Tibetan script. It was developed between the 17th and 18th centuries, possibly by a Lepcha scholar named Thikúng Munsulóng, during the reign of the third Chogyal (Tibetan king) of Sikkim.

Clans

Lepchas are divided into many clans (Lepcha: putsho), each of which reveres its own sacred lake and mountain peak (Lepcha: dâ and cú) from which the clan derives its name. While most Lepcha can identify their own clan, Lepcha clan names can be quite formidable, and are often shortened for this reason. For example, Nāmchumú, Simíkmú, and Fonyung Rumsóngmú may be shortened to Namchu, Simik, and Foning, respectively. Some of the name of the clans are "Barphungputso", "Rongong", "Karthakmu", " Zurabu", "Sungutmu", "Phipon", "Brimu", "Lickchingmu ", “Sadamoo”, “Kabomoo”, “Molomoo”, “Lingdamoo” etc.

Religion

thumb|upright|[[Kinthup, a noted Lepcha Pundit, was a Buddhist pilgrim when he surveyed Nepal in the 1870s (photograph 1914).|left]]

Most Lepchas are Buddhists, although a large number of Lepchas have today adopted Christianity. Some Lepchas have not given up their shamanistic religion, which is known as Mun. In practice, rituals from Mun and Buddhism are frequently observed alongside one another among some Lepchas. For example, ancestral mountain peaks are regularly honoured in ceremonies called tandong lho rumfát. Many rituals involve local species. In Sikkim, Lepchas are known to use over 370 species of animals, fungi, and plants. According to the Nepal Census of 2001, out of the 3,660 Lepcha in Nepal, 88.80% were Buddhists and 7.62% were Hindus. Many Lepchas in the Hills of Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalimpong are Christians.

Clothing

thumb|right|250px|Photograph of a Lepcha c. 1900, wearing the traditional cone-shaped hat

The traditional clothing for Lepcha women is the ankle-length dumvun, also called dumdyám or gādā ("female dress"). It is one large piece of smooth cotton or silk, usually of a solid color. When it is worn, it is folded over one shoulder, pinned at the other shoulder, and held in place by a waistband, or tago, over which excess material drapes. A contrasting long-sleeved blouse may be worn underneath.

The traditional Lepcha clothing for men is the thakraw ("male dress"). It is a multicolored, hand-woven cloth pinned at one shoulder and held in place by a waistband, usually worn over white shirt and trousers. Men wear a flat round cap called a thyáktuk, with stiff black velvet sides and a multicolored top topped by a knot similar as the Mongol's. Rarely, the traditional cone-shaped bamboo and rattan hats are worn.

Dwellings (place to stay)

Traditionally, the Lepcha live in a local house called a li. A traditional home is made out of logs of wood and bamboo and rests around 4 to 5 feet (1.2m to 1.5m) above the ground on stilts. The wooden house with thatched roof is natural air conditioner and eco-friendly. The traditional Lepcha house has no nails used in the construction and it is seismic movement friendly since the weight of the house is rested over a large tablets of stones and not planted on the soil.

Subsistence

The Lepchas are mostly agriculturists. They grow oranges, rice, cardamoms, and other foods.

Khuzom is a traditional Lepcha bread made from buckwheat, millet, and corn or wheat flour.

Popular Lepcha dishes include ponguzom (rice, fish, vegetable grill), su zom (baked meat dish), ihukpa (noodle, meat, and vegetable stew), and sorongbeetuluk (rice and nettle porridge).

An alcoholic beverage called chi or chhaang is fermented from millet. Chi also has religious significance, as it is given as offering to the gods during religious ceremonies.

Arts, crafts, and music

The Lepchas are known for their unique weaving and basketry skills. They have a rich tradition of dances, songs, and folktales. The popular Lepcha folk dances are Zo-Mal-Lok, Chu-Faat, Tendong Lo Rum Faat, and Kinchum-Chu-Bomsa. Musical instruments used are sanga (drum), yangjey (string instrument), fungal, yarka, flute, and tungbuk. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 3,445 people identified as Lepcha, one in every 7,690 of the total Nepalese population (26,494,504).