 A Lepcha man in 1868 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 80,316 (2011) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India (Sikkim,Darjeeling andKalimpong districts,West Bengal | 76,871 (2011 census)[1] |
 Nepal (Ilam District,Panchthar District andTaplejung District) | 3,445 (2011 census)[2] |
 Bhutan (Samtse andChukha districts) | N/A |
 China (Tibet region) | N/A |
| Languages | |
| Lepcha,Sikkimese (Dranjongke),Dzongkha,Nepali | |
| Religion | |
| Majority: Buddhism Minority: [3][4][5] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bhutia,Limbu,Lhop, OtherSino-Tibetan people | |
TheLepcha (/ˈlɛptʃə/;[6] also calledRongkup (Lepcha:ᰕᰫ་ᰊᰪᰰ་ᰆᰧᰶ ᰛᰩᰵ་ᰀᰪᰱ ᰛᰪᰮ་ᰀᰪᰱ,Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup, "beloved children of the Róng and of God") andRongpa (Sikkimese:རོང་པ)) are among the indigenous people of theIndian state ofSikkim as well as the borderingDarjeeling andKalimpong in the state ofWest Bengal, and in the neighbouring country ofNepal. They number around 80,000.[1][2] Many Lepcha are also found in western and southwesternBhutan,Darjeeling, theKoshi Province of easternNepal, and in the hills ofWest Bengal. The Lepcha people are composed of four main distinct communities: the Renjóngmú ofSikkim; the Dámsángmú ofKalimpong,Kurseong, andMirik; the ʔilámmú ofIlam District, Nepal; and the Promú ofSamtse andChukha in southwesternBhutan.[7][8][9]
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Lepchas are said to have migrated from Cambodia and Tibet having a similar culture, dressup, traits and history.[10] They speak aTibeto-Burman language which some classify asHimalayish. Others suggest a more complex migration, a migration toCambodia, then a navigation of theAyeyarwady River andChindwin rivers, a crossing of thePatkoi range coming back west, and finally entering ancient India; this idea is supported byAustroasiatic language substrata in their vocabularies. While migrating westward through India, they are surmised to have passed through southern Bhutan before reaching their final destination nearKanchenjunga. 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 ofSikkim,Darjeeling District ofWest Bengal,easternNepal and the southwestern parts of Bhutan. In theKoshi Province of Nepal, they form 7% of the population ofIlam District, 2% inPanchthar District, and 10% of the population inTaplejung District. In India'sSikkim as a whole they are considered to be around 15% of the population of the state.[11]
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 fromBhutan in the east to Ilam (Nepal) in the west and from Sikkim to the northern tips of present-dayBangladesh.[12][better source needed]
The Lepcha have their ownlanguage, also called Lepcha. It belongs to theBodish–Himalayish group ofTibeto-Burman languages. The Lepcha write their language in their own script, calledRóng orLepcha script, which is derived from theTibetan script. It was developed between the 17th and 18th centuries, possibly by a Lepcha scholar namedThikúng Munsulóng, during the reign of the thirdChogyal (Tibetan king) ofSikkim.[13]
Lepchas are divided into many clans (Lepcha:putsho), each of which reveres its ownsacred lake and mountain peak (Lepcha:dâ andcú) 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,[14]Simíkmú, andFonyung Rumsóngmú may be shortened toNamchu,Simik, andFoning, respectively.[15] Some of the name of the clans are "Barphungputso", "Rongong", "Karthakmu", " Zurabu", "Sungutmu", "Phipon", "Brimu", "Lickchingmu ", “Sadamoo”, “Kabomoo”, “Molomoo”, “Lingdamoo” etc.[citation needed]
Most Lepchas areBuddhists, although a large number of Lepchas have today adoptedChristianity.[16][17] Some Lepchas have not given up theirshamanistic religion, which is known asMun. 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 calledtandong lho rumfát.[15] Manyrituals involve local species. In Sikkim, Lepchas are known to use over 370 species of animals, fungi, and plants.[18] 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 ofSikkim, Darjeeling andKalimpong are Christians.[19][4]
The traditional clothing for Lepcha women is the ankle-lengthdumvun, also calleddumdyám 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, ortago, over which excess material drapes. A contrasting long-sleeved blouse may be worn underneath.[20][21]
The traditional Lepcha clothing for men is thethakraw ("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 athyáktuk, with stiff black velvet sides and a multicolored top topped by a knot similar as the Mongol's. Rarely, the traditional cone-shapedbamboo andrattan hats are worn.[20][21]
Traditionally, the Lepcha live in a local house called ali. 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.[22]
The Lepchas are mostly agriculturists. They grow oranges, rice, cardamoms, and other foods.[22]
Lepcha cuisine is mild and not as spicy asIndian orNepalese cuisine. Rice is the staple, whole wheat, maize, and buckwheat are also used. Fresh fruit and vegetables are used.[23]Khuzom is a traditional Lepcha bread made from buckwheat, millet, and corn or wheat flour.Popular Lepcha dishes includeponguzom(rice, fish, vegetable grill),su zom (baked meat dish),ihukpa (noodle, meat, and vegetable stew), andsorongbeetuluk (rice and nettle porridge).[24]
An alcoholic beverage calledchiorchhaang is fermented frommillet.Chi also has religious significance, as it is given as offering to the gods during religious ceremonies.[25]
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 areZo-Mal-Lok, Chu-Faat, Tendong Lo Rum Faat, andKinchum-Chu-Bomsa.[26] Musical instruments used aresanga (drum),yangjey (string instrument),fungal, yarka, flute, andtungbuk.[26]One popular instrument used by the Lepchas is a four-string lute that is played with a bow.[22]
The Lepcha are largely anendogamous community.[22]
The Lepcha trace their descentpatrilineally. The marriage is negotiated between the families of the bride and the groom. If the marriage deal is settled, thelama checks the horoscopes of the boy and girl to schedule a favourable date for the wedding. Then the boy's maternal uncle, along with other relatives, approaches the girl's maternal uncle with akhada, a ceremonial scarf, and one rupee, to gain the maternal uncle's formal consent.[27]
The wedding takes place at noon on the auspicious day. The groom and his entire family leave for the girl's house with some money and other gifts that are handed over to the bride's maternal uncle. Upon reaching the destination, the traditionalNyomchok ceremony takes place, and the bride's father arranges a feast for relatives and friends. This seals the marriage between the couple.[27]
TheCentral Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Lepcha as a subgroup within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati.[28] At the time of the2011 Nepal census, 3,445 people identified as Lepcha, one in every 7,690 of the total Nepalese population (26,494,504).
| Mizoram |  Naga woman | |
|---|---|---|
| Nagaland | ||
| Meghalaya | ||
| Arunachal Pradesh | ||
| Manipur | ||
| Tripura | ||
| Assam | ||
| Sikkim | ||
| Kuki tribes including: | ||
| Naga tribes including: | ||
| Sino-Tibetan (Trans-Himalayan) |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indo-Aryan |
| ||||||||
| Indo-Aryan of adistinct origin | |||||||||
| Other peoples (M,D,i) ofIndus-Ganga |
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| Other basis |
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| Immigrants | |||||||||
