About Sikkim

Sikkim also Shikim or Shikimpati; Lepcha: Mayel Lyang; Limbu: Yuksom, "one of the fortified place"] Standard Tibetan: Bras Ljongs, Denzong or Demojongs) is a landlocked Indian state located in the Himalayanmountains. The state borders Nepal to the west, China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and east, and Bhutan to the southeast. The Indian state of West Bengal lies to the south.
With around 607,000 inhabitants as of 2011, Sikkim is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest state after Goa in total area, covering approximately 7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi).Sikkim is nonetheless geographically diverse due to its location in the Himalayas; the climate ranges from subtropical to high alpine, and Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is located on Sikkim's border with Nepal. Sikkim is a popular tourist destination, owing to its culture, scenery and biodiversity. It also has the only open land border between India and China. Sikkim'scapital and largest city is Gangtok.
According to legend, the Buddhist saint Guru Rinpoche visited Sikkim in the 8th century AD, introduced Buddhism and foretold the era of the monarchy. Sikkim's Namgyal dynasty was established in 1642. Over the next 150 years, the kingdom witnessed frequent raids and territorial losses to Nepalese invaders. It allied itself with the British rulers of India, but was soon annexed by them. Later, Sikkim became a Britishprotectorate, before merging with India following a referendum on abolishing the monarchy in 1975.
Sikkim is the only state in India with an ethnic Nepali majority. Sikkim has 11 official languages: Nepali (which is its lingua franca), Bhutia,Lepcha, Limbu, Newari, Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Sherpa, Tamang and Sunwar. English is taught in schools and used in government documents. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sikkim's economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism, and as of 2011 the state has the fourth-smallest GDP among Indian states, although it is also among the fastest-growing.

THE LEPCHAS

The Lepchas are the aboriginal inhabitants of Sikkim and they are mostly settled in North Sikkim. They are mostly Buddhist but many of them have now adopted Christianity. The lepcha folklores are melodious and contain lots of interesting folk stories. However, trudging through an inexhaustible treasure of Lepcha folklore, we come across a people whose roots, in context to Sikkim and adjoining regions, are far more ancient than almost all other tribes. This is simply borne by the fact that the oldest surviving names of various mountains, hills, gorges, rivers, lakes and caves in the region are Lepcha in origin. These plentiful name suggest that in the distant days, now shrouded by  the mist of centuries, it was hegemony that was paramount in the region.

                Lepchas refer to their language as ‘Rong-aring’ or ‘Rongring’ and falls under the Tibeto-Burman family of languages. There are quite a few amazing aspects about the Lepcha language. Words associated with obscenity are part of everyday vocabulary. It is not considered taboo to utter these words which, in any other language, one might hesitate or never utter in public. ike all other languages belonging to Sino-Tibetan family, Lepcha language reflects ample monosyllabic traits. As is peculiar with this family of speeches,  constraints in the range of vocabulary have helped musical elements in the Lepcha speech. Their language is not ‘vile’ as some hackneyed tradition suggests. Instead, the Lepcha speech, besides being soft in itself, is quite euphonic too. Lepchas have their own script but most of their ancient literary works, called namthars, are found recorded in Tibetan script. Gazetteer of Sikkim mentions that it was the third Chogyal, Chador Namgyal who invented the Lepcha script. But the Lepchas believe that their script existed even before the reign of Chador Namgyal. Some tradition mentions the name of one Thikung Men Salong as being the originator of Lepcha script. But Men Salong is also surrounded by considerable controversies, making him a contemporary of Chador Namgyal by some, and an able minister of the much earlier Turve Punu by others. In this respect, a consensus of sort is yet to be arrived at among Lepchalogists. Till then different views will continue to fuel the speculations.

                Lepchas are like magicians in bamboo crafts and produce a wide variety of aesthetically beautiful baskets and such other things that come handy in daily chores. Their knowledge of poisonous and non-poisonous plants, snakes and information on other flora and fauna are phenomenal. But, with modernity making steady inroads into the Lepcha way of life such age-old wisdom are increasingly cruising away into the sphere of myths and legends. The traditional cloths of the Lepchas are woven in exquisite colour combinations. Men’s dress is called Thokro-Dum and the female’s dress is called Dumdyam or Dumvum. There is an obvious contradiction between Thokro-Dum and Dumvum. One essential man’s wear making a complete Thokro-Dum is a white pyjama that reaches only upto the calf and resembles a karate player’s outfit. The short pyjama suggests that the Lepchas might have originated or lived long in a marshy land. However, the female attire negates this suggestion. Dumvum is a an ankle length flowing dress suggesting dry land inhabitants. The male dress is almost always coarse, sturdy and durable fitting to the rigours of life in the open field and forest. The female dress is made of softer material and worn in the manner that is petitely graceful.

THE BHUTIA

Bhutia tribes inhabit in the dry valley of northern part of Sikkim. Among the localities, they are also known as Lachenpas and Lachungpas.Bhutias are an ethno-linguistic people inhabiting the trans-Himalayan region between India and Tibet. The Bhotiyas are often confused with the Bhutias, the latter forming one of the sub-types of the Bhotiyas. Bhotiyas (from Bod which is the classical name of Tibet) include: Bhutanese Bhotiya, the Sikkimese Bhutia and the Uttarakhand Bhotiya (like the Shaukas of Kumaon and Tolchhas and Marchhas of Garhwal) besides several other dispersed groups in Nepal and the adjoining areas in India.Bhutias are ethnic Tibetans whose ancestors had migrated south to India, Sikkim and Bhutan in the and after the 15th and 16th Centuries. In north Sikkim of today, the Bhutia inhabitants are known as Lachenpas and Lachungpas while the Bhutia inhabitants of Sikkim are generally known as Denzongpas (from ‘Denzongpa’, the Tibetan name for Sikkim). The Bhutia population is also spread in Nepal and northern West Bengal like in Darjeeling and Kalimpong. Bhutias are known to be warm and kind-hearted people. Towards the decline of the Mughal empire, the Bhutia aristocrats were given landlord titles of ‘Kazis’. Bhutias are one of the Scheduled Tribes listed under the Constitution of india.

THE NEPALI

The Nepalis are third type of people that live in Sikkim after the Bhutias. They migrated in large numbers in Sikkim after the Lepchas and Bhutias. Today, the Nepalis constitute more than 80 % of the total population of Sikkim. The Nepalis introduced the terraced system of cultivation and the cardomom was an important cash crop introduced by them. Some of the Nepalis are the Hindus except the Sherpas and Tamangs who are Buddhists. The business class people of Nepalis are known as Newars. The Nepalis speak the Nepali language, which is understood by the people all over the state. This language is similar to Hindi and uses the Devanagri script. The male Nepali wears a traditional dress that consists of long double breast garment flowing below the waist and a trouser known as "Daura Suruwal". The female wears a dress that consist of a double breasted garment, which is known as "Chow Bandi Choli". They also wear a shawl known as "Majetro".

The Nepalese are spread throughout the east, west, north and south districts of Sikkim. Their style of living is comparatively much economical. Their dresses and diets are simple. They are good farmers and businessmen. Also, they are ahead in education which enables them to get jobs in the Government.

THE RAI

The Rais are one of the most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. They were Raipa meaning king. Once someone was recognized as a ruler, Hindus awarded them the title Rai. When the king Prithvi Narayan Shah couldn't defeat Khambu king, he somehow took them in confidence that the land is theirs forever and gave them the title Rai in around B.S. 1832 . The title of Rai instead khambu kirant people who used to live in wallo kirant and majh kirant for particular reason. The Rai are the Khambu (people living in Mud Hut). Then the post Rai was provided to the topmost leaders of the region.They were given the power to collect land tax.That's why sometimes Rai people are called jimmi or jimmi-wal. The Rai belong to the Kirati group or the Kirat confederation that includes Limbu, Sunuwar, Yakkha and Dhimal ethnic groups.The Rai in Sikkim have embraced the Hindu religion and are ardent followers of all the various rituals and customs performed by the Hindus in other parts of India. Another bizarre aspect confined to the Rai of Sikkim is the way they summon the males of their family. They use the designation of 'home' for them. The peculiarity does not end here, the males of the family also perform all sorts of rituals as they are dowered with all the powers that are usually possessed by the high priests.

Since, the worm of superstition is still embedded deep inside their minds in a tiny nook, the Rai across Sikkim make it a point to employ Bijuwas in order to drive away the evil spirits who, according to them, cause plenty of harm. Sometimes, if they are not contended with Bijuwas, Phedangba and even at some instances Jhankri are performed to make them completely safe from the cursed shadow of the depraved spirits.

However, in terms of marriage, the Rai within Sikkim have a lot of likeness with the bridal ceremony, chiefly performed by the individuals of the Kirati tribe. The primary means of earning a livelihood followed by the Rai is farming. They have developed their own special dialect and are dowered with an entire caboodle of artistic talents.

THE LIMBU

Limbu society is traditionally defined by norms, rituals, rites, and chumlung, social groups that convene to express views. During rituals, dancing is a common element, and Limbu priests, called phedangma, recite oral narratives called mundhum. Traditionally, the Limbu practice chastity before marriage, and do not cohabitate before marrying. They tend to live in extended family groups, remaining at home after marriage; marriages are strictly exogamous, meaning intra-clan marriage is prohibited.

The state of Sikkim houses occupants who belong to many different sects which includes the Limbu. The Limbu are also affectionately known as the Yakthumba which literally means an archer. The Limbu in Sikkim share their line of descent with that of the Rai and the Sunuwar as they all belong to Kiranti group which is also known as the Kirat. It is the Limbu who bear an absolutely uncanny resemblance with the Mongolians due to their broad temple and elongated lower lips. Owing to this distinct quality, they also cherish the designation of being the 'Mongolians'. The Limbu of Sikkim possess an integral bond with the Lepchas, who are considered to be another major group of people residing peacefully in the state of Sikkim. This fact can be made evident as the individuals regarded as the Limbu prefer to establish matrimonial relations with the Lepchas on most of the occasions. As a matter of fact, the Limbu, in general, are in favor of inter cast marriages. Another tribe that also shares a good bond with the Limbu are the Rai or Khambas. The Limbu across Sikkim are further bifurcated into a pair of sects which includes the Lhasa gotra who had descended from the domain of Lhasa. Whereas, their counterpart have hailed from the religious hub in India known as Benares and regarded as Kashi gotra. The high priests who perform all their major and minor ceremonies are known as the 'Phedambas'. The grand bulk of these ceremonies includes the various religious rituals and the omens and future predictions.
Majority of the marriages of the Limbu at Sikkim are conducted without taking any kind of permission from the parents of both the bride and the bridegroom.

THE GURUNG

Gurung an indigenous tribe of Sikkim from Nepali stock are found in the villages of Khorong, Sardon, Singyang and Beghaa, about 5kms to 20kms from Pelling. They are shepherds and their woman weave a kind of traditional carpet called Rari and coat called Lukuni. They call themselves Tamu and their main celebration is their Tamu Lochar . According to the Tamu Pye, the Gurung account of their own history, the very beginning of civilization began at least eight or nine thousand years ago. The Pye recounts the origin of human beings and the materials and tools they used. Tamu priests still use some of these primitive utensils in their rituals. The Pye seems to have remained substantially the same over time. There are many possibilities for the original location of the ancestral Tamu. The ancestors of the Tamu – the Ma-i and Khe-ku seem to have represented seven lakes (female Ma-i) and nine mountain peaks (male Khe-ku). There is a traditional assumption that Cho Nasa, as described in the Pye-ta Lhu-ta, refers to a place in western Tibet, and was ringed by seven lakes and surrounded by three mountain ranges. To the south, in Xinjiang in Western China, north of Tibet, in the Turfan Depression, lay Kro Nasa.

This group consisted, among others, the priest (monk) Mukund Lamichaney and Kersingh Khawas. It is believed that from this group of people, formed four castes with sixteen subcastes of Gurung, in course of time and flourished. It is also assumed that Ghalay Maha Gurung became the King of Lamjung, Nepal who fought with Shahi King of Nuwakot, and suffered defeat and lost their title of Maharaja, and came to be called only Gurung. If this is the new point of a group of people, the other groups believe that from Guruhak, the special security guard of King Indra, descended a tribe and came to be known as Gurung later on. It is also said that the reason for numerous subcastes of Gurung is because in the revolt of Mangrat, during the reign of Lichchhabi King Pala, the Khas Tribe too, had become refugees and were compelled to mix with Gurungs. So as a consequence. of this social conglomeration, many and varied subcastes formed the Gurung tribe.

THE TAMANG

"Tamags" are indigenous inhabitants of the Himalayan regions of Tibet, Nepal and India. They form one of the major Tibeto-Burman speaking communities and trace their ancestry from Tibet, and beyond, to the ancient Kirat people (Kiratis) 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. They have their own distinct culture, language and religion. Through the centuries, due to foreign invasions, they moved to other parts of South Asia. Today, they inhabit practically the entire mountainous regions of Nepal and also adjoining regions of India, Myanmar and Bhutan. Tamang are rich in socio-cultural perspectives. However, many years of marginalization and discrimination have hindered the progress of the Tamangs. But despite facing several hardships they have survived to maintain their distinct identity and recent years have seen some developments.

Tamang consider themselves as the descendent of Shiva. They are also called Murmi, and it is opined that they are so called because they inhabited the bordering regions. The Shamya tribe who came to Nepal from Tibet on horse back during the region of Tibetan King Raton Chong Gyampo and established their permanent settlement there finally came to be called Tamangs. Like Gurungs Tamangs too have been divided into two broad categories comparing of twelve castes and eighteen sub-castes but there do not exist any major differences between the two regarding l11atters like marriage and other rituals.