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	[[Category:Ethnic groups in Northeast India]]		[[Category:Ethnic groups in Northeast India]]
	[[Category:Ethnic groups in South Asia]]		[[Category:Ethnic groups in South Asia]]
			[[Category:Lepcha people\| ]]

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{{Short description|Ethnic group of India, Nepal and Bhutan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Lepcha, Róng ᰕᰫ་ᰊᰪᰰ་ᰆᰧᰶ ᰛᰩᰵ་ᰀᰪᰱ ᰛᰪᰮ་ᰀᰪᰱ
| image = [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-02-11-39, Tibetexpedition, Lepscha.jpg|200px]]
| caption = A Lepcha man
| total = 80,316
| total_year = 2011
| region1 = {{flag|India}} ([[Sikkim]] and [[Darjeeling]], [[Kalimpong]] Districts [[West Bengal]]
| pop1 = 76,871 (2011 census)
| ref1 = <ref name="Census India">{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/ST.html|title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|last=ORGI|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|access-date=20 November 2017}}</ref>
| region2 = {{flag|Nepal}} ([[Ilam District]], [[Panchthar District]] and [[Taplejung District]])
| pop2 = 3,445 (2011 census)
| ref2 = <ref name="Census Nepal">{{Cite web|url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/census/wphc/Nepal/Nepal-Census-2011-Vol1.pdf|title=National Population and Housing Census 2011|website=UN Statistical Agency}}</ref>
| region3 = {{flag|Bhutan}} ([[Samtse District|Samtse]] and [[Chukha District|Chukha]] districts)
| region4 = {{flag|China}} ([[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet region]])
| langs = [[Lepcha language|Lepcha]], [[Sikkimese language|Sikkimese (Dranjongke)]], [[Dzongkha]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]]
| rels = [[Buddhism]] (Majority), [[Mun (religion)|Mun]], [[Christianity]],<ref name="Christian Lepchas">{{harvnb|Semple|2003|page=233}}</ref>{{sfn|Joshi|2004|page=130}}
}}
{{Contains special characters|Uncommon Unicode}}
The '''Lepcha''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɛ|p|tʃ|ə}};<ref>[http://www.dictionary.com/browse/lepcha "Lepcha"]. ''[[Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary]]''.</ref> also called '''Rongkup''' ([[Lepcha language|Lepcha]]: ᰕᰫ་ᰊᰪᰰ་ᰆᰧᰶ ᰛᰩᰵ་ᰀᰪᰱ ᰛᰪᰮ་ᰀᰪᰱ, ''Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup'', "beloved children of the Róng and of God") and '''Rongpa''' ([[Sikkimese language|Sikkimese]]: {{bo-textonly|རོང་པ་}})) are among the indigenous peoples of [[Sikkim]], [[India]] and Nepal, and number around 80,000.<ref name="Census India"/><ref name="Census Nepal"/> Many Lepcha are also found in western and southwestern [[Bhutan]], [[Tibet]], [[Darjeeling]], the [[Mechi Zone]] of eastern [[Nepal]], and in the hills of [[West Bengal]]. The Lepcha people are composed of four main distinct communities: the Renjóngmú of [[Sikkim]]; the Dámsángmú of [[Kalimpong]], [[Kurseong]], and [[Mirik]]; the ʔilámmú of [[Ilam District]], Nepal; and the Promú of [[Samtse District|Samtse]] and [[Chukha District|Chukha]] in southwestern [[Bhutan]].{{sfn|Plaisier|2007|p=1–2}}{{sfn|SIL 2009}}{{sfn|NIC-Sikkim}}

== Origins ==
[[File:A group of Lepcha shingle cutters at Darjeeling in the 1870s.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A group of Lepcha shingle cutters at Darjeeling in the 1870s]]
[[File:A group of Lepchas in Darjeeling (c. 1880).jpg|thumb|200px|right|A group of Lepchas in Darjeeling (c. 1880)]]
The word Lepcha is considered to be the anglicised version of the [[Nepali language|Nepalese]] word ''lepche'' meaning "vile speakers" or "inarticulate speech". This was at first a derogatory nickname but is no longer seen as negative.<ref name="West 2009 462">{{cite book|last=West|first=Barbara A.|title=Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania|year=2009|publisher=Facts on File|isbn=978-0816071098|page=462|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pCiNqFj3MQsC&q=origin+of+the+Lepcha&pg=PA462}}</ref>

The origin of the Lepcha is unknown. They may have originated in [[Myanmar]], [[Tibet]] or [[Mongolia]]{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} but the Lepcha people themselves firmly believe that they did not migrate to the current location from anywhere and are indigenous to the region.<ref name="West 2009 462"/> They speak a [[Tibeto-Burman language]] which some classify as [[Himalayish]]. Based on this, some anthropologists suggest they emigrated directly from [[Tibet]] to the north, Japan or from Eastern [[Mongolia]]. Others suggest a more complex migration{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} that started in southeast Tibet, a migration to [[Thailand]], Burma, or [[Japan]], 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 supported by [[Austroasiatic languages]] 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 Development Region, Nepal|eastern]] [[Nepal]] and the southwestern parts of Bhutan. In the [[Mechi Zone]], they form 7% of the population of [[Ilam District]], 2% in [[Panchthar District]], and 10% of the population in [[Taplejung District]]. In [[Sikkim]] as a whole they are considered to be around 15% of the population of the state.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

The Lepcha people were earlier ruled by Pano (King) Gaeboo Achyok. Pano Gaeboo Achyok was instrumental in uniting the Lepcha people and to honour him, the Lepcha people celebrate 20 December of every year as Pano Gaeboo Achyok celebrations day. Pano 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]].<ref name="Telegraph India-1">{{cite news |date=18 December 2006|title=B'day bash for Lepcha king|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/b-day-bash-for-lepcha-king/cid/752810|newspaper=Telegraph India-1}}</ref>

== Language ==
{{main|Lepcha language}}

The Lepcha have their own [[Lepcha language|language]], also called Lepcha. It belongs to the [[Bodish–Himalayish languages|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 [[Tibetic languages|Tibetan]] script. It was developed between the 17th and 18th centuries, possibly by a Lepcha scholar named [[Thikúng Mensalóng]], during the reign of the third [[Chogyal]] (Tibetan king) of [[Sikkim]].{{sfn|Plaisier|2007|p=34}} The world's largest collection of old Lepcha manuscripts is found with the [[Himalayan Languages Project]] in [[Leiden]], [[Netherlands]], with over 180 Lepcha books.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

== Clans ==
Lepchas are divided into many clans ([[Lepcha language|Lepcha]]: ''putsho''), each of which reveres its own sacred lake and mountain peak ([[Lepcha language|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'',<ref>A.R.Foning, ''Lepcha My Vanishing Tribe'', Sterling Publishers, 1987, pp. 123-136</ref> ''Simíkmú'', and ''Fonyung Rumsóngmú'' may be shortened to ''Namchu'', ''Simik'', and ''Foning'', respectively.{{sfn|Plaisier|2007|p=3}} Some of the name of the clans are "Sada", "Barphungputso", "Rongong", "Karthakmu", "Sungutmu", "Phipon", "Brimu", "Lickchingmu "etc.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

== Religion ==
{{main|Mun (religion)}}

Most Lepchas are [[Buddhist]], a religion brought by the [[Bhutia]]s from the north, although a large number of Lepchas have today adopted [[Christianity]].{{sfn|Joshi|2004|pages=130,157}}{{sfn|Semple|2003|p=123,233}} Some Lepchas have not given up their [[shamanism|shamanistic]] religion, which is known as [[Mun (religion)|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 ''cú rumfát.''{{sfn|Plaisier|2007|p=3}} Many [[rituals]] involve local species. In Sikkim, Lepchas are known to use over 370 species of animals, fungi, and plants.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=O'Neill |first1=Alexander |display-authors=etal |date=29 March 2017 |title=Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas |journal=Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |volume=13 |issue=21 |pages=21 |doi=10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9 |pmid=28356115 |pmc=5372287 }}</ref> 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 [[Darjeeling|Sikkim, Darjeeling]] and [[Kalimpong]] are Christians.{{sfn|Semple|2003|page=233}}{{sfn|Joshi|2004|page=130}}

== Clothing ==
[[File:Lepcha circa 1900.png|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 ''[[dumdyam|dumbun]]'', 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.{{sfn|Plaisier|2007|p=4}}{{sfn|Dubey|1980|p=53, 56}}

The traditional Lepcha clothing for men is the ''[[dumpra|dumprá]]'' ("male dress"). It is a multicolored, hand-woven cloth pinned at one shoulder and held in place by a waistband, usually worn over a 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. Rarely, the traditional cone-shaped [[bamboo]] and [[rattan]] hats are worn.{{sfn|Plaisier|2007|p=4}}{{sfn|Dubey|1980|p=53, 56}}

== Dwellings ==
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. It is interesting to note that 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 in the soil.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Human: The Definitive Visual Guide|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2004|isbn=0-7566-0520-2|location=New York|pages=437}}</ref>

== Subsistence ==
The Lepchas are mostly agriculturists. They grow oranges, rice, cardamoms, and other foods.<ref name=":0" />

=== Cuisine ===
Lepcha cuisine is mild and not as spicy as [[Indian cuisine|Indian]] or [[Nepalese cuisine]]. Rice is the staple, while wheat, maize and buckwheat are also used. Fresh fruit and vegetables are used.<ref name="Encyclopedia">{{cite web|title=Lepcha|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/lepcha|publisher=Encyclopedia|date=1 August 2019}}</ref>
''Khuzom'' is a traditional Lepcha bread made from buck wheat, millet, and corn or wheat flour.
Popular Lepcha dishes include Ponguzom (Rice, fish, vegetable grill), Su zom (Baked meat dish), [[Thukpa]] (Noodle, meat and vegetable stew) and Sorongbeetuluk (Rice and nettle porridge).<ref name="Science Direct">{{cite web|title=Some nonfermented ethnic foods of Sikkim in India|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618114000092|publisher=Science Direct|date=December 2014}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Live History-Chi">{{cite web|title=Chhang: The Beer of the Himalayas|url=https://www.livehistoryindia.com/history-in-a-dish/2017/05/28/chhang-the-beer-of-the-himalayas|publisher=Live History India|date=28 May 2017}}</ref>

== Arts, crafts, and music ==
The Lepchas are known for their unique weaving and basketry skills.

The Lepcha 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''.<ref name="Lepcha Folk Dances">{{cite web|title=Lepcha Folk Dances|url=http://www.sikkimtourism.gov.in/Webforms/General/SikkimAtAGlance/LepchaFolkDances.aspx|publisher=Sikkim Tourism}}</ref>

Musical instruments used are Sanga (drum), Yangjey (string instrument), Cymbal, Yarka, Flute and Tungbuk.<ref name="Lepcha Folk Dances"/>
One popular instrument used by the Lepchas is a four-string lute that is played with a bow.<ref name=":0" />

== Marriage customs ==
The Lepcha are largely an [[Endogamy|endogamous]] community.<ref name=":0" />

The Lepcha trace their descent [[patrilineal]]ly. The marriage is negotiated between the families of the bride and the groom. If the marriage deal is settled, the [[lama]] will check 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, approach the girl's maternal uncle with a ''khada'', a ceremonial scarf, and one rupee, to gain the maternal uncle's formal consent.{{sfn|Gulati|1995|pp=80–81}}

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 traditional [[Nyomchok ceremony]] takes place, and the bride's father arranges a feast for relatives and friends. This seals the wedding between the couple.{{sfn|Gulati|1995|pp=80–81}}

== See also ==
* [[Ethnic groups in Bhutan]]
* [[Ethnic groups in Nepal]]
* [[Indigenous peoples of Sikkim]]
* [[Lepcha language]]
* [[Lepcha script]]

== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist
| refs =
}}

; Cited sources

* {{cite book
| last = Plaisier
| first = Heleen
| year = 2007
| title = A Grammar of Lepcha
| volume = 5
| series = Tibetan studies library: Languages of the greater Himalayan region
| publisher = [[Brill Publishers|BRILL]]
| location = Leiden, The Netherlands; Boston
| isbn = 978-90-04-15525-1
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DpCXEc_9RWcC
}}
* {{cite web
| editor-last = Lewis
| editor-first = M. Paul
| year = 2009
| title = Lepcha
| work = [[Ethnologue]]: Languages of the World
| edition = 16th
| publisher = [[SIL International]]
| location = [[Dallas, Texas]]
| url = http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=lep
| access-date = 24 June 2011
| ref = {{harvid|SIL 2009}}
}}
* {{cite web
| url = http://sikkim.nic.in/north/html/lepcha.htm
| title = Lepchas and their Tradition
| publisher = National Informatics Centre, Sikkim
| work = Official Portal of NIC Sikkim State Centre
| date = 25 January 2002
| access-date = 24 June 2011
| ref = {{harvid|NIC-Sikkim}}
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171017203541/http://sikkim.nic.in/north/html/lepcha.htm
| archive-date = 17 October 2017
| url-status = dead
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Joshi
| first = H.G.
| year = 2004
| title = Sikkim: Past and Present
| publisher = Mittal Publications
| location = New Delhi, India
| isbn = 81-7099-932-4
| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=L7gIVNzkN2YC
| access-date = 24 June 2011
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Semple
| first = Rhonda Anne
| year = 2003
| title = Missionary Women: Gender, Professionalism, and the Victorian Idea of Christian Mission
| publisher = Boydell Press
| location = Rochester, NY
| isbn = 1-84383-013-2
| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zKhSk_3nCvsC
| access-date = 24 June 2011
}}
* {{cite web
| last = Gulati
| first = Rachna
| year = 1995
| title = Cultural Aspects of Sikkim
| work = Bulletin of Tibetology
| publisher = Namgyal Institute of Tibetology
| location = [[Gangtok]]
| url = http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/bot/pdf/bot_1995_01_17.pdf
| access-date = 24 June 2011
}}
* {{cite book
| title = Family, marriage, and social change on the Indian fringe
| first = S. M
| last = Dubey
| editor = S. M. Dubey
| editor2 = P. K. Bordoloi
| editor3 = B. N. Borthakur
| publisher = Cosmo
| year = 1980
}}

== Further reading ==
{{Commons category|Lepcha people}}
* {{cite web|title=Lepcha script|publisher=Omniglot online|url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/lepcha.htm|access-date= 17 April 2011}}
* {{cite web|first=Heleen|last=Plaisier|date=13 November 2010|title=Information on Lepcha Language and Culture|url=http://www.lepcha.info/|access-date=16 April 2011|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Bareh|first=Hamlet|year=2001|title=Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim|chapter=The Sikkim Communities|publisher=Mittal Publications|location=New Delhi|isbn=81-7099-794-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrr7HPr8NAQC|ref=none}}

{{Bhutanese society}}
{{Scheduled tribes of India}}
{{Hill tribes of Northeast India}}
{{Ethnic groups in Nepal}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Bhutan]]
[[Category:Sino-Tibetan-speaking people]]
[[Category:Himalayan peoples]]
[[Category:Sikkim]]
[[Category:Buddhist communities of Nepal]]
[[Category:Buddhist communities of Bhutan]]
[[Category:Buddhist communities of India]]
[[Category:Tribes of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of India]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Northeast India]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in South Asia]]

Lepcha people - Revision history

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