Chumbi ( Tibetan : ཆུ་འབི , Wylie : chu 'bi , THL : chu bi ; Chinese : 春丕 ; pinyin : Chūn pī ) is a historic village in the Chumbi Valley or the Yadong County of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China . It is in the valley of the Amo Chu River , where the route from Sikkim 's Cho La Pass meets the Amo Chu Valley. The "Chumbi Valley" of the European nomenclature derives its name from the village of Chumbi. It was the administrative center of the lower Chumbi Valley until the Chinese take-over of Tibet in 1950, after which Yatung became its headquarters. Chumbi is also associated with the Sikkim 's royal family , which had a summer palace in the village.
25-618: The Chumbi Valley was originally part of the Lepcha territory. In the 13th or 14th century, it began to be colonised by Khampas from the Kham region of Tibet. A Minyak prince called Khye Bumsa ( Wylie : Gyad 'bum bsags ) is said to have settled in Chumbi and established a small kingdom. He later built an alliance with the Lepchas in present-day Sikkim and expanded into that region. The ruins of
50-497: A crossing of the Patkoi range coming back west, and finally entering ancient India (this 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
75-467: 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. 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
100-724: 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 . 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
125-518: Is fermented from millet . Chi also has religious significance, as it is given as offering to the gods during religious ceremonies. 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 . One popular instrument used by
150-424: 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
175-425: 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. The Lepchas are mostly agriculturists. They grow oranges, rice, cardamoms, and other foods. Lepcha cuisine is mild and not as spicy as Indian or Nepalese cuisine . Rice
200-439: Is the staple, whole wheat, maize, and buckwheat are also used. Fresh fruit and vegetables are used. 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
225-688: The Yadong County . Downstream from Chumbi are the twin villages of Chema and Pipitang , where the route from the Nathu La pass arrives, and Rinchengang , which receives the route from the Jelep La pass. Lepcha people The Lepcha ( / ˈ l ɛ p tʃ ə / ; also called Rongkup ( Lepcha : ᰕᰫ་ᰊᰪᰰ་ᰆᰧᰶ ᰛᰩᰵ་ᰀᰪᰱ ᰛᰪᰮ་ᰀᰪᰱ , Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup , "beloved children of the Róng and of God") and Rongpa ( Sikkimese : རོང་པ )) are among
250-552: The windward side of these mountains are the world's wettest places, having the highest annual rainfall. The climate ranges from temperate to alpine due to differences in altitude . The Pangsau Pass offers the most important route through the Patkai. The Ledo Road was built through Pangsau Pass as a strategic supply road during World War II to link India with the Burma Road and finally onto China . In World War 2 ,
275-572: The Bhutanese and obtained Dalai Lama's assistance. The Bhutanese captured and executed Achyok, after which the Tibetans continued to fight the Bhutanese. The end result of these conflicts is not clearly documented, but the Bhutanese were evicted from the lower Chumbi Valley and its control passed to the Sikkimese and Tibetans in some form. The Sikkim Chogyals constructed a palace at Chumbi during
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#1732776629164300-697: The Himalayas and the peaks are much lower. Features of the range include conical peaks, steep slopes and deep valleys. In Nagaland some of the most fascinating places are seen in this mountain range like Mount Khülio-King , Shilloi lake etc. Three mountain ranges come under the Patkai. The Patkai-Bum , the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia hills and the Lushai Hills . The Garo-Khasi range is in the Indian state of Meghalaya . Mawsynram and Cherrapunji , on
325-445: The Lepchas is a four-string lute that is played with a bow. The Lepcha are largely an endogamous community. The Lepcha trace their descent patrilineally . The marriage is negotiated between the families of the bride and the groom. If the marriage deal is settled, the lama 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
350-571: 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. 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
375-429: The bride's father arranges a feast for relatives and friends. This seals the marriage between the couple. The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Lepcha as a subgroup within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census , 3,445 people identified as Lepcha, one in every 7,690 or the total Nepalese population (26,494,504). Bhujel people formed more than 1% of
400-522: The centre of the stretch of Amo Chu valley between Yatung and Rinchengang . The road from the Cho La pass on the Sikkim border arrives here. On the Sikkimese side of the pass, there was a direct road to Tumlong , the capital of Sikkim and the seat of its royalty in the 18th and 19th centuries. About 2 miles (3.2 km) upstream from Chumbi lies the town of Yatung (Shasima), the present headquarters of
425-406: The girl's maternal uncle with a khada , a ceremonial scarf, and one rupee, to gain the maternal uncle's formal consent. 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
450-486: The house built by Khye Bumsa were reportedly present in the Chumbi village till the end of the 19th century. The lower Chumbi valley appears to have been under the control of the Lepchas till the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama . A Lepcha chieftain called Gaeboo Achyok (Gyalpo Ajok, r. c. 1660 – 1676 ) based at Damsang (in the present day Kalimpong district ) faced invasions from
475-626: The indigenous people of the Indian state of Sikkim and Nepal , and number around 80,000. Many Lepcha are also found in western and southwestern Bhutan , Darjeeling , the Koshi Province 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 ;
500-715: The name of the clans are "Zuraboo", "Barphungputso", "Rongong", "Karthakmu", "Sungutmu", "Phipon", "Brimu", "Lickchingmu ", “Sadamoo”, “Kabomoo”, “Molomoo”, “Lingdamoo” etc. 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
525-491: The population in only one district, Ilam : Patkoi The Pat-kai (Pron:pʌtˌkaɪ) or Patkai Bum ( Burmese : Kumon Taungdan ) are a series of mountains on the Indo-Myanmar border falling in the northeastern Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh , Nagaland and Upper Burma region of Myanmar. In Tai-Ahom language, Pat means to cut and Kai means chicken . The Patkai range mountains are not as rugged as
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#1732776629164550-682: The region, currently falling under the state of Sikkim , Darjeeling District of West Bengal , eastern Nepal and the southwestern parts of Bhutan. In the Province No. 1 , 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. The Lepcha people were earlier ruled by Pano (King) Gaeboo Achyok . Gaeboo Achyok
575-520: The reign of Chakdor Namgyal ( r. 1700–1717 ), who is said to have received the lower Chumbi valley as an estate from the Tibetan government. It came to be used as a regular summer residence of the Chogyals since 1780. The Chogyals regarded the people of the lower Chumbi Valley as their subjects until 1959, irrespective of the prevailing official boundaries. The village of Chumbi is roughly in
600-600: The ʔilámmú of Ilam District , Nepal; and the Promú of Samtse and Chukha in southwestern Bhutan . Lepchas are said to have migrated from Cambodia and Tibet having a similar culture, dressup, traits and history. 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,
625-605: 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 . 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
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