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1. Communities of Sikkim
and
their Culture
Languages, Costumes, Foods, Festivals,
Paintings, Drinks, Dances, Arts & Craft.

2. • The People of Sikkim consist of three ethnic
groups, that is, Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali.

3. Languages

4. Lepcha alphabetes

5. Bhutia language
• The Sikkimese language, also called "Sikkimese
Tibetan", "Bhutia", "Drenjongké" (Tibetan: འབྲས་ལྗོངས་སྐད་
, Wylie: 'bras ljongs skad "Rice Valley
language", Dranjoke, Denjongka, Denzongpeke,
and Denzongke, belongs to the Southern Tibetic
languages. It is spoken by the Bhutia in Sikkim and
northeast Nepal. The Sikkimese people refer to their
own language as Drendzongké and their homeland
as Drendzong (Tibetan: འབྲས་ལྗོངས་, Wylie: 'bras-ljongs;
"Rice Valley").
• Language family-Sino-Tibetan

6. Alphabets

7. Nepali language
• Nepali (Devanagari: nepali is an Indio-Aryan
language of sub-branch of Eastern Pahari.
• with around 17 million speakers in Nepal, Bhutan,
Burma and India.
• In India, nepali is listed in the Eight schedule to the
constitution as an Indian language with official status
in the state of Sikkim (20th Aug 1992).
• Nepali developed on proximity to a number of Indo-
Aryan language most notably the other pahari
language and maithili shows sanskrit influence.

8. • Nepali was originally known as Khas Kurā and
was the language of the Khasa kingdom,
which ruled over the foothills of what is now
Nepal during the 13th and 14th centuries

9. Costumes
• Clothing of Sikkim shows the cultural and
social lifestyle of major communities like
Nepalis, Bhutias and Lepchas.
• There are different types of costumes worn by
these 3 communities that further divided into
a wide variety.

10. Lepcha costumes-
• The inherited clothing of Lepcha women is Dumdyam or
Dumvum, it is a type of cozy and smooth ankle-long
costume, dressed like a traditional saree. It is worn by
many women throughout in Sikkim.
• Tago is another beautiful dress which is a loose-fitted
worn with blouse called as Nyamrek, a type of belt and
Taro, a traditional headgear.
• Lepcha women decorate themselves with traditional
ornaments like Namchok (earrings), Lyak (necklace), Gyar
(bracelet).
• The male Lepcha mostly wear Thokro-Dum that includes
a pajama, a shirt (Yenthatse), Shambo (headgear). The
dress of male is rough and good for the field work.

12. Bhutia
• There is a Bhutia community as well that hailed from
Tibet and has root in all over Sikkim.
• The females of this community wear Kho or Bakhu,
Hanju (is a full-sleeve loose-fitting blouse of silk
fabric), Kushen (a jacket), Shambo (a cap of specific
design) and Shabchu (the shoes).
• The females love to accessorize themselves with
Yencho (the earrings), Khao (necklace), Phiru
(ornament made up of pearls), Diu (a gold bangle),
and Joko (the ring).
• Gold is an obsession for Bhutia people and most of
their ornaments are made up of 24K pure gold.
• Bhutia men wear Kho, also called as Bakhu. It is tied
at the neck and the waist with cotton or silk belt.

14. Nepali
• Nepali women wear remarkable dresses endowed with
beautiful hues.
• Pharia, the saree, sure does enhances the beauty of the
Nepali females with the vibrant colour and beautiful
patterns.
• Chaubandi Cholo, a loose fitting blouse adds to the look
for sure. Tharo Cholo is one more variety of blouses
worn by the women of this community.
• Hembari is a piece of cloth used to delicately cover the
upper part of the body and is as colourful and vibrant as
any other attire.
• Nepali males love to wear Duwra Shurval, which is a
Churidar Pajama with a traditional shirt and Dhaka
Topi.

16. Food of Sikkim
• The people of Sikkim love to eat and they cook some
of the most delicious items available in north-east.
• Momo being one of the most popular ones. Sikkim
food primarily consist of noodles, thukpas, soups and
other fermented dishes owing majorly to its very cold
climate.
• Rice is however its main food item.
• Momos, also known as wantons and dumplings, are
favourite amongst the locals as well as the tourists.
• Momo is one kind of a snack, which contains flour
and water dough, white flour and meat, vegetables
or cheese filling.

18. • Thukpa is a Tibetan word, which means noodle.
• It is generally served with soup.
• Thukpa contains of noodle, chili powder, and pea
soup.

19. • Kinema is a fermented soybean food, which is rich in
protein.
• Bamboo shoot is a famous food item of Sikkim. This
product often used with pork to make a irresistible curry
and also to make pickle.
• Gundruk and Sinki soup are also famous food items in
Sikkim. These are prepared from fermented vegetables,
onion, tomato, turmeric and chili powder.
• Mesu pickle is made of fermented bamboo shoots.
• Sidra ko achar is a dry fish pickle. Sishnu soup is prepared
from nettle leaves, rice, garlic, and salt and turmeric
npowder. They also prepare alcoholic beverages from
maize, millet, rice, fermented cassava root and from
barley.

20. Festivals of Sikkim
• These are some regional festivals of Sikkim which
include
• Loosong,
• Saga Dawa,
• Lhabab Duechen,
• Drupka Teshi and
• Bhumchu that are celebrated by Buddhist
religious communities.
• Losar – the Tibetan New Year in mid-December is
an important festival of the state when most of
the government offices and tourist centres are
closed for a week.

21. Saga Dawa
• Saga Dawa is the triple blessed festival for the Mahayana
Buddhist people in Sikkim.
• Saga Dawa is called the "month of merits" for Tibetan
Buddhists. Dawa means "month" in Tibetan, and "Saga" or
"Saka" is the name of a star prominent in the sky during
the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar.
• On this days people pray and offers butter lamps in the
monasteries.
• Saga Dawa is included by three day event. They are the
birth of Buddha, enlighten taken by Buddha and death of
Buddha.
• It is celebrated on the full moon day of Buddhist lunar
calendar.

24. Phang Lhbsol
• Phang Lhbsol is the unique festival in Sikkim. In this
festival people worship Mount Kangchenjunnga for
its unifying power.
• The literal meaning of 'Phang' means 'the witness'.
Actually, the day of Phang Lhabsol also acts as the
witness of blood brotherhood treaty that was
signed between the Lepchas and the Bhutias.
• On this festival the guardian deity is portrayed as a
fiery red face deity with a crown of five skulls and
riding a snow lion.
• Pang-Toed dance and spectacular warrior dances
are also performed by the monks in the festival.

26. Bumchu

27. Losoong
• Losoong is celebrated at the end of the harvest
season in rural Sikkim.
• It is the celebration of the Sikkimese New Year
• The Chaam dance is performed in this festival,
which remarks the victory of the good spirits
over the evil spirits.
• Along with dance, archery competitions also
organized in the festival.

29. Dasain
• The Nepali communities of Sikkim celebrate
Dasain festival.
• This festival remarks the victory of good spirits
over evil spirits.
• The elder person of a family applies Tika on
the young and blesses them in the festival.

31. Drupka Teshi
• The Buddhist community of Sikkim celebrates
the Drupka Teshi festival.
• This festival is celebrated on the day, when
Buddha received his four noble truths.
• to observe Buddha's first preaching of the
"Noble Truths" at the deer park in Sarnath.
• Drupka Teshi is celebrated on the Teshi (fourth)
day of Drupka month of Tibetan calendar.
• Along with prayers, a yak race is also organized
in the festival.

33. Lhabab Duchen
• One of the major Buddhist festivals in Sikkim,
Lhabab Duchen is held on the 22nd day of the
9th calendar month of Tibet.
• Festival celebrated to observed Buddha’s
decent from The Heaven.
• On Lhabab Duchen, the effects of positive or
negative actions are multiplied ten million
times.

35. Paintings
PAINTINGS:
• Thangka paintings of Sikkim has a great value.
• These paintings could be seen in the numerous
roadside shops, houses, monasteries, etc.
• Thangka paintings are generally spiritual in
nature and showcases the teaching of lord
buddha.
• This paintings are made of cotton canvas and
vegetables dyes are used as colour.

38. Drinks

39. Jaanr or Chaang
• Jaanr or Chaang is a mild alcoholic beverage
fermented traditionally made from cereals like
finger millet, rice barley or wheat. It is poured
in bamboo container called “Tongba” and
sipped with a bamboo pipe. Warm water is
poured inside the vessel 10-20 minutes before
having it.

40. Dance in Sikkim
• The dances of Sikkim are traditional celebrating harvest
and the prosperity period in Sikkim. These dances are
accompanied by chanting, traditional musical instruments
and the dancers wear traditional masks and bright
costumes. Some of the dance forms are
• Lu Khangthamo,
• Gnungmala Gnunghey,
• Rechungma, and
• Kagyed Dance.
• Gha To Kito
• Enchey Chaam
• Rumtek Chaam
• Yak Chaam
• Khukuri Dance

41. Arts & Craft
• There are different art and craft forms in Sikkim.
• The most popular handicraft objects of the state include
woven woolen carpet, choksee table, thankas, and canvas
wall hangings depicting painting on different aspects of
Sikkim.
• The government has set up an Institute of Cottage Industries
in South District in the year 1957 when it was established as
the Palden Thendup Cottage Industries Institute for Training
and Production of traditional arts and crafts with 58 no of
trainees.
• to preserve and showcase the traditional arts and crafts of
Sikkim.
• Gangtok, Namchi and Melli are the famous places of the
state for cottage industries and handloom products.

43. THANK YOU