Homeland of Lepcha

Welcome back! 

This week I will be posting about the homeland of the Lepcha. 

Hope you learn and enjoy!

Map of Nepal 

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the origin of the Lepcha is unknown, but anthropologists believe that they originated from Eastern Nepal, West Bengal, Tibet, or Mongolia. Because the Lepcha are considered among the indigenous people of Sikkim with numbers of 30,000 to 50,000, I will be focusing on eastern Nepal near the Himalayan mountains. 

Sikkim is an Indian land locked state that's located in the mountains. To the west is the border of Nepal; to the north and east is the Autonomous Region of China; and to the south lies West Bengal. 

Due to the geographical location of the Himalayan mountains, the climate can range from subtropical to high alpine. Including the four seasons that we experience here in America, people of Sikkim also experience a fifth season that takes place June to September; monsoon season. They have also become accustomed to regular snowfall, which is unlike any other state or region of India. 

Next time: World of Lepcha

History of Lepcha

The Lepcha or Rong people are a culture of about 30,000 to 50,000 people found throughout eastern Nepal and West Bengal. The word Lepcha happened to come from the Nepalese word lepche which meant "inarticulate speech", although the word is no longer looked down upon an a negative.

Because the origin of the Lepcha is unknown, some anthropologists believe that the Lepcha originated from Tibet or Mongolia. They speak a Tibeto-Burman language that can also be classified as Himalayish. The Lepcha people have also created their own language script known as Rong. 

Come back next time to learn more about the Lepcha people!

-Next week: Homeland of Lepcha 

  

Introduction

Come along with me as I set out to discover all about the people of Lepcha. Throughout the next few weeks I will be posting all types of information about the people of Lepcha. Join me on this expedition across the world to South Asia. I hope you enjoy!

Weekly topics:
1- Introduction/ Index
2- History of Lepcha
3- Homeland of the Lepcha
4- World of Lepcha
5- Lepcha Cosmos
6- Birds of Lepcha
7- Lepcha and their neighbors
8- Lepcha Migrations & Diaspora
9- Interview
10- Lepcha Cultural Survival
11- References

Stay tuned for more!