Bhutia
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The Bhutia (བོད་རིགས;
Bhutia
The language spoken by the Bhutias in Sikkim is Sikkimese, which is 75% mutually intelligible with Tibetan and Dzongkha, the language of Bhutan. Most Bhutias practice the Nyingma school, followed by the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
History
From the 8th century, people migrated from Tibet to Sikkim in small numbers. But during the 13th century many clans came with Gyed Bum Sa, and thereafter there was a series of Lamas who visited southwards, because of the constant conflicts between
Bhutia aristocrats were called Kazis after similar landlord titles in neighboring regions, especially in modern-day
Clans
There are many clans within the Bhutia tribe and Inter-Clan marriages are preferred rather than marriages outside of the tribe.
Clothing
The traditional outfit of Bhutias is the
Bhutia women enjoy a much higher status than their counterparts from other communities. Pure gold tends to be favored by both women and men thus traditional jewelry is mostly made of 24 carat (100%) gold.
Society
In Sikkim, the Bhutias are mostly employed in the government sector, in agriculture, and increasingly in the business area as well. In the district of Darjeeling, Bhutias are often employed in government and commerce. Bhutias practise intermarriage within their clans and follow a very hierarchical system of bride and groom selection. Clan discrimination is widespread, and marriage outside the community is looked down upon.
Religion
The Bhutias are followers of
Monasteries of the Bhutias dot various places in India, most notably the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim and the Bhutia Busty Monastery or Karma Dorjee Chyoling Monastery, which is also the oldest Monastery in Darjeeling.[relevant?]
Houses
A traditional Bhutia house is called a "khim" and is usually rectangular.
The Bhutias have a stone structure outside the house which is used for burning incense. It is called "sangbum." "Sang" means incense and "bum" means vase; the shape of the structure is like a vase. It is used for burning sang, a sacred offering to the deities. The deities are offered scented dried leaves/stalks of Rhododendron anthopogon, Juniperus recurva, Rhododendron setosum or incense sticks made of pine.
Cuisine
Bhutia people traditionally eat rice with animal-fat-fried vegetables or meat, usually pork or beef, and occasionally mutton or chicken. Other well-known foods are
Arts, crafts, and music
The Bhutia have a rich tradition of dances, songs, and folktales. The popular Bhutia folk dances are Denzong-Neh-Na, Ta-Shi-Yang-Ku, Tashi Shabdo, Guru-Chinlap, Singhi Chham and Yak Chham.[4]
Musical instruments used are flute, yangjey, drum, and yarka[spelling?].[4]
Status within India
Within the Dominion of India, the Bhutias as recognized as
On August 26, 2015, during her visit to Darjeeling, the Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal Government, announced the formation of a separate development board for the Bhutia community.[6]
Notable Bhutias
- Bhaichung Bhutia - former Indian football captain
- Kazi Lhendup Dorjee - first chief minister of Sikkim from 1975 to 1979
- Pem Dorji - former Indian football captain
- Ganju Lama - recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Norden Tenzing Bhutia - musician, composer and singer
- Samten Bhutia - film director and writer
- Bollywoodactor
- Karma Loday Bhutia - Sikkim politician
- Ugyen Tshering Gyatso Bhutia - Sikkim politician
- Tashi Thendup Bhutia - Sikkim politician
- Dorjee Dazom Bhutia - Sikkim politician
- Nadong Bhutia - Indian footballer
- Kunzang Bhutia - Indian footballer
- Namgyal Bhutia - Indian footballer
- Sonam Bhutia - Indian footballer
- Thupden Bhutia - Indian footballer
- Lako Phuti Bhutia - Indian women's footballer
- Tshering Bhutia - Sikkim first-class cricketer
- Karma Bhutia - Sikkim first-class cricketer
- Mandup Bhutia - Sikkim first-class cricketer
- Rinzing Bhutia - Sikkim first-class cricketer
See also
- Vajrayana Buddhism
- Sikkimese language
- Indigenous peoples of Sikkim
References
- Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Archivedfrom the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ^ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- PMID 28356115.
- ^ a b "Bhutia Folk Dances". Official website of Sikkim Tourism. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
- ^ "State/Union Territory-wise list of Scheduled Tribes in India". Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GOI. Archived from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
- ^ "Now, Mamata announces a Bhutia dev board". The Statesman, Kolkata. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
Further reading
- Bareh, Hamlet (2001). "The Sikkim Communities". Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim. Mittal Publications. ISBN 81-7099-794-1.