Limbu people

The Limbu (ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ) (exonym) or Yakthung (endonym) () are an indigenous and native people of the Himalayan Limbuwan region of Nepal. However, a small number of Limbu also live in the western Sikkim, Kalimpong and Western Bhutan.
The original name of Limbus is "Yakthung", "Yakthumba" or "Yakthungba" (ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ). Limbu males and Limbu females are called "Yakthumma" or "Yakthungma". Ancient texts state that "Yakthung" or "Yakthum" is a derivative from Yaksha and some interpret its meaning as the "Yaksha winner". In Limbu language it means "heroes of the hills" (Yak - hills, thung or thum - heroes or mighty warriors), which connotates with the ancient Kiratis. Subba is also a title given by the Shah Kings, only to Limbu village chiefs. Subba was not an indigenous Yakthung terminology, but now the two terms are almost interchangeable.
Their history is said to be written in a book called Bhongsoli (Genealogy), also known as Vanisavali, Some ancient families have kept the copies. There are hundreds of Limbu clans and tribes, classified under their tribe or subnational entity or according to their place of origin.
The Chinese text "Po-ou-Yeo-Jing", translated in 308 AD, refers to the Yi-ti-Sai (barbarians bordering on the north), a name which is an exact equivalent of the Kirati people. 
The Limbus were also one of the earliest inhabitants of Sikkim.
The estimated population of Limbus is 700,000, mainly in the districts of Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Taplejung, Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, Panchthar, Ilam in Nepal. These are all within the Mechi and Kosi Zones or "Limbuwan". Portions of the Limbu population are also located in the eastern and western districts of Sikkim. A smaller population is scattered throughout the cities of Darjeeling, and Kalimpong in West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland, Bhutan, Burma. Some have recently migrated to the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the United States and other countries.
Language.
Limbu is one of the few Sino-Tibetan languages of the Central Himalayas that possesses its own pre-20th century scripts. 
Culture.
Limbus practice many of their own life cycle rituals. They believe that lineage is not transmitted patrilineally. Rather, a woman inherits her mother's gods, and when she marries and lives with her husband she brings with her the deities that will then be recognized as the household deities.
Limbu bury their dead, and practice and observe death rituals for two to three days. During a death ceremony, they put the head of the dead person in a chares ko thal (Brass bowl), and coin on the forehead. They block the nose and ear and put alcohol on the lips of the dead body. Nikwasamma is a death ritual done to cleanse the house by Phedangma. Relatives, neighbours, and visitors bring money as respect and put an offering on the top of the dead body. Sons of dead person shave their head and eyebrows in respect for the body of the dead. They are recognized as the new heir in the family. The sons bury the dead body, covering it with white cloth, in a wooden box. The length of the mourning period varies depending on the gender of the deceased.
Weddings, mourning, gift exchanges, and conflict resolution involve consumption of alcohol, especially the Limbu traditional beer popularly known as thee which is drunk from a container called tongba. Dances are arranged for visitors to the village. These affairs give young Limbu girls and boys a chance to meet and enjoy dancing and drinking.
Attire and ornaments.
The traditional dress of the Limbus are mekhli and taga.
While performing mangsewa (God+worship), Yakthung people wear mekhli and taga, white in colour, which symbolizes purity.
Dhaka is the traditional fabric of the Limbus which woven in geometric patterns in a handloom. The art of making Dhaka is taught by one generation to another. Limbu men wear dhaka topi (hat) and scarves, and Limbu women wear dhaka saree, mekhli, blouse and shawl.
Female dress and ornament.
Limbu women are known for their gold jewelry. Besides samyang (gold), they wear yuppa (silver), luung (glass stones), ponche (coral/amber), and mudhin (turquoise). Most Limbu ornaments are inspired by nature. Some jewelry types are:
Male dress and ornaments.
This form of clothing was worn until Nepal enforced a "one religion, one dress, one language" policy. The Yakthung of Sikkim still wear traditional Limbu clothing. Many efforts are being made by groups such as Yakthung Chumlung to raise awareness about the cultural dress and its heritage.
Limbu traditional architecture.
The house of Limbus is a symbolic representation of a feminine character and Yuma — a goddess of the Limbu community. The details of the windows and doors are embroidered with wood carvings depicting different flowers which are used by the Limbus during rituals. Some decorative embroideries done in the wood carvings of the door and windows of the house are the direct representation of gold jewelry worn by Limbu women. In a traditional house of the Limbus, the skirting of the wall is generally painted manually with red mud paint. This is also a symbolic representation of the "patuka" or the belt worn by the Limbu women. 
The major distinct element of the house in the "muring-sitlam" or the main pillar/column of the house which is in the centre of the house in the ground floor. This pillar is generally believed by the Limbu people as the shrine where Yuma goddess resides in the house. Thus, to pay their gratitude they perform ritualistic prayers and offerings around the pillar, usually twice a year. 
These houses can be found at Eastern Nepal and western part of Sikkim, India. These houses are similar to other communities due to acculturation between different communities living in the vicinity. The evolution of the form and spaces of the houses have been inspired by the everyday lifestyle and culture of the people which is similar in many communities. Therefore nowadays a Limbu house is difficult to identify through an exterior perspective. This has been intervened by the introduction of display of the symbol called "Silam-sakma" in the house elevation which is a ritualistic element used by the "phedangmas" or tribal priests and has been a symbol/logo for identifying with the Limbu community. This symbol is diamond shaped and has 9 concentric diamond layers supported by two axes at the centre, one vertical and one horizontal. These days, this symbol is seen in places like the entry gates, balcony railing of the house, etc. It is also worn by the community people on their left chest during an event. 
Currently, these houses are endangered. People are also unable to bear expenses for wood carvings for the embroideries which has resulted in the extinction of local craftsmen and hence the traditional design itself. 
Flag.
The Limbu people have their own flag. The blue represents the bodies of water and the sky, the white represents air and peace, and the red represents the earth and pure blood of the Limbu people. The sun in the centre represents various Limbu spiritual practices and everyday living. The use and recognition of the flag ended in the eighteenth century during the Gorkha invasion. Limbuwan organisations use the flag in Limbuwan laaje areas.
Lifestyle.
The Limbus practice subsistence farming traditionally. Rice and maize comprises their principal crops. Although there is an abundance of arable land, productivity is greatly limited by inefficient technology. Excess crops are often traded for food that cannot be grown in the region. Limbu Women weave Dhaka fabric cloth on their traditional small hand looms made from bamboo and wood. In the olden days, the Limbus were skilled in silk farming. The Kiratis were also known as silk traders.
Wedding practices.
Limbus generally marry within their own community. A Limbu is not allowed to marry within their own clans for up to 7 generations back to ensure that they are not related. Cross-cousin marriage is not allowed in Limbu culture. Marriage between a man and the widow of his elder brother can take place if they mutually agree. Marriage between a man and a woman outside the clan is also possible either by arrangement or by mutual consent of the man and woman in question.
The marriages are mostly arranged by parents. Asking for a woman's hand is an important ceremony. In that system, the woman can ask for anything, including any amount of gold, silver, etc. This is practiced to confirm that the man is financially secure enough to keep the bride happy. A few days after the wedding, the man's family members have to visit the woman's house with a piglet and some alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, depending upon the financial status of his house. The most important ceremonies of a Limbu wedding take place in the groom's house rather than in the bride's because the bride has to stay with her husband. There are two special dances in this ceremony, one is called "yalakma" or "dhan nach" in Nepali (rice harvest dance) and "Kelangma" or "Chyabrung " in Nepali. The Yalakma is characterized by men and women dancing in a slow circle, whereas the Kelangma consists of complex footwork synchronized with the beat of the drums. Anyone can join the dance, which can last for many hours. The Yalakma can also be a celebration of the harvest season or other social occasions.
It is conventionally said that the customs and traditions of Limbus were established in the distant past by Sawa Yethang (council of eight kings).
Religion and festivals.
The Limbus follow the social rules and regulation of Mundhum oral 'scripture' and a religious book. The high god of the Limbu is called Tagera Ningwaphumang , which may be translated simply as "Supreme Body of Knowledge". Their God Tagera Ningwaphuma is described as a forceful power the creator of life on earth. In earthly form, Tagera Ningwaphuma is worship as the goddess Yuma Sammang and her male counterpart Theba Sammang. The deity Yuma (literally: "Grandmother" or "Mother Earth") known as "Yuma Samyo" or "Niwaphuma" is the most important and popular among some Limbus and is worshiped in all occasions. Yuma is the mother of all the Limbus, therefore one regards his or her mother as a goddess. They also have many different classes of ritual specialists, of which "Phedangma", "Yema/Yeba" , and "Shamba" are some. Their religion is enshrined in the evergreen Cynodondactylon (Dubo) grass. 
Traditionally, the Limbu bury their dead, but due to the influence of Hinduism, cremation is becoming popular. Limbu people also have their own clergy, such as Phedangma , Samba, Yeba (male) Yeba-Yema (female). However, now most of the Limbu people follow Kirat religion. Some limbu have converted to Chirstianity. A very different reformist tradition was established by the Limbu guru Phalgunanda, who established the 'Satyahang' religion.
Traditional music and singing styles.
 Limbus have a strong belief in "Yumawad". Yumawad is a type of religious scripture which has been kept alive by their religious leaders and handed down verbally from generation to generation. Some of the retellings of Yumawad are also included in Limbu traditional music with social stories, dreams, and everyday life. There has been a rich tradition of Limbus singing their folk songs. Their folk songs can be divided into the following groups:
The traditional ritual are done according to the tribes and clans. Some tribes won't eat chicken or pork or mutton while some tribes have different way in celebrating war dance ritual.
Traditional food.
Alcohol is significantly and religiously important to the Limbu culture. Limbus usually made their traditional dish from homegrown domesticated livestock meats like beef, lamb, mutton, poultry, pork, fish and yak over factory farming. They are also domesticated for religious purpose. In general, they consume dhal bhat tarkari with pickle. Dhal (beans soup), bhat (rice), tarkari (curry) with meat and different kinds of achar(pickle). Limbu people always use Phedza to prepare meats. Famous Limbu cuisines are 
There are some taboos while eating the foods. They use a variety of plants and herbs for medicine. Limbus always welcome their guests with foods, Tongba (traditional beverage millet beer), Rakshi (traditional alcoholic beverage), Lassi (yoghurt milk drink ), water and homemade fruit juices.
Folk musical instruments.
Limbu musical instruments include the following:
Traditional sports.
For the Limbu people, Archery has always been considered as the main traditional sport. Archery often involves religious demonstrations and rituals. Historically, Limbu cavalry archers were important when resisting invasions before the pre-Nepal era. The word "Limbu" itself came from the word "Lim-pfungh" which in translation means "Shooting-Arrows" or "Act of archery".
There are legends about the beginning of the Limbuwan Gorkha war. In these legends, a Gorkha Military General met a Yakthung hunter in a forest. When the General asked the hunter about his presence and what he was doing, the Yakthung hunter replied "Lim-pfungh". The Gorkha army later experienced the fierceness from the Yakthung -Tribes' horseback archers for years during the Gorkha-Limbu war. Thus, the name "Limbu" was recorded on the papers of the Gorkhas to describe the Yakthung people. However, after the success of Gorkha invasion, horse breeding and keeping declined swiftly in Limbu territories.
Bare-hand Wrestling has also been practised among the Limbu men during festivals. This was also used to settle personal matters after a festive drinking in which the losing wrestler would have to pay the winner by buying him a drink or inviting him to his house for a drink of traditional tongba . "naːnt͡ɕʰiŋma" is the term for wrestling in Yakthung-pan .
External links.
·