THE LEPCHA ANCESTRAL FLAG

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COLOUR

The color red: depicts blood which signifies life and strength. As long as Blood flows inside the body it is a duty for each and every Lepcha to guard nature as Lord “Eetboo-deyboo Rum” created us from the nature itself.

 The color white:  signifies Peace

                                        EMBLEM

The top of the outer circle of the emblem consists of a Lepcha word ...mutnuic…MUTANCHE written in Lepcha script, which means mothers loved ones, it is a metaphoric expression of Mt Kanchenjunga.

The bottom of the outer circle consist of a Lepcha word …Aachule… “ACHULAY” in Lepcha script, Achulay is in three parts Aa-Chu-Lay 

1) “Aa” means Aa-eet which means a Lepcha is born or created .The first Lepcha man ‘Fudongthing’ and the first Lepcha woman ‘Nuzongnyoo’ were created by the “Lord Eetboo-deyboo Rum”, from the snow of Mt Kanchanjunga and settled them down in Mayel Kyong a place which was a paradise for the immortal Lepchas. Due to disobedience to God, the creator sent them down to Longku Kukyot (Nine floors below Mayel Kyong) at Fokramtakram, the base of Kingchoomzaongboo i.e. Mount Kanchenjunga. Their off springs are the present day Lepchas. Lepcha is a nick name given by the later settlers. Lepchas call themselves “Rum–Kups’, Rum means God and Kup means Child or else Children of God.

2) “Chu” signifies the place of origin of the Lepcha Clan. Each clan of the Lepchas has its own originating mountain peak in the Himalaya known as CHU, which symbolizes life.

3) “Lay–ep”, the door that leads a person after death to “Poomju” (source). The Lepchas are ignorant and have no concept of heaven or hell, but believed that after death their souls return to the Chu, to join the ancestors through a passage or an entrance door called Layep. They all look up to Mt. Kanchanjunga as the beginning and life after death, in short, “Aachulay” means cycle of birth, life in this world and the life with the ancestors.

The symbol of paddy straw …azAaig…“ZOAAGI”in the two sides of the outer circle represents the borders of Mayel-lyang which was extended from the Himalayas to Titaliaya now in Bangladesh, in the south, metaphorically identifying the plains.

                      

The symbol of the Mountain in the inner circle of the emblem represents the…XokcNecU…Mt Kanchanjunga where our progenitors originated, and where the souls of our ancestors rest.

 The bird in the emblem is called okahmaf ‘Kohaom Fo’, in Lepcha language it is a hill partridge. It is a symbol of dedication, perseverance, loyalty, honesty, wisdom and an assurance that the Lepchas will never fade away from this world.

Mythology reveals that in the ancient days Mayel-lyang was flooded with water where only a few could be saved, the ones who were saved went up to a particular Mountain peak called the “Tondgrong Chu” ( Mt. Tendong) which  is in South-west Sikkim in the present day and in this utter desperate moment the  partridge ‘Kohaom Fo’, appeared at the scene and sprinkled the ‘Chi’, the holy drink of the Lepchas. Miraculously, the water started to subside slowly and thus the Lepchas, animals, birds, insects etc. who took shelter on top of Mt.Tendong, were saved from drowning. Mayel Lyang became dry. Trees and plants started to grow and this region was, once again, re-populated by the Lepchas.  

fluttering symbol of significance SUKMOT UN SUKDUM SA DEP