LEPCHA DRESS

LEPCHA DRESS



The Lepcha have their own independent and unique dress for both men and women. It is colourful, attractive but not showy. When in groups, the Lepchas in their dress look picturesque. The Lepchas developed their own dress from time immemorial for both men and women. A race once with their own Lepcha kings, chieftains, and high priests and with their own independent old and rich language, literature, culture, and civilization, the Lepcha also boast their own unique dress.

The Lepcha women are deft weavers. They weave ‘Dum - praa’, their men’s dress. Each village produces’Dum - praa’ for their men. ‘Dum - praa’ has dual roles; during the day time, it is worn as a garment by men and at night it is used as a blanket. The Sikkim Arts and Crafts Institution produces ‘Dum - praa’ at Gangtok. The Arts and Crafts, Kalimpong has a Lepcha Weaving Department. It produces and supplies bags, dining table mats etc. for the market but, ironically, it does not produce ‘ Dum - praa’ for the Lepchas. Prices for a ‘Dum - praa’ may range from Rs.500 to 2,000 depending on its size, design, pattern, and quality.
Although there are many Lepcha patterns or designs when weaving a ‘Dum - praa’, the following three patterns or designs are very much sought after:

a. Tagaap. This is the oldest Lepcha pattern or designs. It is woven with a floral designs or patterns. b. Khemchu. It is a scissors design or pattern.

c. Tamblyoak. It is based on the butterflies patterns or designs.

A man’s dress is basically called ‘Dum - praa’, however, it is also known by three other names by its materials, make, and design:

a) Koojoo Vaadoah : This is the oldest kind of Lepcha dress for men. It is made from Koojoo, as the name implies, nettle plants. It is light and soft, but always in a plain colour without any pattern or design. No dyeing or any pattern, embroidery is applied and used in Koojoo Vaadoah. It is of dark cream colour, its natural colour. Today Koojoo Vaadoah dress is not made and available or used for two reasons; firstly, nettle plants are not available in plenty, and secondly, cheap cotton fibres are easily available in the market.

b) Thokroah: This dress is made from thin, soft fibres. ‘Thokroah’ can be easily distinguised or recognised by the absence of embroidery. Although it is multicoloured with typical Lepcha patterns and designs and some ‘Thokroah’ are in stripes, normally it is black and white; embroidery is markedly absence at the topend of the ‘Thokroah’ dress.

c)Menchhyo dress: It is recognised by its beautiful embroidery at the top end of Menshhyo dress.
The Lepchas put on Tago, meaning a loose shirt with stiff high neck at the back and slightly opened in the front. When going to the woods for hunting or fishing in the rivers, the Lepchas do not put on Tago with Dom - Praa.

Tomoo, the Lepcha trousers, are worn. They reach up to the calf, between the knee and ankle. Tomoo is also designed to easily pick off or get rid of leeches in the fields or woods during the Monsoon. The Lepchas put on Tago and Tomoo when they are working in the field or at home. Tago and Tomoo are usually made of thick cotton fibres and white in colour.

In the old days, the Lepchas never put on shoes but today shoes are worn by the Lepchas to protect their feet from broken glass, blades, and unhygienic condition in towns and cities. In the villages, they still go bare foot.

A bag popularly known as ‘Tanggyip’, is a part and parcel of the Lepcha dress. The old name for a Lepcha bag is ‘Takvyoal’ meaning a hanging bag and its pattern or design is called ‘Taak Tik’ meaning marked with spots. By Lepchas going to the fields, rivers, woods, market or any such place, a Tanggyip or Takvyoal is always carried, hanging by his side.



By Azuk Tamsangmoo lepcha

' SUMOK THAKTUK intrecately woven with variety of bamboos, kaffer laop arrowroot plant) (type maranta arunginacea stp ) coated with Mica plates from inside and has seven different stages in the process of making , basically there are three different patterns in the hat where each pattern depicts nature ,the base of the hats pattern is a reflection of a wild orchid found in the himalayan region with a local name SUMUK REEP osamX ir- ( Type , venustrum stp. ), the middle part is called EMIK ( the eyes of wasp tiny mountain bees which produces medicinal honey ), the top part is SUNGRYONG SONG (The spiders web which is a trade mark of the lepcha pattern in most hats )

In the ancient days the weavers used to weave the hat chanting mantras and prayers for the would be owner of the specific hat , these hats were woven for specific personalities and symbolised status and responsibility High priest (Mun /Bongthing)/ Chieftans/Generals of Army mainly wore these hats. During the reign of Chogyal the king of Sikkim made these hats as a part of the dress of the Royal Army of Sikkim .

As of now it is immedietely known among the Lepcha tribe that the person wearing this hat is a protector of the tradition ,culture, history and a knowledgeable person in lepcha language and literature ,It is common among the members of the tribe that ,when a person with a sumuk hat on his head meets another stranger with a sumuk hat on ,the wearers often measure each other the degree of knowledge on the Lepcha culture and their worthiness to wear the hat.

PAPRI THAKTUK : All weather hat of the lepchas made out of bamboo, designed on the top part ,the spiders web, the trade mark of the lepcha pattern . The hat itself gives a perfect defination on a Lepcha attire , the combination of this papri hat along with the spikes of porcupine siT)Aacu Sathim Aachyu attached in the front part of the hat is believed to protect the lepchas from negative and hovering spirits, which also acts as a helmet against the evil spirits.

ANOK THAKTUK : A history of its own , made out of velvet, cloth and jewellery Kont on the Middle top part of the hat , the central Knot has nine sub-knots which symbolises ten subcastes in the beginning of the lepcha tribe, the knots are nine in number because the person wearing it makes a counting of ten heads all together. The hat is commonly known as Lepcha hat and has a long Saga were the Natives wear it with pride .

SEYRAABOO THAKTUK serabU : A hunters hat , made out of different straws and intricately binded bamboo strips , the straws are rolled in such a manner that it cushions the skull and acts as an effective helmet, the sherabu hat is an important part of the instrument of a hunter.

SORING THYAKTUK : Sun hat made out of straws and bamboo with the lepcha trade mark used while working in the field

Baanpok: It means short knife.
Today non- Lepchas, unable to pronounce this Lepcha word Baanpok, is accepted and included in Nepali vocabulary. Baanpok is used for all purposes from cutting bones to wood. A Baanpok is presented to a young boy of about eight or nine by his parents. A Baanpok is his first prized possession. It hangs by his side, sheathed in an open scabbard either made of bamboo or soft wood.

A unique characteristic of a Lepcha ‘Baan’ is that it is stuck, unlike other knives of the world, the other way round in the scabbard; the blunt part of the Baan faces the front and the sharp cutting edge of the knife is kept, always, towards the back. When a Baan is taken out or unsheathed, the blunt edge of the knife initially confronts the proposed target.

b) Baanmok: It is gently curved on both sides of the knife at the tip, hence, the name Baanmok. In the old days, it was used in close- combat against enemies. Its length is about one and a half to to two feet, with an open scabbard to the front. Today it is used as a ceremonial knife. A man, during functions and ceremmonies, hangs it by his side. The cost of making a Baanmok is about Rs. 400.00 to 1,000.00 depending on the materials and quality.

c) Baan- Payook : It is a Lepcha sword again it is not sharply pointed but it is rather gently curved at the top front end side only. You can see a Baan-Payook in the Lepcha museum, Kalimpong, and in the houses of well-to-do Lepchas.

Yaanglo: Yaanglo is a Lepcha shawl worn by men. It is maroon and white in colour without any pattern or design. It is worn around the upper part of the body by well - to- do Lepcha gentlemen during winter or functions. Some Yaanglo have embroidery at the two ends.


Lepcha Hair style: Lepcha men used to, and some in the remote villages still do keep their hair long . It is plaited in a single braid to distinguish themselves from the women, who plait double braids. Unmarried womens double palited hairstyle is called “Chohem Chombi” compairing their hair with Hair - Crested or spangled Drongo Birds tail. Married womens hair style is called ‘Gi Pamoal Chom Phyoak’. It is compared with the black shiny combra. Lepchamen throw their Dum - praa round the body, leaving one arm, useally the right arm free. eachand of the top corners of the clothes is tied with the help of a ‘Zat’ a safety pin made of a sharpened bamboo split,iron bronze or silver on the left shoulder. A Dum- praa reaches down to the Knees or sometimes calf; and it is gathered round the waist with a “Naamrek”, a sash girdle,or band to hold or support the dress.

A group of Lepcha men in their Dum- Praa with hats, and their Baanmook, the knife, and their bags, Tanggyip or Takvyoal, hanging by their sides, is a side to behold.

Lepcha womens dress is basically called “Dum - Bun” or sometimes “Dumdem”, in the old days thick black clothes or “ Tamaan - Dam”, a course silk dress, spun from the cocoon of a large caterpillar that is found in the Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills, were worn by the women.
“Tamaan - dam” is normally of cream colour.Today dambun or dam-dem or Tamaan- dam dress materials are readily available in tha market. it is good that the Lepcha women have retain their basic, simple,natural taste,sense of colour,and style;they very loyally put on their Dam-bun at home and outside. Lepcha women do not put on showy or multi-coloured dresses with patternes or designes.and ordinary Dam-Bun will cost you about three to five hundred rupees in the
market.