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Lepcha people
Ethnic group of India, Nepal, and Bhutan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lepcha (/ˈlɛptʃə/;[5] also called Rongkup (Lepcha: ᰕᰫ་ᰊᰪᰰ་ᰆᰧᰶ ᰛᰩᰵ་ᰀᰪᰱ ᰛᰪᰮ་ᰀᰪᰱ, Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup, "beloved children of the Róng and of God") and Rongpa (Sikkimese: རོང་པ)) are among the indigenous peoples of the Indian state of Sikkim and Nepal, and number around 80,000.[1][2] Many Lepcha are also found in western and southwestern Bhutan, Darjeeling, the Koshi Province of eastern Nepal, and in the hills of West Bengal. The Lepcha people are composed of four main distinct communities: the Renjóngmú of Sikkim; the Dámsángmú of Kalimpong, Kurseong, and Mirik; the ʔilámmú of Ilam District, Nepal; and the Promú of Samtse and Chukha in southwestern Bhutan.[6][7][8]
Quick Facts Total population, Regions with significant populations ...
![]() A Lepcha man in 1868 | |
Total population | |
---|---|
80,316 (2011) | |
Regions with significant populations | |
![]() | 76,871 (2011 census)[1] |
![]() | 3,445 (2011 census)[2] |
Languages | |
Lepcha, Sikkimese (Dranjongke), Dzongkha, Nepali | |
Religion | |
Buddhism (Majority), Mun, Christianity[3][4] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Tibetan, Bhutia, Limbu, Lhop, Other Sino-Tibetan people |
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