Association for the Upliftment of Kirat Limbu Language and Culture: Limbu Women

Association for the Upliftment of Kirat Limbu Language and Culture: Limbu Women: Limbu women in their traditional attire attending a cultural ceremony.

A Limbu woman in traditional attire with a bamboo basket. Limbu women usually attend local fair and market in this way.

Traditional dress of a Limbu woman.

Limbu Personalities: From left Yalamber, the first Kirati king, Shrijonga, Limbu martyr, Ongshi Falgunanda, Limbu philosopher and social reformer, Imansingh Chemjong, Kiratologist.  

 Limbu Shamans

Limbu people believe in shamanism. There are different priests to execute the variable cultural and religious observances. Phedangma, Samba, Yeba or Yema, Mangbas, Yumasam, Sattyahangma priest are the main priests of Limbu community. They are religious practitioners and believed to possess the arts and power to link human beings with super natural power. They are supposed to have controlled state of ecstasy, trance or possession and hold the intimate knowledge of the supernatural beings. They are specialists in human soul and function as doctor, psychiatrists, and shamanist priests in the Limbu community.

Phedangma

Phedangmas are believed to be the first religious Limbu priest. According to Limbu myths, Tagera Nigwabhumang, the almighty god could not see the sufferings of the people and sent him on the earth to take care of them. Phedangmas performs various religious rites and rituals and officiates other ceremonies of Limbu community.  Phedangmas perform the cheerful rituals like Sappok Chomen( womb worship), Yangdang Phongma( rite of removing impurity after birth and name giving rite), Tengdam Mekhim ( wedding rite), Sam Sama ( Burial rite), Yum Chama( rite of allowing to consume the salts and oil to the bereaved family), Sam Chooma ( rite for purification on death), Chasok Tangnam ( harvesting ceremony), Yokwa Tangnam (Cultivating ceremony). They Propitiate  the household divinities like Yuma, Theba, Akwannama, Him Sammang, Soba Sammang, Lummaeppa, Mundemba, Pichamma, Mishekpa, Tambungna, Toksangba, Warokma , Khanjama, Sheghama, Manggena and Nahangma  etc( (Subba). They wear the simplest gear of all the priests of Limbu.  The most important costume used by them is called Phengbo. It is a garland of corn seed of a hundred and eight Rudrakha beads with two to four small brass bells at the lower end.  There is a popular belief among Limbu that Phedangma propitiate the divinities without sacrifices of birds and animals. But they practice the sacrifice of birds and animals to perform the observances.

 Samba

Sambas are a group of Shamanistic Limbu priests. They fall between the Phedangma and Yea. But they differ on functions with them. They usually perform the complicated rituals like Tongsing, complicated funeral rites, Marriage rite, Nahangma rite and propitiation rite of Kudap and others. They are more concerned with impending trepidation, tribulations and cure the diseases and serious illness. They are well- versed on Mundhum, the holy book of Limbu. It is believed that they should practice throughout their life to excel in Mundhum. They can drive away Sugut, Sasikand Nahen but cannot eliminate them. They are always male shamans and their origin is believed to have been before Yea and after Phedangma( Subba).

Yea(Yeba and Yema)

The Yeba and Yema is collectively known as Yea. They act to cure the diseases which are believed to have caused by the spirit of envy and jealousy. They perform to pacify and kill the Sogha –Sugut( evil spirits of unnatural deaths). They perform typical dance during the ceremonies. The costume of Yeba and Yema are more complex than others.  They look well attired during the ritual performances. They use Phengbo, Ya logek, Yesim, Phangphoyee, Ye-Jey- Phey, Wasang, Ya-burkoAplak,Hehang Pongey,Ya Thal. Hongsing, Mudenphey.

 Mangbas

Mangbas are believed to have come from the Khambu Land. They also function like Yeba and Yema. They are excelled to pacify and eliminate the evil spirits of unnatural deaths. They do not perform other rituals.

 The Yuma Sam

Yuma Sam is a female religious priest. She worship Yuma and confined to the altar. Limbus always pray to God Yuma Sam. There is a simple altar in every house of Limbu family. She can diagnose the diseases and predicts misfortunes and other calamities that are caused by the supernatural power.

Ongshi

Ongshis are the wise persons with great spiritual and philosophical knowledge. They impart knowledge through teachings and preaching. They are believed to have possessed spiritual power. They are ascetic mostly involved in preaching and devotion.

A beautiful landscape in Limbuwan, Nepal.

About Limbu People

Limbu Village on the lap of Mt. Kanchenjunga in east Nepal 

The Limbu, as an indigenous nationality, are one of the largest tribal groups in Nepal. They are a sub-group of the Kirant people. The Limbu live mainly in eastern Nepal between the Arun River and the border of the Sikkim district in India. They speak a dialect of Kirant, which is a Tibeto Burman language.

The origin of the Limbu is uncertain, but they are clearly of Mongolian descent. In the later part of the 1700's, Nepal was formed by uniting various ethnic groups and principalities under a high caste Hindu dynasty. This conquest resulted in ethnic and cultural splits with the Limbu.

The Limbu are known as des limbu (ten Limbu), even though there are actually thirteen Limbu sub-groups. Legend says that five of the groups came from Banaras, India and the other eight from Lhasa, Tibet. There is no social discrimination among the Limbu sub-groups, although there are a number of different clans and sects.

Limbu Shaman performing Yewa Lang(Yewa Dance)

Agriculture is the main source of income for the Limbu. Rice and maize are their principal crops. Although the abundance of land has made cultivation of new acreage possible, productivity is greatly limited by insufficient technology. Excess crops are often traded for food that cannot be grown in the region or for necessary items.

The men generally plow the fields and the women plant the seeds. However, at harvest time, both men and women work together to bring in the crops. Extended families often unite to help each other during harvest time.

Economic hardship among the Limbu has made it worthwhile for many of the men to join the army, both in Nepal and in India. This brings them a degree of respect, especially those who have earned a high rank.

In the past, marriages were arranged by the families. Neither the bride nor the groom had much say about the marriage payments or ceremonies. Modern times have changed this; today, both parties have an opportunity to make decisions about the wedding. There are three types of legal marriages: adultery, arrangement, and abduction. In the case of adultery, a compensation must be paid to the previous husband.

Women are quite influential within the Limbu families, especially if the husbands are in the military and stay away for long periods of time. However, a woman is not fully recognized until she bears her first child.

Drinking and dancing are very important to the Limbu. Weddings, mourning, gift exchanges, and settlements of conflicts all involve much consumption of liquor. Dances are held if visitors come to the village. These affairs give the young people a chance to meet and enjoy dancing and drinking.

The Limbu society is patrilineal, which means that the line of descent is traced through the males. Related families make up clans. When a clan member dies, the entire group is considered "polluted." They then must all go through a period of re-purification.

Limbu Grandmother

The Limbu  predominantly believe in Kirat Yumaism, nature worshiping  but lately participate in many popular Hindu festivals. They also have a number of worship practices that involve blood sacrifices. They believe that when a woman marries, she inherits her mother's gods. The woman and her husband then recognize the deities as their household gods. Many of them follow Kirat religion, another sect, propounded by Limbu religious philosopher Falgunanda. They avoid animal sacrifice in any of the rites and rituals.

Limbu young generation in front of camera

The immigration of high caste Hindus-mostly Brahmans-into the region occupied by the Limbu resulted in the Limbu losing most of their land. They were only allowed to keep the land that they were living on and cultivating. The Brahmans had an advantage over the Limbu in that they could read and write, were skilled, and had resources that the Limbu lacked. In the eyes of the Limbu, the Brahmans were "ungrateful servants" who stole their land. This has led to deep resentment between the groups. The Limbu's struggle for land is an ongoing process that continues to affect the social and political conditions of the region.