Selected ethnic groups of Nepal;
Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali
Gurung
Kiranti, Rai, Limbu
Newari
Pahari
Tamang

The Limbu (meaning: archer) or Yakthumba(in Limbu language) or bearer of bow and arrows are an ethnic group that belong to the Kiranti group or Kirat confederation that includes the Rai and Sunuwar who are believed to be the descendants of the ancient Mongolian people and are still known as "Mongolians" in Nepal. Their population of 400,000 is centered on the districts of Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Taplejung, Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, Panchthar and Ilam, all within the Mechi and Kosi zones in Nepal, also known as Limbuwan, as well as the East and West districts of Sikkim. A smaller number are scattered throughout the cities of Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal, India and also in North and South Sikkim and Bhutan. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 576 pixel Image in higher resolution (1298 × 934 pixel, file size: 100 KB, MIME type: image/png) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Demographics of Nepal... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 576 pixel Image in higher resolution (1298 × 934 pixel, file size: 100 KB, MIME type: image/png) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Demographics of Nepal... The Bhutias are people of Tibetan origin, who migrated to Sikkim, India and Bhutan some time after the 15th century. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang For other uses of the word Sherpa, see Sherpa (disambiguation). ... The Thakali ethnolinguistic group originated from the Thak Khola region of Mustang district in the Dhaulagiri zone of Nepal. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang The Gurung is an ethnic group from the Central region of Nepal. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang Mankhim (Tample) of Rai at Aritar, Sikkim The Rai, also known as the Khambu, is one of Nepal’s most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. ... The Newar or Newah are the indigenous group of Nepals Kathmandu valley. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang Pahari (or Pahaari) is a general terms for a range of dialects spoken across the Himalayan range, not limited to a single country in the subcontinent. ... The Tamang (also known as Murmi) are one of the several ethnic groups living in Nepal descended from Tibeto-Burman origins. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang Mankhim (Tample) of Rai at Aritar, Sikkim The Rai, also known as the Khambu, is one of Nepal’s most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. ... Sankhuwasabha district, a part of Kosi zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. ... Terhathum district, a part of Kosi zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. ... Dhankuta district, a part of Kosi zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. ... A district in North Eastern Nepal. ... Morang is a district on the southern Tarai, or plains, of Eastern Nepal. ... Sunsari is a district on the plains of Eastern Nepal, bordered by the large Sapt Koshi river. ... Jhapa - at the forefront of Nepal Jhapa is the easternmost district of Nepal and lies in the fertile Terai plains. ... Panchthar district, a part of Mechi zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. ... Ilam district, a part of Mechi zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. ... Mechi is one of the fourteen zones of Nepal. ... Kosi Zone is one of the fourteen Zones of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. ... Literally Limbuwan means abode of the Limbus, or land of the Limbus. ... , Sikkim (Nepali:  , also Sikhim) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... For other uses, see Darjeeling (disambiguation). ... , Kalimpong (Nepali: कालिम्पोङ) is a hill station (a hill town) nestled in the Shiwalik Hills (or Lower Himalaya) in the Indian state of West Bengal. ... , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... , Sikkim (Nepali:  , also Sikhim) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ...

Limbus speak a Tibeto-Burman language called Yakthungpan, literally "language of Limbus", also called simply Limbu. It uses the "Kirat Sirijonga" script based on the Tibetan script. Fedangba, Shamba and Yewa-Yema are their priests. Limbu clans are divided between the Lhasa gotra (those from Lhasa) and Kashi gotra, those who come from the Benaras.They celebrate the dance festivals of Kelangma popularly known Chyabrung (two-sided drum) and Yarakma (Paddy dance) as major events. Limbu have their own script called Sirijunga. There are many books written in the Limbu language. Their faith is onshrined in the evergreen Cynodondactylon (Dubo) grass the rocks. They bury their dead. The population of the Limbus, according to the census of 1991, is 2.4% of the nationla total. The Tibeto-Burman linguistic subfamily of the proposed Sino-Tibetan language family is spoken in various central and south Asian countries: Myanmar (Burmese language), Tibet (Tibetan language), northern Thailand (Mong language), Nepal, Bhutan, India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Ladakh region of... The Limbu alphabet is a Brahmic script used to write the Limbu language of northern India and Nepal. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For other uses, see Lhasa (disambiguation). ...

Limbu economy

The Limbus traditionally practiced subsistence farming. Rice and maize comprised their principal crops. Although there is an abundance of arable land, productivity is greatly limited by insufficient technology. Excess crops are often traded for food that cannot be grown in the region.

A sizable number of Limbu youths used to enlist in the British and Indian Gurkha regiments, providing their families with a steady stream of income. Thanks to the Gurkha revenue, the Limbu community as a whole was lifted considerably in terms of health and education. They have good a living standard compared to others. Gurkha, also spelled as Gorkha, are people from Nepal and parts of North India, who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. ...

Wedding Practices

Limbus, in general, marry within their own community. Boys are at liberty to choose a girl and girls are equally free to decide whether to spend life with the boy in question or not (Jones and Jones, 1976). 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 family relations and having different thars (clans) is also possible either by arrangement or by mutual consent of the boy and the girl in question. It is conventionally said that the customs and traditions of Limbus were established in the distant past by Sawa Yethang (council of eight kings/leaders). The marriages are mostly arranged by parents or result when a boy elopes with a girl. Asking for a girl's hand, that is the most important ceremony. In that system, the girl can ask for anything and an unlimited amount of gold, silver, etc. This confirms to the girl's family that the boy is financially secure enough to keep their daughter happy. Few days after the wedding, the boy's family members have to visit the girl's house with a piglet and some alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks depending upon the financial standard of his house. The key ceremonies of a Limbu wedding take place in the groom's house rather than that of the bride's because girl has to stay with her husband. There are two special dances in this ceremony, one is called dhan nach (wheat harvested rice dance) and Chyabrung. Dhan nach is characterized by men and women dancing in a slow circle, whereas Chyabrung consist of complex footwork that goes with the beat of the drums. Anyone can join the dance and they can go for long hours. Dhan naach also celebrates the harvest season in addition to being a feature of social occasions including weddings.

Limbu Religion & Festivals

The Limbus follow the Kiranti Mundhum oral 'scripture'. However, like the Rai, their religion is influenced by both and Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism, although the Buddhist influence is more apparent in the case of the Limbu than with the Rai. They have many different classes of ritual specialist, of which phedangma, yema/yeba, and shamba are some. Their supreme god is Tagera Ningwaphuma, but Goddess Yuma is the most important among Limbus and worshiped in all occasions. Goddess Yuma is the mother goddess of all the Limbus. Their religion is enshrined in the evergreen Cynodondactylon (Dubo) grass. Traditionally, they buried their dead but due to the influence of their Hindu neighbours, cremating is gaining in popularity as well. They celebrate the dance festivals of Kelangma popularly known Chyabrung (a two-sided drum [more] often more than four feet in diameter) and Yarak (Paddy dance) as major events. Their priests include the Fedangba, Shamba and Yewa-Yema. According to the Nepal Census of 2001, out of the 359,379 Limbu, 86.29% were Kirant and 11.32% were Hindu. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang Mankhim (Tample) of Rai at Aritar, Sikkim The Rai, also known as the Khambu, is one of Nepal’s most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. ... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ...

Limbus & Hindu Caste System

Nepal's pre-eminent sociologist, Professor Dor Bahadur Bista, asserted that, of all the proverbial thirty-six caste and ethnic groups of Nepal, the Hindu caste system made the least impact on the Limbu. In part, this reflected not only their geographical distance from the seat of power in the capital city of Kathmandu but also their cultural independence. For the retail store chain, see Kathmandu (company). ...

Famous Limbu people

• King Sirijonga Hang (880-915 AD ) - Ninth century Kirant Limbu King
• Teongsi Sirijonga Xin Thebe (1704 - 1741 AD) - Eigthteenth century Limbu Martyer and social worker
• Phalgunanda Lingden- A renowned Limbu religious and social leader.
• Iman Singh Chemjong (1904-1975 AD) - Limbu Historian, Writer and Kirantologist at the Tribhuwan University
• Padam Singh Muringla - Limbu writer and writer of the first Limbu Novel
• Rambahadur Limbu Begha- Victoria Cross Holder
• Subash Chandra Nembang- Speaker of the House of Representatives
• Narendra Bikram Nembang- Minister for Law Justice and Parliamentary affiars
• Mani Kumar Subba - A Limbu Indian Member of Parliament for Lok Sabha from Assam
• Gyan Bahadur Yakthumba- First Inspector General of Nepalese Police force
• Sanccha Man Limbu- Former Chief Minister of the State of Sikkim
• Bairagi Kainla ( Til Bikram Nembang ) - Writer in Nepalese literature.

Iman Singh Chemjong (January 1, 1904 – ?, 1975) was a Limbu historian, writer, linguist, lexicographer, folklorist and philosopher. ... Rambahadur Limbu VC MVO is a Nepalese recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... , Sikkim (Nepali:  , also Sikhim) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ...

See also

• Kiranti languages

The Kiranti languages form a sub-group of the Tibeto-Burman language family, which is itself a branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages. ...

References

• Limbu alphabet
• Limbu language
• Limbu culture
• The Kirat Rai Association's Web Portal
• a perfect place for all kiratis
• NEFIN