View source for Bhutia

{{Short description|Tibetic-speaking ethnic group of India}}
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{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Bhutia
| image            = Bhutia in the 1860s detail, from- Portret van een onbekende Bhutia man uit Tibet Bhotia. Buddhist. Tibet (titel op object), RP-F-2001-7-1122A-55 (cropped).jpg
| caption          = A man from the Bhutia tribe in 1860s. Here he can be seen wearing a "Tibetan Amulet" to protect him from evil spirits.
| population       = 60,300 (2001)<ref name=SIL>{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=sip |title=Sikkimese |editor=Lewis, M. Paul |year=2009 |work=[[Ethnologue]]: Languages of the World |edition=16th |location=[[Dallas, Texas]] |publisher=[[SIL International]] |access-date=2011-04-16| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110514060819/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=sip| archive-date= 14 May 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>
| region1          = {{flag|Sikkim}}
| pop1             = 41,889<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html|title=Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|access-date=7 July 2018}}</ref>
| region2          = {{flag|Nepal}}
| pop2             = 10,087
| region3          = {{flag|Bhutan}}
| pop3             = 6,000
| region4          = {{flag|West Bengal}}
| pop4             = 4,293
| langs            = [[Sikkimese language|Sikkimese]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[Dzongkha]], [[Tibetan languages|Tibetan]]
| rels             = '''Majority''':<br/>[[Vajrayana Buddhism]] <br/> '''Minority''': <br/>[[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]] [[Islam]]<ref>Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Population Census 2011. Table ST-14: Scheduled tribe population by religious community (district level), Sikkim, district East District - 2011</ref>
| related          = [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]], [[Sherpa people|Sherpa]], [[Tamang people|Tamang]], [[Yolmo people|Yolmo]]<br/>Other [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman people]]
}}
[[File:Bhutia woman with precious coral headdress, agate Buddhist prayer beads, turquoise earrings and silk chuba before 1915 in Darjeeling detail, from- Bhutiase vrouw Bhutia Lady (titel op object), RP-F-00-5347-4A (cropped).jpg|thumb|A Bhutia woman with precious coral headdress, agate Buddhist prayer beads, turquoise earrings and silk chuba before 1915 in Darjeeling]]	

The '''Bhutias''' (exonym; {{langx|ne|भुटिया}}, 'People from Tibet') or '''Drejongpas''' (endonym; {{bo|t=འབྲས་ལྗོངས་པ་|w=Bras-ljongs-pa}}, [[THL Simplified Phonetic Transcription|THL]]: {{translit|bo|dre-jong pa}}, 'People of the Rice Valley') are a [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]] ethnic group native to the Indian state of [[Sikkim]] who speak [[Bhutia language|Drejongke]], a [[Tibetic language]] which descends from [[Old Tibetan]]. The majority of Bhutias live in Sikkim, while a significant number also reside in the [[Darjeeling district|Darjeeling]] and [[Kalimpong district|Kalimpong]] districts of northern [[West Bengal]] and in countries such as [[Nepal]] and [[Bhutan]].

==Language==
{{main|Sikkimese Bhutia language}}
The language spoken by the Bhutias of Sikkim is [[Bhutia language|Drejongke]], a [[Tibetic languages|Tibetic language]] which has a lexical similarity of 65% with [[Dzongkha]], the language of [[Bhutan]]. By comparison, Drejongke is only 42% [[Lexical similarity|lexically similar]] with [[Lhasa Tibetan|Standard Tibetan]]. Sikkimese has also been influenced to some degree by the neighboring [[Yolmo language|Yolmo]] and [[Tamang language|Tamang]] languages.

==History==
{{Main|History of Sikkim}}

Migration from [[Tibet]] to Sikkim in small numbers occurred since the 8th century.  However, the 13th century saw an increase in migrations as many clans came with Gyed Bum Sa. Constant conflicts between the [[Red Hat sect|Red hat]] and [[Yellow Hat sect|Yellow Hat]] sects in Tibet caused a series of Lamas movement southwards. With the final victory of the Yellow hats in the mid-1600s, there was a mass persecution of the followers of the Red hat sect by the victorious [[Güshi Khan]] and his [[Gelug]] allies. Many, fearing the same fate as their Red hat brethren, fled southwards towards [[Sikkim]] and [[Bhutan]], migrating through the different passes in the [[Himalayas]]. In consequence, there are Red hat majorities in both [[Bhutan]] and Sikkim to this day. Geographical indications in the Bhutias last names are common. In Northern Sikkim, for example, where the Bhutias are the majority inhabitants, they are known as the Lachenpas or Lachungpas, meaning inhabitants of La chen ({{bo|t=ལ་ཆེན་}}; 'big pass') or La chung ({{bo|t=ལ་ཆུང་}}; 'small pass') respectively.

Bhutia aristocrats were called ''Kazis'' after similar landlord titles in neighboring regions, especially in modern-day [[Bangladesh]]. This feudal system was an integral part of the [[Chogyal]] monarchy prior to 1975, when Sikkim was an independent monarchy; the ruling dynasty of the [[Kingdom of Sikkim]] before the mid-1970s plebiscite was the Bhutia [[Chogyal|Namgyal]] dynasty. Among the Bhutias, the Lachenpas and Lachungpas have their own traditional legal system called the "Dzumsa" which means 'the meeting place of the people'. The Dzumsa is headed by the village headman known as the ''Pipon''. People of [[North Sikkim]] have been given full protection by the state government by deeming a status of Panchayat ward and the Pipon, a status of Panchayat head.

==Clans==
There are many clans within the Bhutia tribe. Inter-clan marriages are preferred rather than marriages outside of the clan. Traditionally, the Bhutias were divided into two groups:

:(i) Tondu rus-shi, within which they have four rus, namely, Chechutharpa, Shangdarpa, Kachopa, and Shengapa.

:(ii) Beb tsen gye, which includes eight rus, namely, Gensapa, Namchangopa, Chungiopa, Ithenpa, Phenchungpa, Phenpunadik, Namanpa, and Nachangpa.

==Clothing==
The traditional outfit of Bhutias is the ''[[Kho (Bhutia dress)|kho]]'' (similar to the Tibetan [[chuba]]), which is a loose cloak-like garment fastened at the neck on one side and near the waist with a silk/cotton belt. Male members array the ''kho'' with loose trousers. Bhutia women traditionally wear sleeveless, floor-length dresses called ''mo kho'' (or {{translit|ne|[[Kho (Bhutia dress)|bakhu]]}} in [[Nepali language|Nepali]]) which is worn over a full sleeved shirt called ''teygho'' and tied to the waist with a silk belt called ''kyera''. On the front, a loose sheet of multicolored woolen cloth with exotic geometric designs is tied, this is called the ''pangden'' which is a symbol of a married woman. This traditional outfit is complemented by embroidered leather boots worn by both men and women.<ref>{{cite web |last=says |first=Nancy |date=2024-07-24 |title=DENJONG KHO OF SIKKIM — Sikkim Project |url=https://www.sikkimproject.org/denjong-kho-of-sikkim-2/ |access-date=2024-09-14 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Bhutia women enjoy a much higher status than their counterparts from other communities. Pure gold tends to be favored by both women and men thus traditional jewelry is mostly made of twenty-four carat, pure gold.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}

==Society==
In Sikkim, the Bhutias are mostly employed in the government sector, in agriculture, and increasingly in the business area as well. In the district of Darjeeling, Bhutias are often employed in government and commerce.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}} Bhutias practise intermarriage within their [[clan]]s and follow a very hierarchical system of bride and groom selection. Clan discrimination is widespread, and marriage outside the community is looked down upon.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}

==Religion==
[[File:Buddhist Monastery in Darjeeling, 1870.jpg|thumb|Buddhist monastery in Darjeeling, 1870]]

The Bhutias are followers of [[Vajrayana Buddhism]], mainly the [[Nyingma]] and [[Kagyu]] schools. The main festivals observed by them are [[Losar]]. The first week of February is usually the time of [[Losar]] as it marks the start of the Tibetan New Year. Fire dances are common in the evenings during Losar. Losoong is usually celebrated as the end of the Tibetan year and falls at the end of the tenth Tibetan lunar month (usually December). It is the most important festival among the Bhutias in India, and is marked by the traditional Cham dancing and merry-making. Losoong is celebrated across the monasteries in Bhutan, Nepal, and Sikkim. In Sikkim, during the festival of Losoong, often dance forms depict narrativized tales from the life of [[Padmasambhava]] or Guru Ugyen.

Monasteries of the Bhutias dot various places in India, most notably the [[Rumtek Monastery]] in Sikkim and the [[Bhutia Busty Monastery]] or Karma Dorjee Chyoling Monastery in Darjeeling.

{{Relevance inline|date=June 2021}}

==Houses==
A traditional Bhutia house is called a "khim" and is usually rectangular.

The Bhutias have a stone structure outside the house which is used for burning incense. It is called "sangbum". "Sang" means incense and "bum" means vase; the shape of the structure is like a vase. It is used for burning sang, a sacred offering to the deities. The deities are offered scented dried leaves/stalks of ''[[Rhododendron anthopogon]]'', ''[[Juniperus recurva]]'', ''Rhododendron setosum'', or incense sticks made of pine.

==Cuisine==
[[File:Vintage group photograph of Bhutia coolies in 1875.jpg|thumb|Bhutia in 1875]]

Bhutia people traditionally eat rice with animal-fat-fried vegetables or meat, usually pork or beef, and occasionally mutton or chicken. Other well-known foods are [[Momo (dumpling)|momo]], steamed meat dumplings, and the ''[[thukpa]]'', noodles in broth. The [[Losar]] and [[Losoong Festival|Loosong]] are two among many festivals celebrated by the Bhutia community. Almost all Bhutia festivals and holidays hold Buddhist religious significance. They are also known to utilize over 70 species of animal, fungi, and plant.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=O'Neill |first1=Alexander |display-authors=etal |date=2017-03-29 |title=Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas |url= |journal=Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |volume=13 |issue=21 |article-number=21 |doi=10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9 |pmc=5372287 |pmid=28356115 |doi-access=free }}</ref> [[Chhaang]] is the favorite drink of the Bhutias, and increasingly of other communities coexisting with the Bhutias. It is made of fermented barley or millet, and served in a [[bamboo]] container called the ''[[Tongba]]''. [[Tea]] with milk and sugar, and butter tea, are also served on religious or social occasions.

==Arts, crafts, and music==
The Bhutia have a rich tradition of dances, songs, and folktales. The popular Bhutia folk dances are Denzong-Neh-Na, Ta-Shi-Yang-Ku, Tashi Shabdo, Guru-Chinlap, Singhi Chham and Yak Chham.<ref name="Folk Dances">{{cite web|title=Bhutia Folk Dances|url=http://www.sikkimtourism.gov.in/Webforms/General/SikkimAtAGlance/BhutiaFolkDances.aspx|publisher=Official website of Sikkim Tourism|access-date=2020-08-03|archive-date=2020-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203162942/http://www.sikkimtourism.gov.in/Webforms/General/SikkimAtAGlance/BhutiaFolkDances.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Musical instruments used are flute, yangjey, drum, and yarga.<ref name="Folk Dances"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-29 |title=Bhutia Tribe - Tribal Research Institute - Sikkim |url=https://trisikkim.org/tribes/bhutia-tribe/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Status within India==
[[File:Sikkim Bhutia women (c. 1903).jpg|thumb|Sikkim Bhutia women about 1903]]

Within the Dominion of India, the Bhutias as recognized as [[Scheduled Tribes]] in the states of Sikkim, West Bengal and [[Tripura]].<ref>{{cite web|title=State/Union Territory-wise list of Scheduled Tribes in India|url=http://tribal.nic.in/content/list%20of%20scheduled%20tribes%20in%20India.aspx|website=Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GOI|access-date=2015-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815233134/http://tribal.nic.in/content/list%20of%20scheduled%20tribes%20in%20India.aspx|archive-date=2016-08-15|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On August 26, 2015, during her visit to [[Darjeeling]], the [[Mamata Banerjee]]-led West Bengal government, announced the formation of a separate development board for the Bhutia community.<ref>{{cite news|title=Now, Mamata announces a Bhutia dev board|url=https://www.thestatesman.com/bengal/now-mamata-announces-a-bhutia-dev-board-85213.html |access-date=2015-09-19|publisher=The Statesman, Kolkata}}</ref>

==Notable Bhutias==
* [[Bhaichung Bhutia]] - former Indian [[association football|football]] captain
* [[Kazi Lhendup Dorjee]] - first [[chief minister]] of [[Sikkim]] from 1975 to 1979
* [[Pem Dorji]] - former Indian [[association football|football]] captain
* [[Ganju Lama]] - recipient of the Victoria Cross
* [[Norden Tenzing Bhutia]] - musician, composer and singer
* [[Samten Bhutia]] - film director and writer
* [[Danny Denzongpa]] - [[Bollywood]] actor
* [[Karma Loday Bhutia]] - Sikkim politician
* [[Ugyen Tshering Gyatso Bhutia]] - Sikkim politician
* [[Tashi Thendup Bhutia]] - Sikkim politician
* [[Dorjee Dazom Bhutia]] - Sikkim politician
* [[Nadong Bhutia]] - Indian footballer
* [[Kunzang Bhutia]] - Indian footballer
* [[Namgyal Bhutia]] - Indian footballer
* [[Sonam Bhutia]] - Indian footballer
* Thupden Bhutia - Indian footballer
* [[Lako Phuti Bhutia]] - Indian women's footballer
* [[Tshering Bhutia]] - Sikkim [[first-class cricket|first-class]] cricketer
* [[Karma Bhutia]] - Sikkim first-class cricketer
* [[Mandup Bhutia]] - Sikkim first-class cricketer
* [[Rinzing Bhutia]] - Sikkim first-class cricketer

==See also==
* [[Vajrayana Buddhism]]
* [[Sikkimese language]]
* [[Indigenous peoples of Sikkim]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim|last=Bareh|first=Hamlet|chapter=The Sikkim Communities|year=2001|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=81-7099-794-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrr7HPr8NAQC}}

{{Scheduled tribes of India}}
{{Scheduled tribes of West Bengal}}
{{Darjeeling}}
{{Hill tribes of Northeast India}}

[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of India]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Bhutan]]
[[Category:Sino-Tibetan-speaking people]]
[[Category:Himalayan peoples]]
[[Category:Buddhist communities of Nepal]]
[[Category:Buddhist communities of Bhutan]]
[[Category:Buddhist communities of India]]
[[Category:Tribes of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Social groups of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Northeast India]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in South Asia]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in India]]