Crafts · Dzongu
Lepcha weaving, bamboo and a few words
Ask your homestay to introduce you to someone who weaves, works bamboo or teaches the Lepcha script. In an afternoon you see how cloth and baskets are made, learn a few Lepcha words, and leave with something made in the valley.
Lepchas are known for fine bamboo and cane work: baskets, containers, chi vessels and the broad-brimmed traditional hat. Weaving on back-strap and small looms produces the striped cloth used in Lepcha dress. In many Dzongu families an older member still does one or the other, though less than before.
Lepcha also has its own script, one of the few indigenous scripts of the Himalaya, and many families teach it to children. Ask your host to write your name, or to teach you a greeting. Learning a word or two of Lepcha is the easiest way to show respect for a language that has far fewer speakers than Nepali or Hindi.
Nothing here is a staged workshop. Ask your homestay a day ahead whether someone is willing to show you their work. If you buy, pay the price asked or close to it; these are slow, skilled crafts. Do not photograph people at work without permission.
Cost: Free · buy crafts at fair prices
Questions people ask
Good to know
Does Lepcha have its own script?
Yes. Lepcha has its own script, called Róng, used for religious texts, books and teaching. It is one of the few indigenous scripts of the Himalaya. Many Lepcha families and schools in Sikkim teach it to children, and you may see it on signboards in Dzongu.
Can I buy Lepcha handicrafts in Dzongu?
Sometimes, directly from families who weave or work bamboo. Supplies are small and informal. Ask your homestay a day ahead. Prices reflect hours of skilled work, so do not bargain hard. Gangtok's handicraft shops also sell Lepcha-style goods.
What is traditional Lepcha dress?
Men traditionally wear a striped woven cloth called the dumpra, pinned at the shoulder, often with a bamboo-and-cane hat; women wear a long dress called the dumvum with a blouse and a jacket. You see them mainly at festivals, weddings and community events.
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