Lepcha 'Rong' People "beloved children of the Rong and of God"
Lepcha People Introduction The Lepcha also called Rongkup , "beloved children of the Rong and of God" and Rongpa ( Sikkimese )) are among the indigenous peoples of Sikkim , India and Nepal, and number around 80,000. Many Lepcha are also found in western and southwestern Bhutan , Tibet , Darjeeling , the Province No. 1 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 ilámmú of Ilam District , Nepal ; and the Promú of Samtse and Chukha in southwestern Bhutan . Origins The word Lepcha is considered to be the anglicised version of the Nepalese word lepche meaning "vile speakers" or "inarticulate speech". This was at first a derogatory nickname but is no longer seen as negative. The Lepchas call themselves Rong. The origin of the Lepcha is unknown . They may have o