Traditional dress of Sikkim

Sikkim, located below Mount Khangchendzonga in the Himalayan ranges is a north-eastern state of India. The people consist of three main ethnic groups – the Lepchas, the Nepalese and the Bhutias.

The Lepchas are said to be the original inhabitants of Sikkim. The traditional garment of Lepcha men is thokro (a cotton sheet of multicoloured stripes) an outer garment , a white shirt known as togo and a pair of loose cotton pyjamas known as gyodo. Chambu-thuri a woolen cap is sometimes used. The Lepcha women’s traditional attire is known as dumbon. It is a sari like wear which cover the body from shoulder to ankle. A long sleeved blouse known as togo and the head is covered by a scarf called gorey.

The Nepalese started to settle down in Sikkim from the 19th century and now they are more than 60% in population. The traditional dress of Nepalese men consists of full sleeved shirt known as daura, a pair of tight fitting pyjamas known as suruwal, a waist coat known as ash-kot , and a cap with slanting top known as dhaka-topi. The Nepalese women’s traditional attire includes a full sleeved blouse, chaubandhi choli and a sari known as fariya. For extra covering a cloth called hembari is wrapped over the body.

The Bhutia another ethinc group and the men wear fo-kho – a full sleeved dress tied around with a sash or kerak. A full sleeved shirt called yentatsi, a waist coat known as jaja and a cap called thurishambu and a pair of leather shoes shotsi  complete the dress of a Bhutia men. The Bhutia women’s traditional wear consists of a sleeveless brocaded outer garment, mo-kho, a woollen apron known as pangden, a silk sash around the waist and a silken blouse- hanju, a dome like cap known as tsering kengyap shambu and a pair of leather shoes called sampo.

Video is shot from the Octava 2008, a cultural fest of North-eastern states held at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala state, India.