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It is
celebrated as a mark of welcoming the new year which begins from
the first day of first month (Kurnyit Lavo) of the year which
continues for seven days. It is celebrated all over Sikkim, Darjeeling district, Ilam of Nepal and some parts of
Bhutan.
Traditionally, couple of minutes before the
beginning of new year Bongthing, a lepch priest and Mun perform
rituals by offering "Chi Fut" (alcoholic beverages) ]
and at midnight the effigy of the demon king Laso Mung Punu is
burnt. This process of celebration is called LASO MUNTgYUT
MAARLAVO TYANGONG SONAP in Lepcha.
At the time of creation the ITBU DEYBU RUM, the
creator had created Fodongthing(male) having eight Nungyoung
and Nuzongnyue (female) having nine Nungyoung (outlet of
human body) from a handful of snow of Chyu Kongchen (Mt.
Khangchendzonga) who are believe to be the earliest ancestors of
Lepcha in Ney Mayel Lyang. They were bestowed with full
supernatural power and asked to live as brother and sister by;
administrating of oath. Even today, the practice of accessing
Nungyoung is found when eight storeyed and nine storeyed pyre for
male and female still exists in Buddhist system of funeral in
Sikkim.
Fodongthing and Nuzongnyu could not stick to
oath in the due course of time and consequently started living as
husband and wife. Seven children were born to them which were all
thrown to unknown places like cliffs and caves as they thought of
having committed great sin and in fear of the oath. Nuzongnyu due
to motherly feeling, she could not tolerate herself to continue
that ongoing practice and rest of the four children were allowed
to survive.
The four children, Nunglennuyu and Kothongfi
the first female and male children respectively, Numshirnnyu and
Numbomthing the second female and male child respectively started
living in Tarvong Purtam near present Sakyong. Dzongu of North
Sikkim.
One day, Itbu Rum had to come down to bless the
family. Nuunglen Nyu and Kothongfi were unfortunate to present
before the Itbu Rum when their mother hid them in a cave because
they were of loathsome appearance played in harming mud. But the
parents could not find the two children in the cave afterwards.
They along with Numshimnuyu and Numbomthing started weeping and
searched the other two family members. Itbu Rum on hearing
enquired about the incidents and both the parents narrated the
whole story. Itbu Rum showed Nunglenyu and Kothongfi in spirit and
told that now onwards both of them shall remain as guardian
deities of male and female Lepchas respectively. It is a fact that
male Lepcha during "Mut Faat" (Shikari Devta Ko Puja-in
Nepali), females are never allowed to accompany them to the jungle
as Nunglenyu would envy and does not permit any female except
herself to be with the males. There is a existing practice ,in
Lepcha "FO" (Yeast), "Chifut" and "Chibop"
purposefully prepared for " Mut Faat" are not allowed to
be seen or touched by females in fear of the Nunglenyu. The
chicken offered to Nunglenyu during Ute Mut Faat has to be eaten
only by males and if left over, should have to be thrown away
instead of being eaten by females.
So Numshimnyu and Numbomthing were brought up
and inhabited in Mayel Lyang (the hidden paradise) as the second
earliest ancestors of Lepchas. Laso Mung Punu alongwith six other
who were thrown away grew older and turned into demon and started
taking revenge on Numshirnnyu and Numbomthing, who they felt was
discrimination done against them by their parents. Laso Mung Punu
who was the eldest among the discarded babies led the troubling
activities.
The Lepchas had no alternative but to pray and
seek help from Itbu Rum to save themselves from the demon. The
folk tales of Talom ; Purtam of Daramden in West Sikkirn is also
associated with this story in which section of Lepchas .
built a ladder of earthen ware to go to Rum Lyang (heaven) to
get rid of the demons.
Itbu Rum on hearing the prayers sent lor
Bongthing bestowed with full of supernatural power to Ney Mayel
Lyang. lor Bongthing c. had to fight for a long period. At the end
of the last twelve - years of the war, lor Bongthing had to
face another episode of miraculous warfare. The demon king Laso
Mung Punu had the supernatural power of changing his physical form
year after year into different ~ appearances like Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Eagle, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Hen, Dog and
Pig. The counting of years in Lepcha had been derived from this
unique chronological events. Laso Mung Punu during the physical
appearance of eagle having wounded by poisonous arrow of lor
Bongthing flew painfully and randomly over upper Dzongu of North
Sikkim. It is learnt from venerated persons that names of places
like Lungthem (Lingthem), Lungdom (Lingdem), Laven, Tungvung (Tingvong),
Leek etc. were originated during the war between Jor Bongthing and
Laso Mung Punu in Eagle form.
On the last day of the twelfth month i.e. Maar
Lavo, Laso Mung Punu was killed when he was in the physical form
of Pig at Sukverpartarn. Even after the killing of Laso Mung Punu,
Jor Bongthing was not sure of his death. So, he sent some Lepchas
to confirm it. One of the representatives threw stones on the
slained body of Laso Mung Punu as he could not dare to go nearer
and touch it. Next day another person was sent to repeat it but he
used wooden stick. Similarly, another third person was sent and he
used iron to make sure that the demon king was completely killed.
On the fourth day they buried the dead body in the soil. Even then
they were not satisfied and could not feel sure that the demon
king is completely killed. On the next day they took out the dead
body and burnt it in the fire and scattered the ashes in the wind.
Finally the crematorium was washed away with water. It is
the legacy of the event that Lepchas derived names of the seven
days of the week as Long Sayak (Stone day), Kong Sayak (Wood day)
Pungzyeng Saual (Iron day), Faat Sayak (Earth day), Mi Sayak(Fire
day), Sukmut Sayak (Wind day), Ung Sayak (water day),
which are . Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, respectively.
As a victory celebration the Lepcha worshipped
lor' Bongthing as a protector or an aegis and offered prayers to
Itbu Rum near Tarkol- Tam-E- Tam since then the tradition of Namsoong or Nambun (Losoong in Bhutia) began. Even today the
Lepchas and Sikkimese Bhutia celebrate this occasion to mark the
victory of good over the evil. During the Namsoong period the
Lepchas early in the morning burn "incense" with butter
and pugo rip (Paper seeds of oroxylmn indicum tree, Totola in
Nepali) and children shout loudly "Song solo", "
Achulay" from a nearby knoll. Meanwhile at home the head of
the family offer "Chi-Fut" to the creator and other
guardian deities of house and outside. Mostly the children go
house to house playing "Laso Lem" which normally ends on
"Cho Kokyok" i.e. the seventh day of the Namsoong.
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