“Gentle, friendly, courteous, industrious, good to animals and good to children” is how Verrier Elwin describes the Monpas as. Decedents of Mongloid race, the Monpas are Buddhists by religion and Tawang Monastery is the fountainhead of their spiritual lives. The spread of Buddhism in the area started with the arrival of Guru Padmasambhava, the great Indian Saint in the 8th century. The Monpa tribe is predominant of the Gelukpa Sect of the Mahayana stream of Buddhism. Before embracing Buddhism, they were believers of ‘Bon’ faith characterized by spirit and nature worship.
There are legends that the Monpas immigrated from Bhutan and Tibet at different times but the circumstances under which the migration took place and the time of the first settlers in the present habitat is obscure. The oldest record where in the mention of the region appears is in the Tibetan Epic- ‘ Drowa Sangmo’- which dates back to the 7th Century AD. In the epic, we find the mention of a place called ‘ Tana Mandekhang’ from where King Kala Wangpo ruled.
In the Monpa family, the man is the head of the household and he is the one who takes all decisions. In his absence, his wife takes over all the responsibilities. However, when a child is born, they have no strict preference for a boy or a girl.
The Monpas are by and large agriculturists. Apart from this, they also tame yak, sheep and other livestocks.
The Monpas are artistic by nature and usually live in cosy double storied houses, constructed of stone with plank floors, often with carved doors and framed windows. Wood carving works, carpets and bamboo utensils made by them are exquisitely beautiful and they adorn their houses very well. They are well known for their painting on the thanka, a traditional handicraft.
The Monpas are also probably the only Indian community to continue the age-old tradition of paper-making. They make paper from the bark of a tree called ‘ Daphne Cannabina’ locally known as shugu-sheng. The paper they make is exclusively used for religious purposes.
There are legends that the Monpas immigrated from Bhutan and Tibet at different times but the circumstances under which the migration took place and the time of the first settlers in the present habitat is obscure. The oldest record where in the mention of the region appears is in the Tibetan Epic- ‘ Drowa Sangmo’- which dates back to the 7th Century AD. In the epic, we find the mention of a place called ‘ Tana Mandekhang’ from where King Kala Wangpo ruled.
In the Monpa family, the man is the head of the household and he is the one who takes all decisions. In his absence, his wife takes over all the responsibilities. However, when a child is born, they have no strict preference for a boy or a girl.
The Monpas are by and large agriculturists. Apart from this, they also tame yak, sheep and other livestocks.
The Monpas are artistic by nature and usually live in cosy double storied houses, constructed of stone with plank floors, often with carved doors and framed windows. Wood carving works, carpets and bamboo utensils made by them are exquisitely beautiful and they adorn their houses very well. They are well known for their painting on the thanka, a traditional handicraft.
The Monpas are also probably the only Indian community to continue the age-old tradition of paper-making. They make paper from the bark of a tree called ‘ Daphne Cannabina’ locally known as shugu-sheng. The paper they make is exclusively used for religious purposes.
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