The Sikkim Lepcha Youth Association (SLYA) celebrated ‘Muk Zek Ding Rum Faat’ at Pangthang, near Pangthang Government Junior High School on February 23.
In a press release today, the SLYA said the ritual is one of the most important and age old cultural heritage of Lepcha community. Prayers are offered to Mother Nature for greenery and sprouting of vegetation all over and it was performed by three Boongthings - Sangay Lepcha from Labi, North Sikkim, Dup Tshering Lepcha from Tathangchen, and Dukda Rongkup from Ray Busty.
The programme initiated with the installation of Lungchok (stone pillar) to commemorate the auspicious occasion and was followed with invocation of prayer offerings by Boongthings to Mother Nature to bless with bountiful nature, clean environment and disease and disaster free world. This prayer offering was next followed with devotees, who had gathered to witness the auspicious occasion, queuing up to seek blessings from the Boongthings for their better future, said the SLYA.
Later, the programme saw the recitation on significance of ‘Muk Zek Ding Rum Faat’ and poems by the students from Lepcha department of Sikkim University, who were later felicitated with gifts for their participation.
The special guest of the day, T.N. Densapa, in his address, congratulated the organisers for organising such a programme and assured any kind of support in near future for such noble endeavours. He also urged the gatherings comprising mostly students of colleges and university to indulge themselves into studying more about the lost culture and heritage of the Lepchas and work towards its preservation and promotion.
Similarly, Sonam Dubden Lepcha (former chairperson, Lepcha Primitive Tribe Board), while addressing the gathering, extended his deep appreciation towards the organisation for successfully conducting the ritual festival and further stressed the importance of observing such ritual in preserving and promoting one’s own rich culture and heritage.
