Kathmandu, 17 March (RSS): The religion of the Limbus is called ‘Mundhum’. The rituals, culture and traditional system of the Limbus are based on Mundhum. The philosophy of life of the Limbus is linked to Mundhum. Mundhum begins with the story of the creation of the earth. The creation of man and civilization, divine power, the hunting era, agriculture, the relationship between men and women, house construction, animal husbandry, ethics, and the relationship of man with nature, etc. are described in a poetic style by the Limbu priests Samba, Yewa, Yema and Phedangmas.
Mundhum, which is directly related to the cultural and spiritual life of the Limbus, is of a lyrical style. Since it is based on Shruti Shastra, it is also called ‘Thuturi Veda’. The credit for defining Mundhum in a terminological sense goes to Mundhum scholar Bairagi Kaila. As mentioned by Kainla, the word Mundham is formed by combining the words ‘Mun’ and ‘Thum’. In the Limbu language, Mun (Mum-ma) means to move or be dynamic. Similarly, Thum (Thum-ma) means to be strong or difficult. In this way, it can be understood that the social, cultural and spiritual life of the Limbus is moving forward in a dynamic, strong and difficult way. Mundhum is the scripture that lyrically presents the context of the Limbus’ lifestyle growing in a dynamic, strong and difficult way from various angles since the creation of the earth.
Since it is presented orally and there is a shortage of people who recite or sing Mundhum, there is also a risk of Mundhum disappearing. Since its transliteration is considered very necessary to preserve Mundhum, people concerned and aware of Mundhum have been making significant contributions to the transliteration and publication of Mundhum. Recently, a large collection of Mundhum ‘Yakthung Samjik Mundhum’ has been published by cultural scholar DB Angbung, who has collected, translated and transcribed the writings of young people such as Purna Prasad Tabebung, Khadka Bahadur Idhingo, Samba Buddhiraj Maden, Phedangma Meghraj Idhingo and Yuma Bhaktidevi Furumbo. This work has been considered a great achievement in the field of Mundhum conservation.
The process of Mundhum transliteration
In the seventeenth century, the scholar Sirijanga, who was active in the script, himself invented the script and started the process of Mundhum conservation. The script he invented is called ‘Sirijanga Lipi’. Later, Brian Hodgson collected the writings written by Sirijanga and his disciples from villages in Nepal and Sikkim and brought them to Britain. At that time, Hodson had commissioned Jovan Singh Phago, Gunman Khajum, Chyangre Singh, etc. to write Mundhum and brought those manuscripts to Britain. In 2012, Professor RK Sprig of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, came to Nepal with photocopies of those manuscripts.
When he came to Nepal with a copy of a manuscript written in Limbu script related to Limbu script, language, Mundhum, Sanskrit, and history, he stayed with his wife for about a month at the house of Double Subba Khadga Bahadur Nembang in Sartap, Panchthar. Later, after getting the opportunity to study these manuscripts, Iman Singh Chemjong published Kirat Mundhum (Kirat’s Veda) in 2018. This is the first transliterated publication of the Mundhum of the Limbus. Mundhum scholar Bairagi Kaila has mentioned in his memoirs that he was attracted to the Mundhum of the Limbus after he saw the book.
Later, Kaila himself went to London to study the Hajjan Papers. Cultural scholar Dr. Ramesh Dhungel had taken him to London in his project to study the materials written in Limbu language and Sirijanga script among the preserved papers there. He returned after studying the Hodson Paper in London for five weeks between July and August 2004. Long before studying the Hodson Paper, Kaila had collected and published a large number of Mundhums.
DB Angbung
An interesting incident of Mundhum collection
After awareness of Mundhums arose in Kaila, he was looking for an opportunity to collect Mundhums. He got the opportunity to collect Mundhums for the first time from Yeba Dalbir Nayem Phagu. In the course of studying Mundhums, he organized a Tangsing ritual from 2034 Mangsir 8 to 11 at his home in Khudunabari, Jhapa. Born on Bhada 29, 1960 BS, Yeba Dalbir’s birthplace is Chainpur, Thading village, Maiwakhola area. Later, he migrated to Namseling village in Ilam district. His assistant was Ram Prasad Yakkha. He has expressed in his books that Kaila met and discussed with Yewa Dalbir several times in the process of recording and editing the Mundhum sung by Yewa Dalbir on that occasion.
While searching for other knowledgeable Yewa besides Yewa Dalbir, he met Bir Bahadur Khewang Limbu, a resident of Yangrok and later living in Khudunabari, Jhapa. This same Bir Bahadur was later the main Yewa when Bairagi organized a three-night Tangsing from 16 to 19 Magh 2049 at the house of Dilli Bikram Nemwang, Bairagi’s cousin, in Khudunabari, Jhapa. After extensive discussions with Yewa Bir Bahadur on the manuscript of Mundhum sung by Yewa Dalbir and the manuscript of Mundhum sung by himself, Bairagi Kaila conducted a comparative study and revised and edited it. In this way, it is found that Bairagi Kaila, a Mundhum scholar, is engaged in the practice of Mundhum.
The incident of meeting Dalbir Nayam Phagu of Kaila is also interesting. Around 2033 BS, Bairagi had walked from Khudunabari in Jhapa to his village in Sartap in Panchthar. He had reached his house in the evening at his sister-in-law’s house in Suntalabari, Ilam Bazaar to stay. He was sleeping tiredly, but suddenly at around 1:00 AM, he was awakened by the sweet sound of someone singing. Then he went down to his uncle’s house a little further down, where a puja was being held, one night Tangsing. He was singing Mundhum in a very sweet voice, that Yewa. He stayed until morning and recorded the Mundhum sung by Yewa on a tape.
He started publishing books on Limbu Mundhum with the publication of ‘Sappok Chomen: Limbujatima Kokhpuja’ (2049) and has dedicated 11 works on Mundhum to the readers so far. Appreciating Kainla’s unparalleled contribution to Mundhum, Madan Puraskar Guthi presented him with the Jagadambashree Award in 2075 BS.
Bairagi Kaila
The importance of Mundhum transcription
Dr. Chaitanya Subba’s contribution to the initiative of Mundhum conservation and its philosophical interpretation is also unforgettable. He had Mundhum recorded and produced by holding rituals in his own house. He was a reliable philosophical interpreter of Mundhum. He passed away three years ago while he was still developing Mundhum philosophy.
Lalsor Sendang, a saintly person, was also one of those who contributed to the transcription and conservation of Mundhum. While Mundhum was being preserved, it can be read in history that during the Rana period, he was exiled from Taplejung and wandered around various villages in Darjeeling and Sikkim to propagate Mundhum.
Similarly, Ranadhwaj Shreng Chongwang, Laxman Menyangbo, Harkaraj Kurumbang, Dhanraj Thalang, Arjunbabu Mabuhang, etc. are considered important figures for the transcription, preservation and interpretation of Mundhum. The ultimate expression of the development of social, moral and religious concepts is found in Mundhum. Mundhum is as important for the Limbus as the Eighteen Puranas are for traditional Hindus for religious, moral and social concepts through many stories.
Since Mundhum is a genre sung or recited orally by the Yewa, Yema, Samba and Phedangmas, there is a risk of this genre also disappearing with the end of the generation knowledgeable or expert in this subject. Therefore, transcription and publication have become very necessary for its preservation. There is no doubt that Mundhum is a very important intangible asset, as it is the basis of the civilization of an entire community, its spiritual and cultural beliefs, and its philosophy of life.
As important as the transliteration of Mundhum is, its philosophical interpretation is also equally necessary. Significant progress is being made in the transliteration of Mundhum. But its philosophical interpretation is not being done to any significant extent. A philosophical interpretation of Mundhum has also come to be expected from experts.
