After death, where does one go? This question has led to communities forming their own philosophical and cultural understanding about life and death. The Lepchas usually say, “We were born from the snow of Kingchumzongbu chyu and it is where we will go after death”. The Lepchas believe that they were born out of the snow of Mt. Kanchenjunga and will return to their mountains after death to the abode of their ancestors. Each clan has a different chyu (mountain peak), dah (lake) and lyep (mountain pass) which represents it and where their ancestors reside. In the past the Lepchas practiced burials using various stones as markers for the dead. Today the practice of burial stones is seen as a pre-Buddhist custom. It has been lost to the Lepchas since the advent of the new religions. This has led to the notion of ‘loss’ of their roots and the community is trying to revive their “original'' customs. The materials the community uses allow them to reconnect with their roots in form and in practice. This is evident in consciousness and the way the Lepchas choose to represent their dead.
The study explores the symbolic presence and significance of material culture among the Lepchas while bringing into light the various artefacts used during death ceremonies at present as well as in the past. It also looks into the community’s struggle to adapt to the present while keeping their traditional ways alive in dealing with death, through the help of material culture.
