Saemae Longchok at Samar in Khamdong

GANGTOK, 24 May: Saemae Longchok [meaning ‘Worshipping of Stone Pillar’] at Samar village was conducted in a grand manner at Samar Thasa at Samar in Khamdong on 22 May. The ceremony was organized by the Saemae Longchok Celebration Committee under the initiative of Cultural Secretary of Sikkim Lepcha Youth Association [SLYA], Karma Tshering Lepcha.
The ceremony was chaired by the Curator of Cultural Affairs and Heritage Department, PD Lepcha and was witnessed by the SLYA executive members, NGOs members and local people.
An SLYA press release informs that the ceremony, which lasted for six hours, constituted of religious rites and rituals performed by Bongthings of the neighbouring villages. The release informs that the ceremony started with the offering prayers to deities with offerings of milk, eggs, corn, sugarcane, millet beer, fruits, flowers, butter lamp etc to please the deities for the peace and prosperity of the human kind.
A brief background history of Saemae Longchok [Stone Pillar of Samar Village]
There are numerous folktales in the Lepcha language of Mayal Molok Llyang i.e. now Sikkim but unfortunately we remember very few. If the same trend continues then one day we will remember none.
Here is a brief background history of Samar Longchok or Saemae Longchok meaning worship of stone pillar of Saemae lyang now changed to Samar Lyang. Since the time Lepchas began to inhabit this small village, they found a very pure water spring budding out from beneath a rock and a Cedrela toona roxb tree [Tooni in Nepali] or Samal Kung in Lepcha nearby the village which can even be seen today. Our ancestors were living happily and peacefully in this village by tilling land for cultivation in their own traditional way while some hunted for food. The population gradually increased and diseases began to spread in this village. The Bongthings [Lepcha Priests] and Muns [Female Priests] found out that the cause behind this was the ill treatment of the spring which was being polluted by the inhabitants as a Sornyumu [Devi] resided in this spring.
The people then gathered together and erected stone pillars nearby that spring water source and prayed to various gods and deities of land, water, fire, wind, light, forest etc with offerings of milk, eggs, rice, corn, sugarcane, cooked millet beer, flowers, fruits, butter lamps etc for protection from diseases, natural calamities and peace and prosperity forever. As soon as the prayer and offering ceremony ended, a light shower and rainbow at the source of the very spring water followed which was witnessed by each and every one who had assembled there.
Thereafter, the Lepchas of this village flourished in every aspect of life and happiness and peace returned. Since then, the people of Saemae Lyang [Samar Lyang] strongly believe the traditional practice of worshipping the stone pillars and continue to worship the Saemae Longchok every year. Thus, the name of the village is derived from the practice of such worship known as Saemae Lyang [meaning place of worship].
[Compiled by Karma Tshering Lepcha, Cultural Secretary of Sikkim Lepcha Young Association]