about me
Khamrimo everyone my name is Chezang Lhamu Lepcha.I’m from an area called Tathangchen in Gangtok East Sikkim.
I honestly don’t know the exact meaning of my name. I asked around and got very vague answers which got me even more confused… but people know me more by my pet name which is Reepme and I believe it means Flower in Lepcha.
“History is the flow of time and knowledge and one of the ways to continue this flow is through documentation, plus you never really fully understand the importance of something unless you write it down in words.” Chezang Lhamu Lepcha
What is storytelling to me?
Honestly I had a very narrow perspective regarding storytelling, since I’m a literature student I always thought that stories could only be told through pages or words. However through this workshop I realized that you can tell a/your story through any possible medium of expression. […] Hopefully I’ll be able to create a piece that catches the attention of the youth,and make them aware of our disappearing oral history.
What is sacred to me?
Sacred is anything that instills a strong sense of belief, assurance, and guidance in life. As for my idea of sacredness, the picture above is from a few months back when I was on a trek to Gochela (West Sikkim). As the clouds faded and gave way to the majestic peaks… the feeling was totally sublime.
Finding my sacred place
My sacred space is basically under water… I’ve always been drawn to large water bodies ever since I can remember it. I could visualize a shallow ocean bed with the rays of the sun penetrating through the surface of the water. The ocean bed itself however was covered with dark vegetation, but I could feel calm in that darkness. I suffer from migraine most of the time, so I’m not a big fan of loud colors, smell, noise, things in general… so unconsciously every sense I experienced in my sacred space was very mellow.
I as a Lepcha
In today’s world where most of the young population struggle with uncertainty and their identity, being Lepcha play a very monolith role in my life. […] I have always been a very confused Lepcha. My mom is Bhutia and my dad was Lepcha so growing up I have always had more inclination towards my mother’s side of heritage rather than my dad’s heritage. Plus I’ve had my fair share of scrutiny for not knowing the Lepcha language and being so disconnected. But this workshop and the group of participants were so warm,welcoming, and diverse that I never felt alone or confused. Plus I learnt that the mediums of expressing oneself and storytelling are endless and exciting.
Own sacred place, drawn with non-dominant hand during a meditation session with Arundhati