Sikkim Sokpa

Folk stories from Sikkim - Story of Shikari Deota's Puja

Author: TG Contributor
Date: 2020-01-08

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As narrated by Dorjee Lepcha

Long long ago the local lepcha inhabitant of this area were hunters. They use to hunt but during the hunt, the meat used to disappear, no matter how much they hunted. One Lepcha Sikhari decided that he will play a trick and he fixed himself in the trap to find out who was taking away the meat which they were hunting.

It so happened that during the night time a ‘Sokpa’ (Yeti) came and as he neared the trap he smelled a human being. This Sokpa and the Lepch Shikari had a ‘Bochha’ (covenant). Sokpa saying that he will not intrude and take away the hunters' meat and the hunters will offer 'bhog' after every three years to the ‘Shikari Deota’.

The Sokpa took the Lepch Shikari along with him and asked him what meat he wants. The Lepcha Shikari said he wants meat of their mirga and other wild animals. The Sokpa stated throwing meat to the Lepcha Shikari. The Shikari for cooking the meat lit a fire and as the Sokpa was very afraid of fire he started to throw the meat facing away from the fire, behind his back. After this the Lepcha hunter and Sokpa started to live together, he even married Sokpa’s sister and had a son.

Later in the day, another Sokpa came and both the Sokpas started to fight. The friendly Sokpa said to the Lepcha hunter to shoot an arrow at the foe Sokpa when during the fight he has an upper hand and is on the top. Both the Sokpas started uprooting Salla trees and throwing at each other. The Sikkim Sokpa started to lose in the fight and then the foe Sokpa sat on top of him, he shouted, ‘’Sukdum ma myok O !’’ – Sansar ko jwai ho – alon hath chhor hai. (Son-in-law of world- now leave your hand and shoot). Hearing this the Lepcha Shikari shot the arrow. As he released the arrow there was a thunderstorm, rainfall, and the sound of crying.

The Lepcha Shikari along with the Sokpa was chasing birds in the forest. Lepcha Shikari saw the birds very small while the Sokpa saw the birds very big, he told Morchak Tulong to catch the birds, but as they were small he let them escape. The next day the Sokpa told Lepcha Shikari not to leave the birds and started chasing the birds. Again the Shikari let go of the birds as they were very small. Sokpa told the shikari that he was of no use as he could not catch the birds. The Sokpa chased the birds and went hopping finally killing the birds, offering to Shikari Deota. Sokpa told Lepcha Shikari to bring a philla. He saw the philla as very small and threw it towards the Sokpa. As the Sokpa sees it very big, it hit Sokpa’s sister which broke her leg and started crying and ran away.

Lepcha hunter felt very bad and got scared of Sokpa. The Sokpa told the Lepcha hunter that as such a mishap has taken place, they should have not lived together. The Sokpa took his sister, her son and left. The Lepcha Shikari followed them and the Sokpa called out if you can see us? The Lepcha Shikari replied yes. Again after some time, the Sokpa called out the Lepcha hunter who was hiding behind the bamboo grove said yes. Still, the Sokpa climbed up and finally called out. The Lepcha hunter could not see them this time and eventually, the Sokpa disappeared forever.




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