पुमा राइहरुको एक परिचय खोटाङ जिल्लाको दक्षिण भेग सावा खोला र दुधकोशीको आसपासको छेत्रमा पुर्खौली बसोबास रहिआएको किरात राइहरु मध्ये एक पुमाराइहरुको बाहुल्य्यता खोटाङ जिल्लाको दिपलुङ, मौबोटे, देवीस्थान गाबिस मा छ भने चिसापानी, सुन्तले, फाक्ताङ, पौवासेरा, काहुले, बोपुङ, र उदयपुर जिल्लाको सिद्धिपुर, चौदन्डी, बबला, मैनामैनी गाबिस मा न्युनता रहेको पाईन्छ। हाल उदैयपुर जिल्लाकै बेल्टार, बसाहा, रामपुर, तथा तराइका जिल्लाहरु, सप्तरी, सुन्सरी, मोरङ, झापा र उपत्यकामा बसाइ सराई गर्ने पुमा राइहरुको सँख्यामा ब्रिद्धी भएको पाईन्छ। पुमाराइहरु आफुलाई रकोङ, रोकुङ, रोखुङ तथा रोकुङ भन्न रुचाउछन। उनिहरुले बोल्ने भाषा लाई पुमा भाषा भनिन्छ भने आफ्नो भाषामा उनिहरु रकोङ्ला, रोकोङ्ला, वा रोकुङ्ला भन्दछ्न। स्थानीय ठाउँहरुको कतिपय नामहरु यसै भाषाबाट राखिएको पाईन्छ। जस्तै; दिप्लुङ, ओक्वारीतोङ `मौवाबोटे`चाभालोक्खा, बाखोप्तान, ताम्दुङ, बँशिला, बुतवा, रोङ् रुम (निगाल्बास)आदी। २०५८ सालको राष्ट्रिय जनगणना अनुसार पुमा भाषिक राइ हरु करिब १२ हजार् को हाराहारिमा छन भने पुमा भाषा बोल्ने राइहरुको सँख्या ४३१० मात्र रहेकोछ। भाषा बोले पनि नबोले पनि पुमा राइहरु आफ्नो कुलपुजा तथा परम्परागत चुला पुज्दा वा अन्य सस्कार गर्दा पुमा भाषा(पुमा मुन्दुम जान्ने) ङापोङ, धामीले नै पुज्नुपर्दछ।
by S. D.PUMARAI

PUMARAI 'S SECOND ANNUAL ASSEMBLY 2010

From shubas d puma rai

from shubas d puma rai -

Nepal is a very ancient country, which was ruled by many dynasties in the past. Among them, the Kirat rule is taken as a very significant one, being the longest period that extended from pre-historic to historic period. In ancient Hindu scriptures, Nepal is referred as the “Kirat Desh” or “the Land of Kirats”.

The Kirat Rai belong to the Kirati group or the Kirat confederation that includes the Rai, Limbu, Yakkha and Sunuwar. Dhimal, Hayu, Koche , Thami, Chepang, and Surel ethnic groups also consider themselves to be of Kirati descent.

The traditional homeland of the Rai extends across the Solukhumbu, the Okhaldhunga , Khotang, Bhojpur,Udayapur, sunsari and the kathmandu districts in the northeastern hilly/mountainous region of Nepal, west of the Arun River in the Sun Koshi River watershed. Rais are also found in significant numbers in the Indian state of Sikkim and in the northern West Bengal towns of Kalimpong and Darjeeling.

According to Nepal’s 2001 census, there are 635,751 Rai in Nepal which represents 2.79% of the total population.

Language & Script:

Kirat Rai speakes more than 32 different languages and dialects within the Tibeto-Burman languages family. The oral language is rich and ancient, as is Kirati history, but the written script remains yet to be properly organized as nearly all traces of it was destroyed by the next rulers of Nepal, The Lichhavis and almost eradicated by the Shah dynasty.

The Rai are divided into many different sub-groups – Bantawa, puma, Chamling, Sampang, Dumi, Jerung, Kulung, Khaling, Lohorung, Mewahang, Rakhali, Thulung, Tilung, Wambule, Yakkha, Yamphu, Sunuwar, Ambule, etc. Some groups number only a few hundred members. Every sub-groups speak defferent languages.

The Kirat Rai has no their own script but use ‘Sirijonga’ script which was first invented in the late 9th century by the Sirijonga Hang. It disappeared for many years and reintroduced by Te-ongsi Sirijonga in the 17th century. This Sirijonga, who was believed to be the reincarnation of the first, was apparently martyred in 1743 for the sake of this script by the Sikkim Lamas, who tied him to a tree and flung poison arrows at him. The script was named ‘Sirijonga’ in his honour by the Limbu scholar Iman Singh Chemjong in 1925.