Context
Recently, the Ladakh administration announced a series of measures to improve the livelihoods and socio-economic well-being of the indigenous Changpa pastoral community.
About Changpa Community
- The Changpas are a semi-nomadic pastoral community inhabiting the Changthang region of Ladakh in the Trans-Himalayas.
- They are renowned for rearing Pashmina (Cashmere) goats, which form the backbone of their traditional livelihood.
- The community follows Buddhism and is recognised as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) in India.
- Their traditional dwellings are conical yak-skin tents, known as Reboo, which typically house the family deity and an image of their spiritual leader, usually the Dalai Lama.
- Based on their lifestyle, nomadic Changpas are known as Phalpa, while those living in permanent settlements are called Fangpa.
- Their major cultural traditions include Jyabten, a purification ritual involving food offerings to Lord Padmasambhava, and Tangpe Chona, celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar.
