Sangeeta Jha, Aranya Jha and Ajeya Jha
Abstract
Local communities, especially indigenous peoples, have developed a deep and practical understanding of nature over many generations by living closely with their environment. In the Eastern Himalayas, the Lepcha people of Sikkim are a strong example of this close relationship with nature. However, there is very little organized research on how Lepcha Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) explains the timing of flowering plants and how these natural signs are used to guide farming activities. This study was exploratory. Surveys were conducted in Lepcha villages to collect relevant information. The findings show that each Lepcha month is linked to the blooming of a specific flower according to their traditional knowledge. These flowering patterns are closely connected to their traditional farming tasks.In conclusion, careful documentation and participatory research that actively involve Lepcha knowledge holders are important to preserve and sustain this knowledge, especially in the face of social and environmental changes.