Monpa Erotic

The Monpa are a Tibetic-influenced people of the western districts of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, centred on Tawang and West Kameng, with related communities in Bhutan and in Tibet, China. They speak Monpa languages, Bodish tongues of the Sino-Tibetan family, and number in the tens of thousands. They are devout followers of Tibetan Buddhism.

Society and subsistence

Monpa life is shaped by the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, focused on Tawang Monastery, one of the largest in the region and traditionally linked to the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama. Subsistence combines terraced and shifting cultivation of rice, maize, millet and buckwheat with the herding of yak and cattle at high altitude, along with the weaving of wool and the making of hand-made paper and wooden vessels. Villages are organised around monasteries and household lineages, with Buddhist festivals such as Losar and masked cham dances marking the year. Prayer flags, chortens and mani walls are prominent in the landscape. For centuries the Monpa were linked by trade and pilgrimage to Tibet, exchanging local produce for salt, wool and religious goods across the high passes.

Appearance and adornment

The most recognisable Monpa item is the black yak-hair cap known as the gurdam or shamo, with five long twisted tassels that channel rainwater away from the face. Dress is suited to a cold, high-altitude life: thick woollen robes and jackets, striped woven aprons and leather boots, ornamented with coral, turquoise and silver. Prayer beads, amulet boxes (gau) and small Buddhist charms are commonly worn. In and around Tawang, monks in maroon robes and lay people in wool are a familiar sight, with masked cham costumes worn at festivals. Monpa craftsmen are also known for thangka painting, carved wooden masks and bowls, and a traditional handmade paper made from local shrubs, skills tied closely to monastic life.