Bhutia
A man from the Bhutia tribe in 1860s. Here he can be seen wearing a "Tibetan Amulet" to protect him from evil spirits. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 60,300 (2001) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Sikkim | 41,889 |
| Nepal | 10,087 |
| Bhutan | 6000 |
| West Bengal | 4293 |
| Languages | |
| Sikkimese, Nepali, Dzongkha, Tibetan | |
| Religion | |
| Vajrayana Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tibetan, Sherpa, Tamang, Yolmo Other Tibeto-Burman people | |
The Bhutias (exonym; Nepali: भुटिया, "People from Tibet") or Drejongpas (endonym; Tibetan: འབྲས་ལྗོངས་པ་, Wylie: Bras-ljongs-pa, THL: dre-jong pa, "People of the Rice Valley") are a Tibetan ethnic group native to the Indian state of Sikkim who speak Drejongke, a Tibetic language which descends from old Tibetan. The majority of Bhutias live in Sikkim, while a significant number also reside in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of northern West Bengal and in countries such as Nepal and Bhutan.