The Hyalmo culture of Helambu

Society: The Yolmo tribe is organized into several clans: Terngilinpa, Dangsong, Sharma-Lama, Lhalungpa, Lama Dhomare, Chyaba, Chujang, Thongtso, Sharwa all of which follow the patrilineal system of descent. "Bride-stealing" used to be a staple among their customs but it is no longer practiced or encouraged. Their primary religion is Tibetan Buddhism of the Nyingmapa school, intermixed with animism and paganism as incorporated within the general dimensions of Bon. The Yolmo language shares high lexical similarities with Sherpa and Tibetan. It is traditionally transcribed in the Sambhoti (Tibetan) script, but many modern academics use the Devanagari script as well. The Yolmo language is also very closely related to Kagate, another language of the Kyirong-Kagate language sub-group.

History

The history of Hyolmo language journalism is not old. It began only some two decades ago. In 2053 BS, Hyolmo Foundation and Community Service Center launched a Hylomo language cultural magazine. That was their first tryst with journalism. But this magazine did not survive beyond the first issue. The foundation began publication of Dhingsang Hyolmo – a yearly magazine in both Hyolmo and Nepali lang

Present state

Their predominant religion is Nyingmapa Tibetan Buddhism, which is intermixed with animism and paganism as part of the overall dimensions of Bon. The Yolmo people are primarily agriculturalists. Potatoes, radishes, and other crops, as well as milk and flesh from the yak that the Yolmos are known to herd, are their primary sources of nutrition. [8] The Hela has had a resurgence in recent decades. The Kagate (or Kagatay) are a Yolmo ethnic group descended from the ancient Yolmo residents of the Helambu, Melamchi, and Nimadumbu valleys. What sets them apart is that over 100 years ago, the Kagate began moving southeast from Helambu, eventually settling in the Ramechhap District,[9] and that they mastered papermaking along their journeys.

Challenges to Hyalmo Culture

The trekking industry has not made the Helambu Sherpa nearly as affluent as the Solu Khumbu Sherpa who reside in the Mt. Everest region, according to a journalist who has authored a book on Nepal, lived in Kathmandu for five years, and traveled widely in the country over a nine-year period.She claims that there has been a "enormous brain-drain" of Helambu Sherpas to Kathmandu and even the United States, and that many of those who remain in the region are uneducated and impoverished (Journalist 24 Feb. 2000). Sermathang and Tharkyegang, two big towns in the Helambu region, have lost about 80% of their population in the last 15 years, according to her estimates.

Local Involvement in Conservation of Hyolmo Culture

Hyolmo Jyalga Publication Group published two issues of Hyolmo Jyalga magazine in 2061. Hyolmo Society released a book on Hyolmo's history and culture in 2062 BS. However, it was only published in Nepali. In addition to these institutional initiatives, various individuals have written books about Hyolmo. Anna Maria Hari and Chhegu Lama published a Nepali-Hyolmo-English dictionary. In 2005, the Hyolmo society and organizations collaborated to produce a radio program in Hyolmo. HBC radio began broadcasting a Hyolmo language program. Sange Lama, the author of the Hyolmo poetry collection, hosted the event. She used to entertain the Hyolmo community by informing them about local, national, and international events while playing Hyolmo music. However, when the HBC radio station was shut down, this program also died a premature death. Later, Hyomo communities again launched another radio program, Hyolmo Lukso, in Namo Buddha FM radio.

Author: Anoja Rai