Rung People of Kumaon – Culture, Food & Traditions

🏔️ Introduction: Who Are the Rung People?

Often mistakenly grouped as Bhotiya, the Rung community is distinct, with its own language, food, traditional dress, deities, and rituals.

Their rich cultural fabric weaves stories of trans-Himalayan trade, ancestral deity worship, and a lifestyle adapted to some of the harshest terrains of India. The Rung people have remained the custodians of the ancient Himalayan borderlands—not only geographically but also culturally.

🧬 Rung vs Bhotiya: What’s the Difference?

Although the government lists Rung people under the broad “Bhotiya” Scheduled Tribe, they proudly identify themselves as Rung, not Bhotiya.

• “Bhotiya” is a generic term used for people living near the Tibetan border, across Garhwal, Kumaon, and even Sikkim.

• Rung people are indigenous to Kumaon, with a historical presence in Johar, Darma, and Byans valleys.

• Their spoken dialects—Runglo or Runglwo—are Tibeto-Burman in origin, and different from the languages spoken by other Bhotiya groups in Ladakh or Sikkim.

This distinction is not just linguistic or geographic. It’s deeply cultural. Many historians like Shekhar Pathak, and researchers such as K.S. Valdiya in his book Himalaya: Nature, Man, and Culture have highlighted this clear difference.

🧳 Historical Background: The Traders of the Himalayas

Traditionally, Rung people were trans-Himalayan traders. Before the Indo-China war of 1962, they traded with Tibet via Lipulekh and Unta Dhura passes, exchanging:

• Salt, borax, and wool from Tibet

• With grains, jaggery, cloth, and ghee from India

They would migrate seasonally—spending summers in their ancestral villages near Tibet, and winters in lower valleys like Dharchula and Didihat. This seasonal migration is called “vertical transhumance.”

After the border closure in 1962, their trade routes stopped. Many Rung families were forced to permanently shift to lower areas and adapt to farming, government jobs, and small-scale business.

🌄 Geography & Rung Settlements

The Rung people are mainly found in three valleys of eastern Kumaon:

1. Johar Valley (Milam): Near the Milam Glacier and the famous Nanda Devi East base camp.

2. Darma Valley: Near Panchachuli peaks, includes villages like Sela, Tidang, Duktu, Dantu.

3. Byans Valley: Near Lipulekh Pass. Villages like Gunji, Nabi, Kuti, and Kalapani are located here.

In winter, they migrate to villages like Sobla, Dharchula, Baluwakot, and Didihat.

This semi-nomadic lifestyle is slowly disappearing, but many Rung still visit their ancestral homes during summer months to maintain traditional connections.

🗣️ Rung Language & Oral Tradition

The Rung people speak Runglwo, a dialect with roots in Tibeto-Burman family. Every valley has slight variations in the dialect. For instance:

• Johar dialect differs from Byans or Darma dialect.

• However, they all understand each other.

Rung language was never written down traditionally. Knowledge passed orally from generation to generation through:

• Folk songs (Rung geet)

• Storytelling

• Ritual chants

Recently, with the help of organizations like Rung Kalyan Sanstha, some efforts are being made to document the Rung language, including developing scripts and dictionaries.

🏠 Culture & Traditions

👕 Traditional Dress

Men wear:

• Woollen chola (coat)

• Dhotis or woollen pants

• Topi (cap), especially in high altitudes

Women wear:

• A special woollen dress called chuba

• Silver jewellery like hansuli (neck ring), chandrahaar, earrings

• In winter, they wear hand-woven wool shawls made from local sheep wool

💃 Music & Dance

• The Rung people love folk songs, especially during festivals and weddings.

• Famous songs include “Johar Geet”, sung to welcome guests.

• Dances are performed in group circles, with dhol and damau playing traditional beats.

Their songs often reflect themes like love, separation, devotion, and nature.

🙏 Religion, Gods & Beliefs

Most Rung people follow Hinduism, but their belief system has strong animistic and Bon elements, inherited from their trans-Himalayan roots.

They worship:

• Isht Devta (Kul Devta) – family deity, differs by clan

• Nanda Devi – the supreme goddess of Johar Valley

• Kail Bisht, Golu Devta, and Bhumiyal Devta in local form

• Kanchyali – guardian deities of homes and fields

Religious rituals are led by village “Pujaris” or “Bon practitioners”, especially during seasonal festivals.

🪔 Important Rituals & Ceremonies

• “Devta Nach”: Spirit dance in which a person gets possessed by the local deity and gives predictions.

• “Chhang” (barley beer) is offered to gods during rituals.

• Death ceremonies are elaborate, with community feasts and mourning traditions.

🍲 Food of the Rung Community

Rung cuisine is very simple but high in nutrition, suited for high-altitude climate. Most dishes are made using millets, barley, wheat, and local herbs.

Popular food items include:

They also use wild plants, like linguda (fiddlehead fern), bichu buti (nettle leaves), and herbs found in alpine regions.

🧵 Handicrafts & Local Skills

Rung women are expert weavers. They make:

• Woollen carpets, shawls, blankets, and caps

• Use local sheep wool or goat wool

• Traditional weaving tools are still used in villages like Dantu and Sela

Men were historically traders, but many are now into:

• Apple farming

• Tourism support jobs

• Government services

Their trade legacy still exists in village bartering systems in some areas.

🎉 Festivals Celebrated by Rung People

While they celebrate all mainstream Hindu festivals, some festivals are unique to the Rung community:

During Dussehra, many Rung families also worship local Devtas rather than burning Ravana effigies.

🧭 Present Scenario & Community Efforts

Today, many Rung youth have moved to cities for education and jobs. However, strong efforts are being made to:

• Preserve Rung language and culture

• Encourage summer migration to ancestral villages

• Promote eco-tourism and homestay tourism

Organizations like Rung Kalyan Sanstha, Johar Club, and Darma Vikas Parishad are actively working to preserve and promote their culture.

In fact, in my earlier article about Milam Glacier Trek, I have written about Milam village, which is a historic Rung settlement. You can check that post for more insights into their homeland region.

📚 References & Authentic Sources Used

To ensure full authenticity, I’ve referred to:

• “Himalaya: Nature, Man and Culture” by K.S. Valdiya

• “The Himalayan Border Region” by Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf

• Research articles published by Anthropological Survey of India

• Field research shared by Rung Kalyan Sanstha

• Archives of Kumaon University’s regional ethnographic studies

These references have helped me present a rich, cultural and historical portrait of the Rung community.

🧭 Conclusion

The Rung people of Kumaon are not just a tribe—they are a living museum of Himalayan heritage. From their language and rituals to their food and folk tales, everything reflects a deep harmony with the mountains.

Even today, their culture teaches us how to live with nature, not against it. As a travel blogger, I encourage everyone to explore Darma, Johar, or Byans valleys, not just for trekking but also to connect with the beautiful Rung community.