Memba
Encyclopedia
The Memba are a tribal population of 3,500 is centered around Tuting and Geling, near the Siang river in the West Siang
and Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh
in India
not very far from the Tibet
an border. A sizeable population can be found in the nearby Yargab-Chu valley in Mechuka (West Siang), where the population is around 4000 to 5000 and as well as Medog county in Tibet
. The religious life of the Memba revolves around the Mechuka Gompa, similar to the Monpa of West Kameng
and Tawang. Local genealogies suggested that they came from Tawang and settled in the region several centuries back.
The Memba are agriculturalists and grow cash crops in the terraced fields, and crops like rice, maize, millet, potato, cereals and paddy. Boiled rice & millet flour is their staple diet.
In every village, watermills are installed by making a fall of 15 to 20 feet, and the water is made to rush through the grooved wooden channels which below rotate the blade of the shaft which is attached to the grinder of the mill. Their homes, like most of the other Tibetan Buddhist tribes, are made of stone and wood. The house is raised above the ground and the floor and walls are made of wooden planks. Corrugated aluminum has replaced wood as aroofing material in recent years.
The Membas follow Nyingmapa Tibetan Buddhism
and have their own script, Hikor, which is derived from the Tibetan script. In every village, there is a small Gompa
presided by a Buddhist Lama. As devout Buddhists, they follow all the intricate details of rituals of Buddhist puja, hoisting at least a Buddhist prayer flag or a string of small Buddhist prayer flags in front of every household. Festivals that are celebrated by the Memba include Losar
and Choskar.
West Siang
West Siang is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India.-History:In 1989 territory was given from West Siang to East Siang district -- since 1999 this territory has been in the new Upper Siang district.-Geography:...
and Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
not very far from the Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an border. A sizeable population can be found in the nearby Yargab-Chu valley in Mechuka (West Siang), where the population is around 4000 to 5000 and as well as Medog county in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. The religious life of the Memba revolves around the Mechuka Gompa, similar to the Monpa of West Kameng
West Kameng
West Kameng is a district of Arunachal Pradesh in India. It accounts for 8.86% of the total area of the state. Under Chinese sovereignty claim, West Kameng falls under the jurisdiction of Cuona County of Shannan Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region...
and Tawang. Local genealogies suggested that they came from Tawang and settled in the region several centuries back.
The Memba are agriculturalists and grow cash crops in the terraced fields, and crops like rice, maize, millet, potato, cereals and paddy. Boiled rice & millet flour is their staple diet.
In every village, watermills are installed by making a fall of 15 to 20 feet, and the water is made to rush through the grooved wooden channels which below rotate the blade of the shaft which is attached to the grinder of the mill. Their homes, like most of the other Tibetan Buddhist tribes, are made of stone and wood. The house is raised above the ground and the floor and walls are made of wooden planks. Corrugated aluminum has replaced wood as aroofing material in recent years.
The Membas follow Nyingmapa Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
and have their own script, Hikor, which is derived from the Tibetan script. In every village, there is a small Gompa
Gompa
Gompa and ling are Buddhist ecclesiastical fortifications of learning, lineage and sadhana , located in Tibet, India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
presided by a Buddhist Lama. As devout Buddhists, they follow all the intricate details of rituals of Buddhist puja, hoisting at least a Buddhist prayer flag or a string of small Buddhist prayer flags in front of every household. Festivals that are celebrated by the Memba include Losar
Losar
Losar is the Tibetan word for "new year." lo holds the semantic field "year, age"; sar holds the semantic field "new, fresh". Losar is the most important holiday in Tibet....
and Choskar.