KHAMTI SHAN BUDDHISM AND CULTURE IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH, INDIA

Shan people live in Shan State, Myanmar; Dehong, Yunnan, China; Northern Thailand; and also in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, India. Khamti Shan in Arunachal Pradesh, India are people who migrated from the northern part of Shan State, Myanmar at least 200 years ago. This paper provides field data about Khamti Shan Buddhist practice and way of life from a short visit to Namsai Village, Lohit District, Arunchal Pradesh, India, in March 2006. Cohabiting with many other ethnic groups in Arunachal Pradesh (e.g. Singpho, Monpa, Bengali), it is worth exploring to what extent Khamti Shan have maintained their Shan identity in the context of Arunachal Pradesh in India. From the many villages and temples I visited, certain aspects of Buddhist practice have been observed; for example, similar architecture of the chedi, tiered-roof temples, the worship of Uppakutta, the Sangkaen festival, the Buddhist tradition of poi lu lik (dhammadana) in which people offer lik (Buddhist scripture) to monks on a special occasion (particular lik for particular purposes). This paper looks at lik titles and the occasions for being offered to the monk. This will help us understand how Khamti Shan make use of Buddhism in their worldly life. Khamti Buddhism co-exists with Hinduism and indigenous beliefs. Other aspects of Khamti culture are also recorded. Remnants of Chaofa's (princely) families and Shan Chaofa's political system can still be traced. The Khamti Shan housing style, including rice barns and weaving looms, was also observed. Certain Khamti myths, folktales, folksongs and folklife were also collected. Overall, the Khamti in Arunachal Pradesh retain, to a large extent, their Shan-ness as if they were still in northern Shan State from where they departed a long time ago.