Lhop

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The Lhop or Doya are a little-known tribe of southwest Bhutan. The Bhutanese believe them to be the aboriginal inhabitants of the country, although this claim has not been substantiated by anthropologists. The Lhop are found in the low valleys of Samtse and near Phuntsoling in the Duars. They are also known as the Lhops, Lhopu, or Lhokpu and speak a Tibeto-Burman language. They total approximately 1000 persons.

The dress of the Lhop resembles the Lepcha, but they bear little similarity with the Bhutia in the North and the Toto in the west. The Doya trace their descent matrilineally, marry their cross cousins, and embalm the deceased who are then placed in a foetal position on a circular sarcophagi above the ground. They follow a blend of Tibetan Buddhism mixed with animism.