Chirra Chirra

Chiraa Chiraa covers a day in the life of Savitri Rayapa, a Rungsha (a Rung lady) who lives on the borders of India and Nepal in Dharchula, Uttarakhand. The title Chiraa Chiraa means remembering the past in Runglwo, an endangered language of the Rung, an indigenous Himalayan community.

Historically, the Rungs are the first inhabitants of the Dharchula region at the tri-junction of India, Nepal and the autonomous region of Tibet in China. They are also among the few indigenous communities in the world that still follow transhumance migration, i.e. seasonal migration from the higher altitudes to the lower ones. Their roots in this region can be traced back to the time before the international borders were created.

By following Savitri’s life, we get a sense of how the Rung community has lived around these international borders for centuries, with a history of trans-Himalayan migration and trade, and also how they played a crucial role during the Indo-China war.

The Rungs have always lived in harmony with their Himalayan landscape. But now, with the changing times, the Rung community, too, is evolving in order to keep their language and culture alive and thriving.