Jorden Lepcha
A Sikkim bamboo craftsman who revived the weaving of traditional Lepcha hats and trains others free, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
Jorden Lepcha is a bamboo craftsman from Sikkim known for keeping alive the weaving of traditional Lepcha hats, called thyaktuk. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of art, from Sikkim [1].
Learning the craft
He was born on 28 July 1971 in Rubeyam Ram village in Dzongu, Mangan district, and learned bamboo work from his parents [2]. In 1997 he took a six-month course in traditional hat weaving run by the Sikkim government’s industries department [2].
At first his hats did not sell well, and he took other jobs to support his family while improving his skills [2].
Teaching others
From 2005 the state’s Directorate of Handicrafts and Handlooms asked him to train artisans in Gangtok [2]. He also offers free training at his own home, helping others learn the craft and earn a living from it [2].
He has received a certificate of merit from the Union Ministry of Textiles and has been named a master craftsman of Sikkim [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2024: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2024: citation for Jorden Lepcha — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
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