Yuma-Sham-Manghim

Yuma is the ultimate Goddess of Limboo, they consider her as the Goddess of progenation and believe that she blesses them for their all round development. In the field of learning she is equated with Goddess Sarswati, with Goddess Laxmi in matters of wealth and with Lord Bishnu in matters of providing them with the amenities for comfortable and congenial life, but idol worship of Goddess Yuma and animal sacrifice for her is prohibited.

The rituals to worship Yuma is simple. The ceremony is conducted by recognized priests known as Phedangma, Yewa, or Yema but in case of non availability of such priests any elderly person of the tribe can perform and conduct the ceremony, but the service of a Phedangma has to be sought for in case the influence of the evil spirits have to be warded off.

Yuma is considered to be all powerful and all pervading mother of the universe. She, in common parlance, is known as 'The Old Woman'.

As stated earlier, the rituals to worship Yuma is simple. Clean and pure water in trumbler, teetaypati, diyo are the only items needed to perform the Yuma puja. The whole arrangement and the process of puja is known as Yumasham

Previously the Yumasham used to be performed individually as a family festival but with the construction of Sri Janga Manghim in 1993 in North Sikkim at a place called Mangshila and the subsequent manghims at Auhoo Yamthang in East Sikkim and at Burmek in west Sikkim, Yuma sham now has acquired the status of a communial festival with the Limboos thronging these newly constructed manghims to perform their pujas to their all powerful Yuma.

Since idol worship of Yuma is not in practice, no idols or statues of any kind are installed in these manghims, instead, a square platform with eight steps is constructed at the centre of the floor. The platform is in the form of a pyramid. The eight steps represent the eight loks starting from the base. These are Prithivi 10k, Atmalok, Akashlok, Nayalok, Satyalok, Deolok, pavitralok and Baikunthalok.

Limboos are nature worshippers so the eight steps of their manghim can be compared with the eight aspects of nature such as, earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, brain and pride. The other items of offerings to Yuma such as water trumbles, diyo, handful of corn, incense sticks,' teetaypati and flowers are items also enough to indicate their Nature worshipping nature. However, the comparison of the eight steps of manghim with the customary Chaudhalok of Hindu religion cannot be denied altogether

Mahohang, the Limboo king, was once hunting deer in the jungle wit~ his courtiers and retriever dogs when suddenly the four dogs that were chasing a deer disappeared along with the deer to everybody's surprise. The king and his servants were greatly astounded and were tired when the disappeared dogs could not be discovered even after having searched for them for quite sometimes. While they were resting suddenly a beautiful woman appeared before them. On seeing such a beautiful woman the servants decided to take her to the palace but the king ordered them not to do so, instead, the king plucked a flower and some teetaypati and offered her as a mark of reverence and respect to her. The woman accepted the offering and disappeared. The king prayed her to appear before them once again and she obliged him by reappearing before them.

The far sighted and intelligent king immediately established her identity after seeing her miracles and it is believed that the Limboos since then have been worshipping her as their gurdian deity. But it was only during the reign of Limboo king Yalumber the Limboos started worshipping her in the form of Yumasham, about forty years after Kaliyug.

The other legend associated with the origin of deity Yuma is as follows In ancient time a fisherman caught a fish while fishing in a nearby river, but the fish turned into a beautiful woman when it was pulled ashore. The woman was so beautiful that the fisherman fell in love with her at first sight and at once decided to marry her, but no soon had he proposed her, she turned into an old and haggard woman. The surprised fisherman asked her who she was and how she turned into an old  woman. The old woman told the fisherman that she was the guardian and the progenitress of Limboo tribe known as 'the Old woman. She further told him that she was on a trip to Tibet and ,Kashi and pointing towards Phidim, a place in Nepal, she said that she would make her abode there. It is also because of this myth that the Limboos consider Yuma to be the incarnation of nature and call her the 'Woman of the Nature', "Parvati" or 'The Old Woman  and worship her without making any idol of her replica.