Family Structure:

A distinctive aspect of their culture is the preference for monogamy and a staunch stance against the dowry system, contrasting with neighbouring tribal customs. Divorce is not permitted within their community.

Marriage Customs:

Totos uphold their identity and ethnicity by marrying within their tribe, practising four types of marriages: escape (Chor-behoea), love (Lamalami), capture (Sambehoea), and negotiation (Thulbehoea). Cousin marriages also happen, contributing to the prevalence of thalassemia disease among children. While monogamy is prevalent among Totos, polygamy is not explicitly prohibited. Love marriages are permitted, but divorce is strongly discouraged as it is viewed as detrimental to their cultural integrity. Remarriage after the death of a spouse is allowed, with restrictions on marrying a deceased spouse's sibling—women cannot marry their deceased husband's brother, but men can marry their deceased wife's sister.

Economy:

The Toto people primarily engage in agriculture, and cultivating land for various crops. Each household maintains a family garden enclosed by bamboo fences, where they grow potatoes, vegetables, and bananas. They consume pork, venison, poultry, and fish, with some households raising cows and pigs as part of their livelihood. Others find employment on nearby plantations, where they are recognized for their quiet and dependable work ethic. The crops they cultivate include maize, finger millet, areca seeds, cardamom, ginger, oranges, sal, and chegun.

Current Population:

The Toto population according to a decade-back research was 1385 and has been dwindling. The decline is worsened by the presence of the prevalent Thalassemia condition, known as one of the silent threats to the tribe's survival.

Taboos:

In the past, marriages or sexual relationships with individuals from outside communities such as Bihari, Nepali, and Mech (Bodo) were considered punishable offences among the Toto people. Even sharing meals with outsiders, except for Lepchas and Bhutias, was seen as offensive. The community has a tradition called Sangailaomi or Sangai-Lam-Pami, which involves a confession ceremony before the entire clan.

Culture & Traditions:

Beliefs:

The Toto people, consider themselves Hindus and also worship nature. They fear and revere various gods, including Ishpa and Cheima. Ishpa, residing in the Bhutan Hills, is appeased with animal sacrifices and fermented drink offerings, while Cheima is honoured for village protection with rice, poultry, and drink offerings. They worship natural elements like forests and rivers, preferring rooster sacrifices to impress deities. Celebrating three festivals yearly, their rituals are conducted with enthusiasm and adherence to traditional guidelines. Their place of worship, called Gohati, holds sacred significance. The Goshu, their traditional weapon used for animal sacrifice, is known locally in Nepali as Patan or Patla. Made of iron and approximately three feet long, it is thrown from a distance to kill the target.

Homes:

Totos construct their houses using clay, straw, bamboo, and thatch, creating huts with four-cornered walls. Within these huts, the kitchen, poultry-rearing, and pig-rearing spaces are separated from the central living area. Their staple diet traditionally consists of millet. However, they have incorporated Bengali and Nepali foods such as fish, meat, vegetables, and rice into their diet. On special occasions, they indulge in a unique drink called Eu, prepared from fermented rice, marua, malt, and powder. Eu is served in Purva (mud glass) and Poipa (wooden glass).