bhutias speak sikkimese, which is also referred to as dranjongke, written in the tibetan script, proper. men and women wear "bakhus", while for women only this is accompanied by a "hongu" (blouse) around which they tie a woolen cloth around their waist called "pangden" if they are married. on special occasions they wear a scarf called a "khada," which has become common feature in the sikkimese society and culture even among the nepalese of sikkim. historically, the bhutia practiced polyandry before the nineteenth century; during the nineteenth century, wife-sharing among male siblings was also practiced, however neither tradition survives today. marriage rituals are traditionally elaborate and festive, officiated by a village chief as opposed to a buddhist lamas; late marriage and divorce are not uncommon practices among the bhutia.