The Doya, also known as the Lhop, are an indigenous tribe located in southwest Bhutan. They are considered by the Bhutanese to be the aboriginal inhabitants of the country and primarily reside in the low valleys of Dorokha Gewog and near Phuntsholing in the Duars.
The Doya people follow a unique cultural and religious framework characterized by a blend of Tibetan Buddhism and animism. Their social customs include matrilineal descent and cross-cousin marriage. Distinctive funerary practices involve embalming the deceased and placing them in a foetal position within circular sarcophagi above the ground.
In terms of attire, the dress of the Lhop resembles that of the Lepcha people. However, they bear little similarity to the Bhutia people of the north or the Toto people of the west.