To conclude, a large majority of Nepalis, whether high, middle, low, or some other in-between status, socialize and work and, therefore, spend a large chunk of their time with members within the three inner circles. Having said this, I completely agree with you on the point that there is internal hierarchies among Newars as with other groups. I hope that helps clarify some of your objections! Kanya Daan is also known as the giving away of the bride, and it includes that last rituals that take place at the brides house before she goes with the procession to the grooms house. A reception was later hosted by Prabodhs family at Hotel Annapurna, located in the heart of Kathmandu. Shahi are also from the Clan of Gills. According to the data, Shah is ranked #573 in terms of the most common surnames in America. (modern). The Nepal Monitor, a Nepali human rights organisation, has recorded 26 cases of caste-based discrimination or violence so far this year. At the swayambar, priests from both the bride and grooms sides were present to conduct the traditional Hindu ceremony that would officially marry the couple. Lets have a look. Given the strong familial and social expectations to self-segregate, which ultimately ends up facilitating their marriage to someone from ones marriage family group, how many will defy the overt and covert pressures and, instead, marry outside? They hail from Himachal. /shh/ imperial adjective before noun. Lets look at the communities of Shresthas and Shahis belonging to the Newar ethnicity. .. grow up Newars before you are extinctLets all be United and fight for Single identity as Newarsperiod. Despite the variety of cultures in Nepal and the different kinds of marriages, Nepali weddings remain constant in one thing: color. Activist Gaura Nepali of the Centre for Dalit Women Nepal says inter-caste marriages could be a powerful tool to end caste-based discrimination. what are the 3 odd numbers just before 200 003? All four families overlapping with them, our Shrestha family here could potentially establish a familial alliance with through marriage. And of course, within the community of Tangbetanis, while there are those one cannot obviously marry because of, again, patrilineage, there are also those one SHOULDNT marry because of their lower status within the community or cant hope to marry because they come from a higher status family! Social ranking also exists within the groups that make up a caste. For other potential spellings of this name click here. The caste system defines social classes by a number of hierarchical endogamous groups often termed jaat. Janajati groups in Nepal are neither culturally homogeneous nor are they so linguistically . The most inferior, those at the bottom, have little choice but to limit themselves to their own kind because those above them wont accommodate them. Can you told me about junchebu Shrestha why not mentioning, Acharju and karmacharya have same gotra upamanya. The 2011 Nepal census classifies the Thakuri as a subgroup within the broader social group of Hill Chhetri (together with Chhetri and Sanyasi/Dasnami). To begin with, the high castes (wearers of the holy thread) are divided into Bahuns (Brahmins) and Chettris, the former being of higher status. The police initially refused to register a complaint on behalf of Angira Pasi, detaining Bhar and his family members only after public outrage. This stands true especially in this modern era where the distinction between them is getting blurred. 2. Marrying and living within relatively small bubbles and valuing those within those bubbles more than others has some dire consequences for the society, which will be the topic of follow up blog posts. They often face caste-based discrimination. The Dalits live at the bottom of Nepals traditional social order, known as the caste system, a 2000-year-old Hindu custom that violates civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights by many international standards. Again a discussion of that would be way beyond the scope of this blog. There is stratification within pretty much every ethnic group. What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? Of course, only eight families are shown just for illustration. Nuanced understanding is ABSOLUTELY needed! Thank you for your response and please dont think of my response as a criticism of your post, I just wanted to add that one bit which I thought was worthy of a mention. This almost signifies a goodbye as the bride then leaves the house and goes to the grooms housewhich for me was across international borders.. I dont think I have indicated that the gradation found between or within ethnicities are ENTIRELY based on the Manusmriti. The latter part of the ceremony was extremely emotional for me, especially when my family provided me with blessings and gifts. There will be more follow-up posts on the topic. Later, Aditi sat while Prabodh put red vermilion pigment along the part in her hair three times. social standing), segregate themselves even from many others of their own ethnic group. Here Shahi is a Jat clan. Friends Nabaraj BK, 20, Sanju BK, 21, Lokendra Sunar, 18, Tikaram Sunar, 20, Govinda Shahi, 17, and Ganesh Budha, 17, died on 23 May, after a dispute with a family. Here it is: Having said all that, as an IMPORTANT aside, I would like to point out that I am NOT arguing that Nepalis in the above examples NOT crossing ethnic and/or caste boundaries is ENTIRELY because of beliefs about hierarchy or informed by hierarchy based on the Hindu concepts of caste, derived from the Manusmriti. Now, in light of your comments, I am realizing keeping that sentence might have been helpful! On the same day as Nabarajs death, it emerged that a 12-year-old Dalit girl was found dead in another part of the country. why we can not feel gravitational force around us? Etymology [ edit] Shahi is superior caste of Thakuri ( thakur) in Nepal. What caste is Shahi in Nepal? Newar Chhatharey Shrestha wear Janai. places where shahis are found: Afghanistan, Pakistan,kashmir, rajasthan, Punjab, haryana,uttaranchal, up, mp, bihar, Nepal. Copyright 2013-2020 Dorje Gurung.OceanWP Theme by Nick; Whats amazing about the graded inequality in the caste system is that its found even within my people of Upper Mustang, who are all Tibetan-Buddhists and ethnic-Tibetan (, Members of families belonging to different Family Groups following the practice of not inter-marrying generation after generation is now the Nepalis. Since we combined Indian and Nepali traditions, it was even more drawn-out than usual, explains Akriti. This is also because a woman marries into a man's house. Of course, naturally, some from different ethnicities or castes do find themselves getting close but end up up suffering as their relationship is unacceptable to one or both families. Khadgi bhaneko scheduled caste ho ki hoina? The Dalits The Dalits live at the bottom of Nepal's traditional social order, known as the caste system, a 2000-year-old Hindu custom that violates civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights by many international standards. As it was an arranged marriage, we were made to meet through an aunt who was known to both of us, explains Aditi. There was a dance party at the end with family members young and old and friends from all over the world grooving to English, Nepali, and Hindi songs.The ceremony was long and emotional. [7], Thakuris constitute the aristocracy and possess the high social, ritual and political status. Among 125 listed caste and ethnic groups in the census, 63 are classified as Janajati among which Tharu, Magar, Gurung, Tamang, Newar, Sherpa, Limbu . As for within Bahuns, the highest caste, the Upadhayay, for example, occupy the top spot! The janti parade route goes past Pashupatinath, a famous Shiva temple complex. Should you put insulation in crawl space? These two horrific incidents are among the 27 cases of caste-based discrimination and violence that Nepal Monitor has compiled in 2020 alone, and Dalit activists say that many more cases have gone unreported. And while in the United States, the couple may talk to family and friends regarding their availability and check to see if their first-choice venue has already been booked, in Nepal, an astrologer makes this major decision. Dalit villagers in Tamakhani, Solukhumbu, Nepal. Thats a lot of them! So, what has ended up happening is something I pointed out in the first of the blog posts in this series: Self-segregation driven by expectations and pressure from the society and reinforced by members of the two inner circles help maintain the above division. There have been multiple reports of segregation between Dalits and non-Dalits in government quarantine facilities, and the economic pain brought on by the lockdown has hit many Dalits, who were already disproportionately poor, the hardest. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them. Before the wedding there was a sangeetwhich translates to music night or musical party. This is where both the bride and the grooms families let their hair down and mingle before the wedding in a relaxed environment. to Shudras (Maharjan, Dangol, etc to all the artisan castes like Prajapati, Manandhar, Chitrakar, Balami, Ranjitkar, Karanjit, Nakami, etc.) The reason? The center of the kingdom was Simraungadh () which is now located in the Bara district, Nepal. (And I illustrate this point with no intention of ill will but purely for academic argument based on our societys past) A Shrestha will not marry Shahi because of the very Manusmriti based notions of caste/varna where a Shrestha thinks the Shahi is ritually unclean, the touch of that person will defile the Shrestha and will require purification. In 1097 AD King Nanya Dev of the Karnat dynasty established his kingdom in the Mithila region (Tirahut). Bennett, Lynn, Dilli Ram Dahal and Pav Govindasamy, 2008. So a Newar Shrestha/Shahi comparison is appropriate when compared with Chhetri/Damai or even more aptly with Madheshi Rajput/Kalwar groups. But, even now, social interactions between them is more limited than one would expect. Rural municipality in Nepal resets local WASH governance. As a matter of fact, when Nepalis talk about us and them the them generally refers to those beyond the third concentric circle. I would be very surprised if this were NOT the feature of most other communities belonging to other ethnic groups as well. The second point you make starts off saying with 2. the other confusing part of this surname is many of the shahis are bhumihaaar bhramins (bhramin clan). Pretty much every ethnic group is made of a number of different communities of people. We belong to newar community as well from Bhaktapur. Top 30 Bestselling Nepali Books Of Last Decade You DoNot Want To Miss, Untold Story Of Bindu Pariyar, From Village Of Kaski To Dallas Strip Clubs, 28 BEAUTIFUL PICTURES FROM DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS OF NEPAL TO PROVE UNITY IN DIVERSITY, How To Count Points/Maal In Nepali Card Game Marriage? The Nepalese caste system broadly borrows the classical Chaturvarnashram model consisting of four broad social classes or varna: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Sudra. No matter how poor a Shrestha is, his mind will always have a sense of superiority over a rich Shahi. According to my grandfather they used janai thats all i know, Actualy some chathariya shrestha newar belongs to Brhamin family of mithila..But there is some wrong happened from our malla Kings Because they made caste by work field but some jyapu also worked in durbar and there sure name become shrestha and now they don't have gotra..in my opinion, But I m belonging from upamannyu gotra so smoothly let me know my brotherhood, I wanna know originate fromwhere upamannyu Hottas newar, You can also wear jeneu 6 Dora if you're pure shrestha. Love from Canada. [4] Traditionally, the Thakuris' main occupations involved government, agriculture and military. How can virtual classrooms help students become more independent and self-motivated learners. A scene from Prabodh Shahi and Aditi Ranas wedding. so if you find shahi from up, bihar and Nepal they could be bhumihaars. Most higher caste people are in positions of leadership, while Dalits are held back economically, socially, culturally and . Originally a natural religion, this caste has always been very proud of being a Thakuri. Shrestha is in chathariya, if you don't know the history don't waste your time writing these all. 3. Caste is broader term used to represent certain group of people like - poudel, basnet, neupane, khadka, shrestha etc. There are clear evidences of substantial improvements in socio-economic statuses of people but with great variations based on gender, caste . (As a matter of fact, the MAIN topic is so vast that this is only the second one in the series! They are often hired by the British military as Gorkha soldiers because of their work ethic and bravery. The descendants of their ruling family are still called Sahi Jats. With a population split between a variety of tribes and ethnic affiliations, there is no single wedding style or practice, writes Nadya Agrawal in The Essential Guide to Nepali Weddings. Hinduism and Buddhism are the most widely practiced religions in Nepal, but the engagement and wedding traditions in each can differ greatly. khandayat)and comes from rajput ,in north side this title rarely How brilliant is that?! [8] Most of the Thakuris are agriculturalists in Western Nepal except few aristrocratic families in the capital city. [5] Many historians contended that the theory of Rajput descent was used for political purposes by the various ruling families of Nepal. We are yandyo but it is not mentioned here..Why?? The gradation, as has already been hinted at, does NOT end thereof course! (Right)At the end of Akriti Shrestha and Saumitra Dixits wedding, the bride makes final preparations before departingfromher home with her new husband. February 2021. Contributing to that is the lack of knowledge and understanding about one another. The brilliance of the insidious caste system, to me, is what Ambedkar calls its inherent graded inequality.. Ad Choices. Surnames like Shahi, Chand, Hamal, Sen, Sihan etc. [2], Thakuris traditionally constituted the ruling and warrior classes, and claimed ancient royal descent[3] Thakuris are a high socio-political group considered to have arisen from intermarriage between Khas, Magars, and perhaps Indian Rajput immigrants. It is also a shorter form of Shahryar and is often used in names with a political or aristocratic meaning. The social divisions of all other groups of Nepal is not based on Hindu principles (whether they are not influenced by it is another matter), but rather based on their own ancient tribal or clan system that is natural for every tribe or clan. [4] The children born from a Brahman father and a Thakuri mother is categorized into a new caste called "Hamal".[3]. we are sainju but it is not mention in the list why. Now that you have learned and understood the common ways of saying Shahi in Nepali is "", it's time to learn how to say Shahi in Nepali. Caste, Ethnic and Regional Identity inNepal: Further Analysis of the 2006 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey. Furthermore, members belonging to pretty much every one of the rest of the seven named ethnic groups could likely describe the status of their own ethnicity relative to the rest. A priest concludes the ceremony by reciting a hymn saying that all assembled wish the couple good luck and prosperity. A few days later, Prabodh traveled from his home to Aditis in the evening. Locals at Thimi Bhatkapur watching Newar festival Bisket Jatra (Pic elpais.com), Anything missing? After hearing that Nabaraj's body had been found that night in the river, Gobinda's mother Bima Kumari was so worried she sent her eldest son . As of 1921, Suvarnabaniks and Sahas had good literacy rate which was in the order mentioned. Nepali sociologist Harka Bahadur Gurung noted that the Thakuri is the Nepalese version of the Hindi word Thakur which means 'master of the estate'. Just for an example, although both look and seem similar, we cannot get a true picture if we make a comparison American blacks and South Asian dalits because the history and complexities and outlook between the two groups while on the surface level may seem similar, is vastly differing. I discovered the reason only as a young adult: his wife came from a family of lower status from ours! In this follow up blog post, I go into the details of how the intricate gradations dictates a crucial activity: family alliances, i.e. As with many other societies of Arabia or China or Europe, such a society stems from ruler-serf traditions where 4-jaat were probably the ruling/powerful clans who overtime dominated other groups and developed the sense of superiority. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. Typically, the groom travels in either a decorated car or horse-drawn carriagePrabodh made the trip by caraccompanied by family members, friends, and often a band, wearing a new outfit, a tika, and a garland of flowers and dubo or durva grass, which is a symbol of long life. Inspired by the American #BlackLivesMatter campaign, Dalit activists have launched a #DalitLivesMatter social media campaign to demand justice for BK, Pasi, and others who have been killed. Aditi and Prabodh sat next to each other, but on separate mats, as the priests began the series of rituals by performing a puja or ceremony. [9] At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 425,623 people (1.6% of the population of Nepal) were Thakuri. For a long time, tradition dictated that the bride and the groom couldnt see each other at all before they married, but in some areas, families are now allowing the couple to set a date to meet and talk before the actual wedding. They kept their relationship platonic for a year before they eventually started dating, and the two saw each other for five years before things became more serious. The Shah descendants claimed to be of Rajput origin. In part I of this series, I outlined how Nepali society is made up of a caste-dictated structures. According to the 2011 Census Report, the population of Nepal is made up of 126 caste/ethnic groups! While choosing a wedding date with an astrologer is a common thread through most Nepali weddings, beyond that, they are as varied as the Nepalese people. Acharya > Bahun > Kaudinya (Purbiya) 2. These people, who live on western mountains of Nepal inhabit lands ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. The five castes (see image), the five social groups, are graded top to bottom. (Left)On the third day of Prabodh Shahi and Aditi Ranas wedding festivities, the grooms familyperformeda pujaceremony and then walked to the brides familys home in a parade called thejanti. How much is a biblical shekel of silver worth in us dollars? Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa is reported to have said that the young men ran and jumped into the river, and Attorney General Agni Kharel stated that the facts collected by the government-formed probe committee may be different from facts reported in the media. It may also occur in the variant forms:. Regarding the Rukum incident, the government has formed a five-member probe team to investigate the deaths. To find your choice, press Control+F and type the surname to see which caste/community/ethnic group and sub-caste/clan it falls under. During the sangeet, toasts were given and the newlyweds did their first dance to a Bollywood song from the movie Baar Baar Dekho: Nachde Ne Saare. There were choreographed performances, speeches by my parents, a friend from Australia, and Sams cousins, remembers Akriti. Newars are the people native to Kathmandu valley. A child at the banquet after the janti ceremony. Caste endogamy (marriage) as well as food and diet rules govern how he treats the Shahi. Red and green are the dominant hues in Nepali weddings, speaking to love, vitality, and tradition, writes Agrawal. The most common Newari surnames could be Shrestha, Manandhar, Shakya etc but you might be surprised to know there are more than 115 surnames in this caste. Activists calling for justice for the Dalit victims have reason to be skeptical of the government probe. On the same day, in Rupandehi in southern Nepal, a 13-year-old Dalit girl named Angira Pasi was raped by a 25 year old man, Birendra Bhar, who was her neighbour and who belonged to a privileged caste. She then made seven statements or vows before taking a seat on the left side of Prabodh. Shrestha thinks of himself as a Hindu-Kshatriya of his society and the overarching role as a patron caste and expects to be treated by others as one, and sees the Shahi as a outcaste Shudra. Supriya Manandhar, Dewan Rai, June 15, 2020, Kathmandu. Famous for its high peaks and wind-whipped prayer flags, Hindu-majority Nepal used to be a nation unreached by Christianity. Newars Have More Than 115 Surnames, How Many Of Them You Know? See below for pie charts breaking down the married population of the country by the age they were when they got married for the first time. Illustration by: Supriya Manandhar (Supriya Manandhar) Caste discrimination in Nepal is costing Dalits their lives, even nine years after the enactment of the Caste-Based Discrimination and . As was alluded to earlier, apart from the so-called High Castes, the Khas-aryas, other castes are made up of different ethnic groups (see image below for an example). India has thousands of castes and subcastes, they are in existence and practice since the Vedic times. Your California Privacy Rights. Preparing saipata, a selection of gifts for the bride, given by the grooms parents. The former royal family of Nepal also belong to this tribe. To begin with, many families do put their children even adult children through mental and emotional agony over marriage. [40] See also Caste system in Nepal Hinduism in Nepal What percentage would have involved an arranged marriage between a couple from vastly different social status, whether from a community or an ethnic group or from different ethnic groups belonging to the same caste? These days an astrologer might come up with a few auspicious dates, she says. Aditis Hindu marriage to her now-husband Prabodh Shahi was completely arranged by their parents. The Nepalese government has established an independent high-level committee to investigate the killings of six young men, including four Dalits, whose deaths drew condemnation from the UN human rights chief. We are equipped with a substantially sized wedding and party hall in our new location on 680 Amboy Avenue Woodbridge NJ 07095. He also claimed that the community had to face several problems after they were enlisted as Dalits. The caste with the largest ratio of representation in the civil service in Nepal is, the Rajput, who have a presence in the civil service that is 5.6 times that of their presence in the population. ), their idea of high-low was not based on Hindu ideals of pollution and purity, hence they did not traditionally have Brahmin priests nor untouchable castes. Urmila BK, Nabarajs mother, said Sushama had told her son that her parents were arranging her marriage to another man, and had asked Nabaraj to come to the house. The reason thats important is that, again, I agree with Ambedkhar when he declared that the only thing that will dismantle the caste system is inter-caste marriage. The Gurungs too have their own sub-categories: the Char jat and Solah jat (the four and sixteen clans respectively).
