 | This article possibly contains original research .(September 2021) |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
•  India •  Nepal *  Pakistan | |
| Languages | |
| • Hindi • Maithili .Awadhi • Bhojpuri . Angika • Marwari Punjabi [ citation needed ] | |
| Religion | |
| • Hinduism, Jainism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| • Muslim Halwai • Bania • Vaishya |
Halwai is an Indian caste, whose traditional occupation was confectionery and sweet-making. The name is derived from the word Halwa plough.
Balarama is the celebrated plougher so called Halwahi or Halwai, one of the pillars of agriculture along with livestock with whom Krishna is associated with. The plough is Balarama's weapon. In the Bhagavata Purana, he uses it to fight demons, dig a way for Yamuna river to come closer to Vrindavan and pull the entire capital of Hastinapura into the Ganges river. [1]
Baba Ganinath Govindji is the kul Guru (school) of Halwai caste. [2]
The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Halwai as a subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste. [3] At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 83,869 people (0.3% of the population of Nepal) were Halwai. The frequency of Halwais by province was as follows:
The frequency of Halwais was higher than national average (0.3%) in the following districts: [4]
Balarama is a Hindu god. The elder brother of Vāsudeva-Krishna he is described in the Bhagavata Purana as the highest form of divinity that expanded into Vishnu and creation. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana.
Dhobi known in some places as Dhoba, Rajaka, or Madivala is a Scheduled caste in India and the greater Indian subcontinent whose traditional occupations are washing, ironing and agricultural workers.
Gurung or Tamu are an ethnic group indigenous to the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurung people predominantly live around the Annapurna region in Manang, Mustang, Dolpo, Kaski, Lamjung, Gorkha, Parbat,Tanahun and Syangja districts of Nepal. They are one of the main Gurkha tribes.
Kurmi is traditionally a non-elite tiller caste in the lower Gangetic plain of India, especially southern regions of Awadh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bihar. The Kurmis came to be known for their exceptional work ethic, superior tillage and manuring, and gender-neutral culture, bringing praise from Mughal and British administrators alike.
Chhetri, historically called Kshettriya or Kshetriya or Khas are Nepali speaking Rajputs of Khas community, some of whom trace their origin to migration from medieval India. Chhetri was a caste of administrators, governor and military elites in the medieval Khas Kingdom and Gorkha Kingdom. The nobility of the Gorkha Kingdom mainly originated from Chhetri families. They also had a strong presence in civil administration affairs. The bulk of prime ministers of Nepal before the democratization of Nepal belonged to this caste as a result of the old Gorkhali aristocracy. Gorkha-based aristocratic Chhetri families included the Pande dynasty, the Basnyat dynasty, the Kunwar family, and the Thapa dynasty,.
Bardiya District, one of the seventy-seven Districts of Nepal, is part of Lumbini Province of Nepal. The district, with Gulariya as its headquarters, covers an area of 2,025 km2 (782 sq mi) and according to the 2001 census the population was 382,649 in 2011 it has 426,576.
Jhapa District is a district of Koshi Province in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi Surjapuri language word "Jhapa", meaning "to cover" (verb). The 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the district at 994,090. The total area of the district is 1,606 square kilometres.
Kailali District, a part of Sudurpashchim Province in Terai plain, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. The district, with Dhangadhi as its district headquarters, covers an area of 3,235 square kilometres (1,249 sq mi) and has a population 911,155 and, .
Chamar is a Dalit community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of affirmative action. They are found throughout the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the northern states of India and in Pakistan and Nepal.
Sarki/Mijar is an occupational caste in Nepal. They are found in the region of the Himalayas, Nepal, across the hills of Darjeeling & Kalimpong and in Terai area of Dooars. They are experts in playing their musical instrument "Madal" and performing dance in a group which is also called “Khayali Marooni”. According to the 2021 Nepal census, Sarki makes up 1.55% of Nepal's population. Sarki are referred to in the Nepali and Thakali languages.
Kami is an Indo-Aryan Nepali speaking group that primarily worked as metalsmiths. Later Nepal abolished its grading system. The tribal designation of Khas is given in only a few contexts. the Government of Nepal legally abolished the caste-system and criminalized any caste-based discrimination, including "untouchability" - in the year 1963 A.D. With Nepal's step towards freedom and equality, Nepal, previously ruled by a Hindu monarchy was a Hindu nation which has now become a secular state, and on 28 May 2008, it was declared a republic, ending it as the Hindu Kingdom. Even though it is illegal to discriminate people based on their caste, these people are widely discriminated in Nepal. A large portion of people still discriminate Kami and other so-called lower castes. While a small minority of the population claims that the problems related to caste based discrimination are no longer present in Nepal, many are fully aware that these problems are rooted not only in tradition and culture, but also religion. Caste based discrimination and violence are a grim reality of Nepali society with numerous people losing their lives due to racially motivated mobs. Both the Government and many other INGO are working hand-in-hand in order to uproot the problem by targeting grassroot issues such as education, awareness and employment.
Rajapur is a municipality in Bardiya District in Lumbini Province of south-western Nepal. The municipality was established on 18 May 2014 merging the existing Daulatpur, Naya Gaun, Badalpur, Bhimapur, Manpur Tapara and Rajapur village development committees (VDCs). It is located on the border with Uttar Pradesh state, India. It has a customs checkpoint for goods. Indian and Nepalese nationals may cross the border without restriction.
Gauriganga Municipality is a municipality in Kailali District in the Sudurpashchim Province. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 55,314 living in 5,293 individual households. It is Surrounded by Ghodaghodi Municipality in the west, Godawari Municipality in the east, Mohanyal and Chure Rural Municipality in the north and Dhangadhi Sub Metropolitan City and Kailari Rural Municipality in the south.
Godawari formerly known as Attariya Municipality is a municipality located in the Kailali District of Nepal.
Dipayal Silgadhi is a municipality and the district headquarters of Doti District in Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal. Previously, it also served as the headquarters of the Far-Western Development Region. It lies in the Lesser Himalayas on the bank of Seti River. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 32,941 people living in 7,447 individual households.
Bahun, also known as Hill Brahmins, are a Brahmin varna among the Khas of Nepal. Their origins are from the Himalayan belt of South Asia. According to the 2011 Nepal census, Bahun is the second most populous group after Chhetri.
Kandu or Kanu (Halwai) is a social group or caste that belongs to the Vaishya varna of the Hindu religion. The community is also referred to as Madheshia Vaishya. They are also identified with the term Bania of the Tirhut and Madhesi region, representing a community that has been historically associated with sweet-making, smaller trading activities, business, shop-keeping, grain -parching etc. in the eastern parts of India.
The "Thakuri" is a royal tribe of Nepal. It constitutes the historical ruling class and is composed of the descendants of the Great Khasa Malla kingdom rulers in Baisi and the descendants of Magarat in Chaubisi principalities. The Shah royal family of Nepal also belonged to the Chaubisi principalities.
Bhagwanpur is a rural municipality in Siraha District in Province No. 2 of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 20957 people living. It is located nearly 370 kilometers or 107 miles east of the capital, Kathmandu.
Rajpur Rural Municipality is a municipal unit in Dang District, Lumbini Province in western Nepal. It was formed by a combination of the erstwhile Bela and Rajpur Village Development Committees. The center of the Rural Municipality is located at Gangdi.