माझी | |
---|---|
Total population | |
Nepal 111,352 [1] | |
Languages | |
Majhi language, Nepali | |
Religion | |
Hinduism 82%, Prakriti 16%, Christianity 1.33% [2] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Tharu people, Danuwar, Darai, Bote |
The Majhi people are an ethnic group indigenous to the inner Terai regions of Nepal. [3] They live on the banks of rivers and streams, fishing, boating, making chillies, and make a living by farming. [4] They speak Majhi language.The territories of Majhi people include hilly and inner Terai regions along the tributaries of Saptakoshi river like Sunkoshi, Tamakoshi, Dudhkoshi, Arun, Barun, Likhu, and Tamur. [5] They have their own distinct language, religion, culture, rituals, custom and lifestyles. The Majhis belongs to the most marginalized group. [6] [7]
The word Majhi means fishermen in Nepali. The present day Majhi narrate multiple stories and beliefs about the origin of their ethnic group. Many older Majhi from Sindhuli and Ramechap districts are of the view that Majhi are descendants of the people related with the Hindu epics such as the Ramayana. A legend suggests that Tharu, Danuwar, Bote and Majhi were family members. [8]
Majhi people live alongside the rivers of Nepal with ancestral occupations of boating and fishing. [9] Their distinct folklore, songs, and dances often celebrate the beauty and power of the rivers. The community's traditional wooden boats, known as "dohis," have become emblematic of their way of life. [10] For generations, the Majhi community has played a pivotal role in facilitating transportation and trade, ferrying people, goods, and livestock across Nepal's rivers. There’s similarity in custom and occupation of Bote or Majhi people though they live in different places of Nepal. Living besides river, fishing boating, looking for gold, farming and rearing animals are the main occupations of these people. They have different tradition of birth, death, wedding, feast and festivals from other races. [11]
Majhi people speak Majhi language (also known as Majhi Kuro or Majhi Bhasa) which is spoken in central and eastern Nepal. According to the census of 2011, there were a total of 24,000 who considered Majhi as their mother tongue. There are some regional dialects of the Majhi language. There are some differences in each district and village. [3]
Majhi people consider themselves as Nature worshippers. [12] Though Majhis do not employ Brahmin priest while performing religious rites, they claim themselves to be Hindu. They observe all such festivals as Baisakh Purnima, Sansari Puja, Aitabare, Shrawan Sankranti, Dashain, Tihar, Godhko dhup, Maghe Sankranti and Chaite Dasain. Additionally, they also offer sacrifice (Panchabali) to gods and celebrate Barden and Bhumi Puja (land-worship), Jhakani Puja to name a few. [8]
The Majhi follow different kinds of marriage system, including cross-cousin marriage, Jaari marriage (marrying another man’s wife), forced marriage, theft marriage and arranged marriage. [8]
The Chepang, also known as Chewang, are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group from the rugged ridges of the Mahabharat mountain range of central Nepal.
The Tharu people are an ethnic group indigenous to the Terai in southern Nepal and northern India. They speak Tharu languages. They are recognized as an official nationality by the Government of Nepal. In the Indian Terai, they live foremost in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Government of India recognizes the Tharu people as a scheduled Indian tribe.
Gulmi District, a part of Lumbini Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Tamghas as its headquarters, covers an area of 1,149 km2 (444 sq mi), had a population of 296,654 in 2001, 280,160 in 2011 and 268,597 in 2016.
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.
Kavrepalanchok District is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. The district, with Dhulikhel as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,396 km2 (539 sq mi). It is a part of Bagmati Province and has a population of 364,039.
Sindhuli District, a part of the Bagmati Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal, a landlocked country located in South Asia. The district, with Sindhulimadhi Kamalamai as its headquarters, covers an area of 2,491 km2 (962 sq mi). As per the 2011 census, Sindhuli District has a population of 296,192.
Sarlahi, a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. According to new laws, a combination of more than two or four villages makes a municipality, which covers an area of 1,259 km2 (486 sq mi) and had a population of 635,701 in 2001,769,729 in 2011 and 862,470 in 2021.
Madheshi people is a term used for several ethnic groups living in the central and eastern Terai region of Nepal. It has also been used as a political pejorative term by the Pahari people of Nepal to refer to non-pahari people with a non-Nepali language as their mother tongue, regardless of their place of birth or residence. The term Madheshi became a widely recognised name for Nepali citizens with an Indian cultural background only after 1990. Madheshi people comprise various cultural groups such as Hindu caste groups, Muslims, Marwaris, Brahmin and Dalit caste groups, ethnic groups like Maithils, Bhojpuri, Awadhi and Bajjika speaking people and indigenous people of the Terai. Many of these groups share cultural traditions, educational and family ties with people living south of the international border in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Tharu people and Pahari people living in the Terai do not consider themselves as Madheshi. In recent times, some politicians and journalists use the term for all Nepali citizens of the Terai.
Ethnic groups in Nepal are delineated using language, ethnic identity or the caste system in Nepal. They are categorized by common culture and endogamy. Endogamy carves out ethnic groups in Nepal.
The Dhimal or Dhemal are an Kirati ethnic group residing in the eastern Terai of Nepal. They are a Sino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group of the eastern Terai. They mainly reside in Morang and Jhapa districts of Nepal and Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. They are respected as the "First Citizens" of Damak municipality.
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.
The Chhantyal are an indigenous people of Nepal. Chhantyals are considered an indigenous group by the Government of Nepal. Most of the Chhantyal dwellings are concentrated in the western part of the country. Baglung and Myagdi are two districts in the Dhaulagiri Zone where most of the Chhantyals are living. Other districts with Chhantyal habitation include Mustang, Gulmi, Rukum, and Parbat. Nowadays, owing to the migration trend there is a notable population of the Chhantyals in Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Rupandehi, Kaski, Dang and Chitwan districts. According to a survey conducted by its sole organization, Nepal Chhantyal Organization, the total population is 16,093 and 1,602 households. Traditionally Chhantyals have been living with other castes in harmony. In some villages Chhantyals are a major group whereas in other villages they are a minority. Chhantyals have their own culture, tradition, rituals, language, and religion.
The Pahadi people are an indigenous group of the Himalayas. Most Indo-Aryan Paharis, however, identify as members of constituent subgroups and castes within the larger Pahari community such as Brahmin, Kshatriya and Dalits.
Kumal is a caste or ethnic group in Nepal, traditionally associated with pottery. Their traditional profession is endangered due to competition from cheaper, more durable industrial pots. Fewer youths learn the skills. They are found to inhabit in the Terai, inner Terai and Mid-hills close to the riverbanks where bioresearches are rich to continue to their traditional occupation. Their traditional dance, the Pangdure, is considered endangered.
Rajdhob or Rajdhov is an indigenous group of people based mainly in Terai of Nepal. In general, they are categorized as Madhesi.
Nawalpur is one of 11 districts of Gandaki Province of Nepal. The headquarters of the district is Kawasoti.
Babai Rural Municipality is a Gaunpalika in Dang District in Lumbini Province of Nepal. On 12 March 2017, the government of Nepal implemented a new local administrative structure, with the implementation of the new local administrative structure, VDCs have been replaced with municipal and Village Councils. Babai is one of these 753 local units. Babai Rural Municipality has area of 257.48 km2. Babai RM is surrounded by Shantinagar Rural Municipality and Dangisharan Rural Municipality in the east, Banke district in the west, Salyan district in the north and in south there is Dangisharan Rural Municipality and Banke district.
Darai people (Nepali:दरै) are an indigenous ethnic tribal community native to Nepal. Most of their population live in hills and inner terai of Nepal in the banks of Narayani river with the largest concentration in Tanahu, Chitwan, Gorkha and Nawalparasi districts. They are known as Daroe, Darhi, Daraie, Daras, Darad and Darai. According to census of 2021 their population is 18,695.
The Danuwar are an ethnic group indigenous to the inner Terai regions of Nepal. They speak Danwar language. Danuwars can be found throughout the hills and Terai regions of central and eastern Nepal but they mainly reside in Sindhuli and Udayapur district. They have close physical and cultural similarities with Tharus of Terai. There are various sub groups largely Rajhan, Kachhade, Rai-Danuwar and Tharu Danuwar.
The Bote people are an ethnic group indigenous to the inner Terai regions of Nepal. They speak Bote language. The Bote people are well-known for ferrying travellers across the rivers through the boats, which often are prepared from the trunks of the trees. They are scattered around the bank of Kaligandaki, Narayani and Rapti River of Nepal. Bote and Majhi people are known as the ‘King of water’. Their ancestral occupation is fishing, boating and searching gold in the river whose settlement is nearby river and forest.The dialect and culture of Bote people in several ways is similar to that of the Danuwars, Darai, Tharus and Majhi.