Table of Contents
Introduction:- The Tharu Community: Culture and Lifestyle
The Tharu people, an indigenous ethnic group, inhabit the Terai region of southern Nepal and northern India. They communicate through the Tharu languages and have official recognition as a nationality by the Government of Nepal. In the Indian Terai, their primary habitat extends to Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The Government of India officially designates the Tharu people as a Scheduled Tribe.
Consisting of different groups with distinct dialects, dress, customs, rituals, and social structures, the Tharu people identify themselves as a forest community. In Chitwan, they have lived in forests for centuries and practiced low-fallow shifting cultivation. Their agricultural activities include the cultivation of rice, wheat, mustard, maize, and pulses, as well as gathering wild fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants, and construction materials. Additionally, they engage in hunting deer, rabbit, wild boar, and fishing in rivers and oxbow lakes.
The Rana Tharus maintained isolation in their areas, avoiding seeking employment abroad. This choice contributed to the development of a distinct culture, untouched by outside influences from the hill ethnic groups of neighboring India or Nepal. Notable in their environment are decorated rice containers and vibrant paintings on the verandahs and outer walls of their houses, made from locally available materials such as mud, clay, cow dung, and grass. Rooted in devotional practices, these designs have been passed down through generations, sometimes incorporating contemporary elements such as buses or airplanes.
Tharu communities in different regions of Nepal and India communicate in different languages. Various local Tharu languages are spoken among them. In western Nepal and adjacent parts of India, the Tharu people converse in Hindi, Urdu, and Awadhi. A Bhojpuri variant is prevalent in and around central Nepal, while a Maithili variant is spoken in eastern Nepal.
Although more standardized versions of these dialects are commonly used by non-Tharu residents in the same areas, facilitating communication between the Tharu and their neighbors, linguistic barriers exist between these dialects, which make it difficult for Tharu people from different regions to speak. Interrupt communication between them.
Sakhiya dance is a traditional Tharu community performance held during the Dashain and Tihar festivals, involving unmarried young girls and boys. Another culturally significant dance is the Lathi Naach, also known as the Tharu stick dance, mainly performed during the Dashain festival. Rooted in Tharu culture, this dance has gained popularity as a tourist attraction in Nepal, especially in the Chitwan district.
The Tharu people celebrate Maghe Sankranti on the first day of the Nepali month Magha, usually in mid-January. Depending on the place they call this day Magh, Maghi, Tila Sankranti, Khichra, and Khichdi. In the western region of Nepal, they celebrate Ashtimaki on the day of Krishna Janmashtami. On this day, people of the Tharu community create a special artwork known as Ashtimaki Chitra on the wall of the living room of the village elders’ house. The art of painting is related to the creation of the universe. In the eastern Terai, the Tharu people celebrate Jur Sital by sprinkling water on each other in the month of Vaishakha on the first day of the year.
The elders poured water on the foreheads and heads of the younger ones to give blessings, while the youth poured water on the feet of the elders to pay respect. Compatriots sprinkle water on each other’s bodies.
Tharu women of central and eastern Nepal celebrate Jitiya, one of the most important Tharu festivals. They observe fast or fast for the welfare of their children. Eastern Tharu celebrates Sama Chakeva in the month of Kartik to honor the brother-sister relationship. The sisters make clay idols of Shama, Chakeva, Sathabhainya, Chugala, and a dog, among others.
