Tamang

Tamang

Regarding their origin, they have been living in the hilly areas near Kathmandu

valley for ages and are the oldest indigenous people. In later tissmes, they have

started to move to other place for settlement - Nuwakot, Rasuwa,

Sindhupalanchok district. They live on the slope land to the south of Ganesh

and Langtang Himal. Tamang have the fifth largest population.

Tamang follow Buddhist religion. They conduct their religious activities and

rituals according to Buddhist traditions. They have their own mother tongue.

There are sub- divisions of this caste. Some of them are Yonjan, Moktan,

Ghising, Singden, Waiba, Samden, Thakur, Thing, Nardin, Bomjan, Gole,

Gomdan, Niton, Lochan, Lo, Dong, Pakhrin, Chwawa, etc.

Tamang caste's naming ceremony is held three days after the Chhoi (touching)

day of the birth according to location or hand of the community which is done

by Lama or the priest. Pasni ( fooding ) ceremony is held in five and six month

for the daughter and the son respectively. Likewise, if we talk about their death

ritual then the dead body is put on cot ( khat ) or basket and Dhangre or conch

shell ( shankha) is played (blown) as the Lama chants mantra. This is how dead

body is taken to the place ceremation there are both traditions of burning or

burying the dead body. Relatives and neighbors also go to the burning ghat.

After returning from the ghat, people take wine and food; then dismiss. Salt is

avoided when one of the kin dies. This progress continues for 13 days which is

called Sykurstinsi. This praying (Pitriuddar) ceremony is done in 6 months

which is called Ghewa. During the rituals, Lama read holy book. Relatives are

invited to the party. Chaitya is bulit near the village in the name of the dead. It

is called mane or mano.