Tharus of Chitwan: Tharu Special

The Tharu are the largest and most important of the various tribal groups occupying the Tarai zone of southern Nepal. The group is made up of many subgroups, each with its own language and cultural distinctions. Their language has slowly transformed from the original language to a mixture of local dialects, from which most of the subgroups take their name.The origin of the Tharu is not clear. Some claim them to be migrants from the Thar desert in Rajasthan, India. Others say that these are the descendants of the children who were born out of the liaisons between the Rajput women and their servants who fled the Muslman invaders. They are, however, clearly Mongoloid in their facial features.Their language has slowly transformed from the original language to a mixture of local dialects, from which most of the subgroups take their name. The nearly 39,000 Chitwan Tharu live in the Chitwan district.

Tradition and Culture :

Traditional Tharu homes are usually single-storied structures with straw roofs, their sizes depending upon the size of each family. While some are only 30 feet in length, others may be 125 feet long and have a width of up to 25 feet. They take great pride in keeping their homes clean. The women commonly decorate the walls of their homes with colorful paintings of elephants, horses, parrots, and flowers. Married women also adorn their hands, legs, and breasts with elaborate and artistic tattoos, although this practice is becoming less common.

Tharu Meusim :

To exploer Thrus more in deep and aiming to provide more information "Tharu Meusim " has been established over Chitwan. Once you be in Meusium you will gain a lot about Tharu culture and many more. While for the Tharus dance performance can be watch over Tharu Stadium where Tharus group used to perform dance program 3 days in a week.

Tharu Socialism

Traditional Tharu homes are usually single-storied structures with straw roofs, their sizes depending upon the size of each family. While some measure 30 to 40 feet in length, others are as long as 100 to 125 feet with a width of 20 to 25 feet. They take great pride in keeping their homes clean. The women commonly decorate the walls of their homes with colorful paintings of elephants, horses, parrots, and flowers. Married women also adorn their hands, legs, and breasts with elaborate and artistic tattoos, although this practice is becoming less common.

The Tharu family is an extended structure and remains so for a period of three to four generations. The family unit is headed by the oldest member whose word is law. Within each village, one of the wiser, older men is selected and made the village representative or sort of "chieftain." He is authorized to select a group of elders with whom he can sit and discuss various matters pertaining to the welfare of the village, making beneficial decisions with their help.

Most Tharu marriages occur when the children are quite young. A boy of 8 or 9 will be married off to a girl of 15 to 16. They reason that this age imbalance provides an extra worker (the woman). Generally, there are two types of marriages. One is the magi bawaha, where all the relevant rituals are completed. The other is the chori biwaha, where the female is abducted.

While the women handle the household chores, the outside work is done entirely by the men, except for collecting fodder, which is done by the young girls of the village.