Thami
Encyclopedia
The Thami are an indigenous tribe of hills east of Kathmandu, Nepal
's capital. They mainly live in Dolakha district in East-Central Nepal
. They are locally known as Thangmi. Their language is Kirant
. According to the 2001 Nepal Census there are a total of 22,999 Thami of which 55.74% were Hindus, 12.41% were Buddhists, 14.60% were Bon and 16.77% were Shamanists.
Legend says that the first Thami couple had seven sons and seven daughters. When the parents could not find suitable marriage partners for their children, they allowed them to intermarry. The Thami people are their descendants.
The Thami earn a meagre living through stone quarrying business,joining military force.To escape this extreme hardship, many have fled to India
to find better jobs. The youth male had to join military force for the living.
The Thami are shamanists, though they have come under strong Buddhist influence from the Tamang
. Hindu
influence can be also seen in their marriage rituals, which is a festival to them. Recently many people of Thami clan are seem to be joining Christianity.
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
's capital. They mainly live in Dolakha district in East-Central Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. They are locally known as Thangmi. Their language is Kirant
Kirant
Kirat or Kirati are indigenous ethnic groups of the Himalayas extending eastward from Nepal into India, Burma and beyond. They migrated to their present locations via Assam, Burma, Tibet and Yunnan in ancient times...
. According to the 2001 Nepal Census there are a total of 22,999 Thami of which 55.74% were Hindus, 12.41% were Buddhists, 14.60% were Bon and 16.77% were Shamanists.
Legend says that the first Thami couple had seven sons and seven daughters. When the parents could not find suitable marriage partners for their children, they allowed them to intermarry. The Thami people are their descendants.
The Thami earn a meagre living through stone quarrying business,joining military force.To escape this extreme hardship, many have fled to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to find better jobs. The youth male had to join military force for the living.
The Thami are shamanists, though they have come under strong Buddhist influence from the Tamang
Tamang
The Tamangs are the ancient and original inhabitants of the mountains and plains of the Himalayan regions of Nepal and India. Their ancient capital being Yambu - modern day Kathmandu. They have their own distinct culture, language and religion. Their ancestral domain is popularly known as...
. Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
influence can be also seen in their marriage rituals, which is a festival to them. Recently many people of Thami clan are seem to be joining Christianity.