Newari Culture
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Newa
The Newa are the indigenous people and the creators of the
historical civilization of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The valley and
surrounding territory have been known from ancient times as Nepal Mandala, its limits ever changing through
history.Newars have lived in the Kathmandu Valley since prehistoric times, and
immigrants that arrived at different periods in its history eventually merged
with the local population by adopting their language and customs.
Newars are a linguistic and cultural community of mostly Tibeto-Burman and some IndoAryan ethnicities. They are bound together by a common language and culture.Their common language is Nepal Bhasa ("Newari" according to Statistics Nepal) or the linguistic progenitor of that language. Scholars have also described the Newars as being a nation.
According to Nepal's 2001 census, the 1,245,232 Newars in the country are the nation's sixth largest ethnic group, representing 5.48% of the population. In 2001, there were approximately 825,000 native speakers of Nepal Bhasa. Many Newar communities within Nepal also speak their own dialects of Nepal Bhasa, such as the Dolakha Newar Language. Nepal Bhasa is of Tibeto-Burman origin but has been heavily influenced by land-Aryan languages like Sanskrit,pali,Bengali and Maithali.People living in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. They make up about half the population of the valley. Most are Hindu, but some practice an Indian form of Buddhism. The Newar have a wide range of occupations; they have traditionally been noted as architects and artisans, the builders of the famous temples and shrines of Kathmandu. Painting and sculpture flourished among them in the 10th–16th centuries. The Newar population of Nepal is estimated to be about 540,000
Newars are a linguistic and cultural community of mostly Tibeto-Burman and some IndoAryan ethnicities. They are bound together by a common language and culture.Their common language is Nepal Bhasa ("Newari" according to Statistics Nepal) or the linguistic progenitor of that language. Scholars have also described the Newars as being a nation.
According to Nepal's 2001 census, the 1,245,232 Newars in the country are the nation's sixth largest ethnic group, representing 5.48% of the population. In 2001, there were approximately 825,000 native speakers of Nepal Bhasa. Many Newar communities within Nepal also speak their own dialects of Nepal Bhasa, such as the Dolakha Newar Language. Nepal Bhasa is of Tibeto-Burman origin but has been heavily influenced by land-Aryan languages like Sanskrit,pali,Bengali and Maithali.People living in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. They make up about half the population of the valley. Most are Hindu, but some practice an Indian form of Buddhism. The Newar have a wide range of occupations; they have traditionally been noted as architects and artisans, the builders of the famous temples and shrines of Kathmandu. Painting and sculpture flourished among them in the 10th–16th centuries. The Newar population of Nepal is estimated to be about 540,000
a people inhabiting the valley of Katmandu in Nepal; some Newar
live in urban areas in the eastern and western parts of the country. Population
in Nepal, about 550,000 (1971, estimate). Small groups have also settled in
India. The language of the Newar is Newari (Nepal Bhasa); it is used for literature
and newspapers. A considerable number of Newar also speak Nepali. Buddhism, the
religion of the Newar, has been strongly influenced by Hinduism. The Newar are
the descendants of the ancient population of Nepal. In the Middle Ages they
formed several feudal principalities. Their main occupations are land
cultivation and livestock raising. Various handicrafts are well developed; the
Newar are widely known for their jewelry.
Even today the
populations of both Patan and Bhaktapur are largely Newar. But present day
Kathmandu plays host to a large number of migrants from different parts of the
country and also the neighboring countries.
The economy of the
valley depended on the rice cultivation and the trade between India and Tibet.
Reflecting on the fertility of the valley and its strategic position for trade
between India and Tibet, it could be said that Newars were primarily farmers
and traders.
Sound economic position
and the stable and strong Malla regime gave the people abundant time
development of art, architecture and culture. This led to the growth of major
urban complexes; the cities. The prosperity is still visible if we go to the
Durbar Square.
Newars speak Newari,
which is an independent language with its own script and a rich literature. It
belongs to the Himalayan group of the Tibeto-Himalayan branch of the Tibeto
Burmeli sub family of languages, it seems likely that the earliest stratum of
the Newar population may have come from Tibet and then over a long period
evolved into its present form through the inter-mingling of immigrant people,
including indo-Aryans from the south.
In Nepal the historical research is still in its
infancy and very little is known concerning the development of Newari culture
and society. But there are very good grounds for believing that the Newars were
Buddhist in religion. The ancient Newars were predominantly Buddhist but with
the political domination of Hindu rulers, the Newar
religion has grown complex with new practices and beliefs. Many Newars today
practice Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism but they also have very strong faith
in Hinduism and perform Hindu rituals of feast and fasting as well. There is no
line of distinction between Hinduism and Buddhism among Newars.But there is a
queer division of Newars on the ground of caste introduced by a Malla king. The
Newars are divided into levels corresponding to the occupation they are engaged
in and their social position in defined accordingly.
The highest class is of
course the priestly class. Priesthood is handed down to the sons by the
fathers. Shakya, Bajracharya become priest by birth. Then comes Pradhan, Joshi,
Rajbhandari etc. who used to be recruited for governmental services and as the
advisors to the King. Then there is the workers’ class. The farmers, artisans
and craftmen belong to this class. There are untouchables who are supposedly
the cleaners and butchers. The whole social structure of Newars is built on
this caste system. With time and the changing mores the attitude towards caste
system is definitely changing but even today we find many Newars pursuing their
traditional occupation because it is assigned by their caste.
Today we find Newars scattered in various parts of the Nepal but the essentially originated in the Valley. In today’s fast life we see that Newars are still finding time for jatras, pujas, and social ceremonies with equal enthusiasm to continue their unmatched cultural heritage.
Today we find Newars scattered in various parts of the Nepal but the essentially originated in the Valley. In today’s fast life we see that Newars are still finding time for jatras, pujas, and social ceremonies with equal enthusiasm to continue their unmatched cultural heritage.
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