Newar

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Newars
Kathmandu Durbar Square The temple of Pashupatinath
Total population	more than 1,245,232
Regions with significant populations	Nepal, India, Bhutan, Tibet
Language	Nepal Bhasa
Religion	Buddhism, Hinduism
Related ethnic groups	probably Indo-Aryans eg-Thakuri, Maithil and Sino-Tibetan eg-Kirants, Tibetans, Magar, Gurung in and around Nepal

The Newar or Newah are the indigenous group of Nepal's Kathmandu valley. Newars are a linguistic community with multiple ethnicity/race and faith, bound together by a common language¹. The term Newar applies roughly to the people who inhabited Kathmandu valley and its peripheries before the unification of Nepal and speaking Nepal Bhasa or the languages progenitor of Nepal Bhasa. According to Nepal’s 2001 census, the 1,245,232 Newar in the country are the nation's sixth largest ethnic group, representing 5.48% of the population. Newari language, Nepal Bhasa, is of Tibeto-Burman origin (but heavily influenced by Indo-Iranian languages like Sanskrit, Pali, Bengali and Maithali). Newari language also contains Austro-Asiatic words and phrases. More than 825,458 Nepalese speak Newari languages as their mother language.

Contents 1 History 2 Religion 3 Caste 4 Music 5 Art 6 Dance 7 Cuisine 8 Architecture 9 Cities and towns 10 Festivals and rituals 11 Citations 12 References 13 See also

[edit] History

The different divisions of Newars have different historical developments before their arrival to Kathmandu valley. However, the common identity of Newar is formed after their arrival to the valley. Till the unification of Nepal, except for may be the Muslims under Gayasuddin who attacked and destroyed many parts of the valley, all people who had inhabited the valley at any point of time were either Newar or were progenitors of Newar. So, the history of Newar correlates to a great magnitude to the history of Kathmandu valley till the Unification of Nepal.

The earliest known history of Newar and Kathmandu valley were recorded in the form of mythical scriptures. One of such texts which even accounts the creation of the valley is Swayambhu Purana. According to Swayambhu Purana, the Kathmandu valley was a giant lake called Nāgdaha until the Bodhisattva Manjushree, with the aid of a holy sword called Chandrahrāsa, cut open a part of southern hill of Kachchhapāla² and then cut open Gokarna daha³ and drained the giant lake, allowing humans to settle the valley land. This apocryphal legend is supported by some geological evidence of an ancient lakebed and it provides an explanation for the high fertility of Kathmandu valley soil. According to Swayambhu Purana, Manjushree then established a city called Manjupattan (Sanskrit: land established by Manjushree), now called Manjipā, where he coronated Dharmākara as the king of the land⁴. A shrine dedicated to Manjushree is still present in Majipā.

The Lichchhavi dynasty ruled for at least 600 years, followed by the Malla dynasty in 12th century AD. Nepal Bhasa script is estimated to be at least 1200 years old. Nepal Bhasa inscriptions in an ancient manuscript, Nidan, from 901 AD and on a stone tablet from 1173 AD in the courtyard of Bajrayogini Temple at Sankhu, attest to the deep roots of Newar culture in the Kathmandu valley.

Newar reign over the valley and their sovereignty and influence over neighboring territories ended approximately 250 years ago with the conquest of the Kathmandu valley in 1769 by the Gorkhali Shah dynasty founded by Prithvi Narayan Shah. Even after the consolidation of the nation-state, the Newar remained a pivotal force in Nepali society as merchants and government administrators, rivalling Brahmin influence in Shah courts.

The Newar maintain a highly literate culture and their members are prominent in every sphere, from agriculture, business, education and government administration to medicine, law, religion, architecture, fine art, and literature. Newar architects are responsible for inventing Asia’s hallmark pagoda architecture. Newar devotional thangka painting, sculpture and metal craftsmanship are world-renowned for their exquisite beauty. The fine temples and palaces of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur are largely the product of Newar architects, artisans, and sculptors.

[edit] Religion

Newar practice both Buddhism and Hinduism. It is believed that the Newar were originally Buddhists but the long historical process of Sanskritization (adoption of Hindu rituals), led to the development of the Newar’s unique syncretic tradition. According to the 2001 Nepal Census, 84.13% of Newars were Hindus and 15.31% were Boudhists.

[edit] Caste

Main article: Newar Caste

The Newar are divided into hierarchical clan groups by occupational caste, readily identified by surnames. In the past, the upper caste people used to look down upon the lower caste. Such a division of people created a rift in the society which has rendered the mention of caste as a taboo.

[edit] Music

Main article: Newar Music

The Newar Music consists mainly of percussion instruments. Wind instruments such as flutes and similar instruments are also used. String instruments are very rare. There are songs pertaining to particular seasons and festivals. Paahan chare music is most probably the fastest played music whereas the Dapa the slowest. The dhimay music are the loudest ones. There are certain musical instruments such as Dhimay and Bhusya which are played as instrumental only and are not accompanied with songs.

[edit] Art

Main article: Newar Art

Traditional Newar Art is used in rituals and festivals. The prevalent art forms are Paubas (water based gouche paintings on cloth), sculpture (lost wax process bronzes, terracotta, wood and stone), masks (metal and paper-mache), woodcuts and murals. The Chitrakar and Vajracharyas are the traditional painters and the Shakyas are the sculptors. Along with being traditional painters, the Chitrakars are also mask makers (paper-mache), woodcut printers and mural painters.

[edit] Dance

Main Article: Newar Dance

The Newar Dance can be broadly classified as masked dance and dance without the use of masks. The most representative of Newari dance is Lakhey dance. Almost all the settlements of Newar have Lakhey dance at least once a year. Almost all of these Lakhey dances are held in the Goonlaa month. So, they are called Goonlaa Lakhey. However, the most famous Lakhey dance is the Majipa Lakhey dance. It is performed by the Ranjitkars of Kathmandu. The dance takes place for a week during the week containing the full moon of Yenlaa month. The Lakhey are considered as the saviors of children.

[edit] Cuisine

Main article: Newar Cuisine

The Newar Cuisine is a unique type of cuisine. It consists of non-vegetarian and vegetarian items as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Mustard oil and a host of spices, such as cumin, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi, bayleaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chili, mustard seeds, vinegar, etc. are used in cooking.

[edit] Architecture

Main article: Newar Architecture

The Newar Architecture consists of Pagoda style, Stupa style, Shikhara style, Chaitya style etc.

[edit] Cities and towns

Traditionally, the Newars are an urban people with farmlands and farmhouses located on the outskirts of the cities and towns.

• Yenh= Kathmandu
• Yela=Patan
• Khapa=Bhaktapur
• Thimi=Thimi
• Kepuu=Kirtipur
• Bunga

[edit] Festivals and rituals

Newar culture is very rich in pageantry and ritual throughout the year. Many festivals are tied to Hindu holidays, Buddha’s birth and the harvest cycle. For instance, an important Newar high holiday is Gunhu Punhi. During this nine-day festival, Newar men and women drink a bowl of sprouted mixed cereals, receive doro (a ritual protection cord tied on the wrist by a Brahman priest) and then offer food to frogs in the farmers’ fields. On the second day, Sā Pāru (Gai Jatra), people who have lost a family member in the past year dress up as cows and parade through town, in the belief that cows help souls enter heaven. The last day of Gunhu Punhi is Krishnastami, birthday of lord Krishna, an incarnation of lord Vishnu.

Yanyā Punhi (Indra Jatra) is a holiday related to Hindu god king of heaven, Indra. The festival begins with the carnival-like erection of Yosin, a ceremonial pole, accompanied by the rare display of the deity Aakash Bhairab, represented by a massive mask spouting beer and liquor. Households throughout Kathmandu display images and sculptures of Indra and Bhairab only at this time of year. Finally, the Kumari, or virgin goddess(living goddess), leaves the seclusion of her temple in a palanquin and leads a procession through the streets of Kathmandu to thank Indra the rain god.

Many rituals are related to the stages of life stages from birth, first rice-feeding, childhood, puberty, marriage, seniority and death. The complexity and all-encompassing nature of these rituals cannot be exaggerated. For instance, Newar girls undergo a Bahra ceremony when they reach menarche. Because menstruation is considered ritually impure, girls undergo ritual confinement for 12 days. Girls are separated from all males and from sunlight for 12 days while they are doted upon by female relatives. On 12th day the girl must pay homage to the sun.

Should a Newar man or women live long enough, there are five rituals, known as "janku,"—which can be confusing, as the first rice feeding ceremony is referred to as "janku" as well—performed between the age of 77 and 106. These at the age 77 years, 7 months, 7 days; 83 years, 4 months, 4 days (after one has seen 1000 full moons in one's life); 88 years, 8 months, 8 days; 99 years, 9 months, 9 days; and, finally, at 105 years, 8 months, 8 days. After these rituals are performed, the person will be regarded as a god. Husband and wife will perform their rituals together, as the events occur for the husband.

Afterwards, the full complement of life cycle rituals will have been completed, until the death ceremony.

[edit] Citations

1. Palistha- Prof. Maniklal Shrestha

2. Swayambhu Purana

3. Kantipur- Basu Pasa

4. A brief Swoyambhu Puran- Rajendraman Bajracharya

[edit] References

• ज्वजलपा डट कम A Window to Newar Culture
• Newah Organization of America
• Art of Newar Buddhism
• Journal of Newar Studies
• Newa Bigyan Journal of Newar Studies
• An authentic source of information on Madhyapur Thimi, a rich Newar town
• Rastriya Janajati Bikas Samiti
• Nepal Ethnographic Museum
• Bista, Dor Bahadur. (2004). People of Nepal. Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.
• Levy, Robert I. (1990). Mesocosm: Hinduism and the Organization of a Traditional Newar City in Nepal. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Prajapati Subhash Ram. (2006). Masked Dances of Nepal Mandal Thimi: Madhyapur Art Council.
• Pasa Puchah Guthi UK, Newah Site
• [http://newa.no-ip.org Wikipedia of Newars (नेवा विकि)
• Nepal Mandala by Mary Slusser ]

[edit] See also

• Portal:Newar