Thami
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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 somewhat related to 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. Often, the men have to carry large, heavy stones great distances to make a living. To escape this extreme hardship, many have fled to India to find better jobs.
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 very sacred festival to them.
[edit] References
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities.
