Posted by: JPEG June 6, 2009
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Magars are settled mainly in Palpa, Gulmi, Myagdi, Rukum, Salyan and Rolpa (Ukyab and Adhikari, BS2057:45). They are also found in Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Parbat, Baglung, Dolpa, Surkhet, Sindhuli and Udaypur. Their ancesteral land is known as Magarat. Research scholars opine that the Sen kings and Thakuris of the Magrant districts are also Magars. These facts make the Magars as one of the most pervasive ethnic groups of Nepal. Their traditional land area was referred to as Athara Magarat or the eighteen regions of Magars and Bara Magarat or the twelve regions of Magars. The area belonged to what is today called Karnali and Gandaki regions. According to their mythology, the Magars evolved from two types of caves, namely Pelma Khar Pu or barely dispersing cave, and Yoma Khar Pu, or hornet's cave and scattered in all four directions (Budhamagar, BS2059).
Points to be taken: The Kham Magar who live in the rugged highlands of Rukum, Salyan, Rolpa and Pyuthan districts in Rapti Zone are thought to have migrated from Siberia. This southward migration is evident in various shamanistic practices and other cultural features. They claim to occupy the original Magar homeland in Nepal from whence migration to the south and east proceeded.
Interestingly, the origin of Mangar tribe as mentioned in Kirat chronology is a place in the north called Shin. From there, a group of people under the leadership of two leaders came to the south. The names of the leaders were Shing Mangar and Chitu Mangar. The people of the southern country called them Tangsang Thapa which means the people came from the far away north. Later on, these Mangar tribes multiplied and were divided into 12 groups.
Under twelve leaders who called themselves Barah Mangars, the names of the twelve Mangars were Shinjali Thapa, Hongjali Thapa, Hungchun Thapa, Chhodey Thapa, Pudkey Thapa, Mundey Thapa, Udhro Thapa, Bairong Thapa, Ishar Thapa, Barahi Thapa, Hangyung Thapa and Hangshe Thapa.
~ Kirat Janakriti by S. K. Chatterjee, pg 40 (The History of the Kirat People, 2003)
Magars have their own language which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family and has three divisions called Kham, Kaike and Magarati. Magars have their own separate costumes and cultures. Even the rituals of Bara Magarat, Athara Magarat and Dolpa are slightly different (Budhamagar, BS2053). They have, like those of Gurungs, singing and dancing groups such as Ghatu, Kaura, Jhabre, Nachari, etc. Magars are basically followers of Buddhism. Even though majority of them are Hinduized, they worship hunting gods and goddesses within their families and outside, the gods of dead ancestors or their grandfathers and grandmothers. They have adopted their own practice of worship. They bury their dead and they have their own belief system regarding life after death (Hitchcock, 1966:25-34). From the perspective of their faith system, they appear as worshippers of nature or as animists. They believe in shamanism and their dhami (the faithhealer or a kind of shaman) is called Dangar and their jhankri (another kind of faithhealer or shaman) is called Rama. The traditional spiritual and social leader of Magars was called Bhusal who was very influential in the early days (Bista, 1996:66). Magars have an informal cultural institution, called Bheja. Bheja performs religious activities, organizes social and agriculture-related festivities, brings about reforms in traditions and customs, strengthens social and production system, manages resources, settles cases and disputes and systematizes activities for recreation and social solidarity (Dhakal, 1996). Christening ceremony is held on the fourth day in Bara Magarat, whereas the naito lagaune or navel-fixing ceremony is held on the twenty-second day in Rukum. In many places relatives are employed in lieu of priests for the job of conducting such ceremonies. There is a special cultural practice of offering phultika (literally ‘marking forehead with wet rice grains and offering flower') to the firstborn son. A ritual of anna prasan or starting of cerealfeeding is held in the sixth month if the baby is a boy and in the fifth month if it is a girl. The Magars of Pipaldanda and Humik in Palpa district, however, perform the cerealfeeding ceremony by touching the baby's mouth with cooked rice three times on the very day of christening ceremony (Baral and Magar, BS2050:62).
Magars are settled mainly in Palpa, Gulmi, Myagdi, Rukum, Salyan and Rolpa (Ukyab and Adhikari, BS2057:45). They are also found in Arghakhanchi, Syangja, Parbat, Baglung, Dolpa, Surkhet, Sindhuli and Udaypur. Their ancesteral land is known as Magarat. Research scholars opine that the Sen kings and Thakuris of the Magrant districts are also Magars. These facts make the Magars as one of the most pervasive ethnic groups of Nepal. Their traditional land area was referred to as Athara Magarat or the eighteen regions of Magars and Bara Magarat or the twelve regions of Magars. The area belonged to what is today called Karnali and Gandaki regions. According to their mythology, the Magars evolved from two types of caves, namely Pelma Khar Pu or barely dispersing cave, and Yoma Khar Pu, or hornet's cave and scattered in all four directions (Budhamagar, BS2059).
Points to be taken: The Kham Magar who live in the rugged highlands of Rukum, Salyan, Rolpa and Pyuthan districts in Rapti Zone are thought to have migrated from Siberia. This southward migration is evident in various shamanistic practices and other cultural features. They claim to occupy the original Magar homeland in Nepal from whence migration to the south and east proceeded.
Interestingly, the origin of Mangar tribe as mentioned in Kirat chronology is a place in the north called Shin. From there, a group of people under the leadership of two leaders came to the south. The names of the leaders were Shing Mangar and Chitu Mangar. The people of the southern country called them Tangsang Thapa which means the people came from the far away north. Later on, these Mangar tribes multiplied and were divided into 12 groups.
Under twelve leaders who called themselves Barah Mangars, the names of the twelve Mangars were Shinjali Thapa, Hongjali Thapa, Hungchun Thapa, Chhodey Thapa, Pudkey Thapa, Mundey Thapa, Udhro Thapa, Bairong Thapa, Ishar Thapa, Barahi Thapa, Hangyung Thapa and Hangshe Thapa.
~ Kirat Janakriti by S. K. Chatterjee, pg 40 (The History of the Kirat People, 2003)
Magars have their own language which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family and has three divisions called Kham, Kaike and Magarati. Magars have their own separate costumes and cultures. Even the rituals of Bara Magarat, Athara Magarat and Dolpa are slightly different (Budhamagar, BS2053). They have, like those of Gurungs, singing and dancing groups such as Ghatu, Kaura, Jhabre, Nachari, etc. Magars are basically followers of Buddhism. Even though majority of them are Hinduized, they worship hunting gods and goddesses within their families and outside, the gods of dead ancestors or their grandfathers and grandmothers. They have adopted their own practice of worship. They bury their dead and they have their own belief system regarding life after death (Hitchcock, 1966:25-34). From the perspective of their faith system, they appear as worshippers of nature or as animists. They believe in shamanism and their dhami (the faithhealer or a kind of shaman) is called Dangar and their jhankri (another kind of faithhealer or shaman) is called Rama. The traditional spiritual and social leader of Magars was called Bhusal who was very influential in the early days (Bista, 1996:66). Magars have an informal cultural institution, called Bheja. Bheja performs religious activities, organizes social and agriculture-related festivities, brings about reforms in traditions and customs, strengthens social and production system, manages resources, settles cases and disputes and systematizes activities for recreation and social solidarity (Dhakal, 1996). Christening ceremony is held on the fourth day in Bara Magarat, whereas the naito lagaune or navel-fixing ceremony is held on the twenty-second day in Rukum. In many places relatives are employed in lieu of priests for the job of conducting such ceremonies. There is a special cultural practice of offering phultika (literally ‘marking forehead with wet rice grains and offering flower') to the firstborn son. A ritual of anna prasan or starting of cerealfeeding is held in the sixth month if the baby is a boy and in the fifth month if it is a girl. The Magars of Pipaldanda and Humik in Palpa district, however, perform the cerealfeeding ceremony by touching the baby's mouth with cooked rice three times on the very day of christening ceremony (Baral and Magar, BS2050:62).