The Tharu people comprise several groups who speak different dialects and differ in traditional dress, customs, rituals and social organization. They consider themselves as a people of the forest. In Chitwan, they have lived in the forests for hundreds of years practising a short fallow
shifting cultivation. They plant
rice,
wheat,
mustard,
maize and
lentils, but also collect forest products such as wild fruits, vegetables,
medicinal plants and materials to build their houses; hunt
deer,
rabbit and
wild boar, and go fishing in the rivers and oxbow lakes. They developed a unique culture free from the influence of adjacent India, or from the ethnic groups in Nepal's mountains. The most striking aspects of their environment are the decorated rice containers, colorfully painted verandahs and outer walls of their homes using only available materials like
clay,
mud,
cow dung and grass. Much of the rich design is rooted in devotional activities and passed on from one generation to the next, occasionally introducing contemporary elements such as a bus or an airplane.
Language Tharu communities in different parts of Nepal and India do not share the same language. Several speak various endemic
Tharu languages. In western Nepal and adjacent parts of India, Tharus speak variants of
Hindi,
Urdu and
Awadhi.
Mokha art is a typical style of painting the outer walls and verandas of homes in colourful forms in
eastern Nepal. The artists, mostly women, make a mixture of clay and
jute or mixture of
clay, rice
bran and
cow dung, depending upon the district, and layers of the mixture are applied to the walls depicting floral and geometric patterns including birds and animals among many other motifs. When the design dries, they apply a layer of white clay to it and use natural colours to give them a facelift.
Sikki grass crafts are various
handicrafts made from a special kind of grass known as sikki or
moonj grass. Sikki baskets known as Dhakiya, Mauni or Daliya depending upon the place are baskets made from sikki or
moonj grass plays an important role in everyday household activities of the Tharu community. They are also used in every rituals of Tharu community from the birth to death.
Religion The spiritual beliefs and moral values of the Tharu people are closely linked to the natural environment. In recent years a smaller number of Tharu people have converted to
Christianity particularly after the rise of democracy in 1990.
Marriage system Traditionally, Rana Tharus practice
arranged marriages, which parents often arrange already during the couple's childhood. The wedding ceremony is held when the bride and groom reach marriable age. The ceremony lasts several days, involving all the relatives of the two families. Among the Rana Tharus in
Bardiya District, it is also custom to arrange marriage of a daughter in exchange for getting a bride for a son or vice versa. Parents give particular attention to the working capacity of the groom and bride, rather than the economic situation of the in-law family.
Polygamous marriages are also customary among Tharu people, with rich land holders marrying between two and five women.
Social structure Tharu people in
Rajapur, Nepal are either landholders, cultivate land on a
sharecropping basis or are landless agricultural labourers.
Festivals , Nepal Tharu people celebrate
Maghe Sankranti on the first day of the Nepali month of
Magh, usually around the middle of January. Depending on the location they call this day Magh, Maghi, Tila Sankranti, Kichhra and Khichdi. In the western region of Nepal, they celebrate
Ashtimki on the day of
Krishna Janmashtami. On this day, people of Tharu communities draw a special artwork known as
Ashtimki Chitra made on the wall of the living room of the house of the village elder. The art in painting is thought to be related to the creation of the universe. Tharu women of central and eastern Nepal celebrate
Jitiya, which is one of the most important Tharu festivals. They
fast or keep “
vrata” for the welfare of their children. Eastern Tharus celebrate
Sama Chakeva in the month of
Kartik to honour the relationship between brothers and sisters. The sisters make clay statuettes of
Shama, Chakeva, Sathbhainya, Chugala, cymbalist, drummer, dancer, Brindavan, a wild fowl, a bumblebee and a dog among others.
Folk dance Sakhiya dance is a traditional Tharu dance performed during the
Dashain and Tihar festivals by the unmarried young girls and boys.
Lathi Nach, also known as Tharu stick dance, is mainly performed during the Dashain festival.
Cuisine Tharus have a diverse food culture. Their cuisine varies depending on the region they inhabit.
Ghonghi is a
fresh water snail dish eaten by sucking the snail from its shell. It is served with
rice and this combination, for indigenous people in Terai
, had been a staple food for ages.
Dhikri is a popular western Tharu dish which is prepared by making a dough with warm water and rice flour and is eaten with spicy
chutney.
Bagiya is similar to
dhikri but is popular among eastern Tharus and consists of an external covering of
rice flour and an inner content of sweet substances such like
chaku,
vegetables and other fried items. == Notable Tharu people ==