Anthropology of Nepal

This paper is on spiritual tourism associates: tourism, ecology, and spirituality in the specific context of Panchasee mountain in the central Nepal. It presents spiritual experiences of a Vedic sadhak, born and raised in the west, lived in Sri Aurobindo Ashram in India for forty years from his young age and now has been living in Panchasee. Its key concern is to understand his spiritual quest in the Himalayan ecology. Focused on the stage of the spiritual transformation of the sadhak's inner journey it reveals that the sadhak is highly energized to remain close with his spiritual wisdom that he experienced in Panchasee ecology and being active as a member of a family of the mountain society. It concludes with some insights in relation to spiritual tourism. This study has adopted a special research strategy called fursad ethnography to generate data on the sadhak's life history and his spiritual quest in the Panchasee mountain.

This paper is on spiritual tourism associates: tourism, ecology, and spirituality in the specific context of Panchasee mountain in the central Nepal. It presents spiritual experiences of a Vedic sadhak, born and raised in the west, lived in Sri Aurobindo Ashram in India for forty years from his young age and now has been living in Panchasee. Its key concern is to understand his spiritual quest in the Himalayan ecology. Focused on the stage of the spiritual transformation of the sadhak's inner journey it reveals that the sadhak is highly energized to remain close with his spiritual wisdom that he experienced in Panchasee ecology and being active as a member of a family of the mountain society. It concludes with some insights in relation to spiritual tourism. This study has adopted a special research strategy called fursad ethnography to generate data on the sadhak's life history and his spiritual quest in the Panchasee mountain.

For too long Nepal’s Dalits hav been marginalized, not just socially, economically, and politically, but from academic accounts of Nepalese society as well. This volume forms part of a welcome new trend, the emergence of Dalit Studies in Nepal, led by a new generation of Dalit scholars. It covers a wide range of issues concerning Nepal’s Dalits and offers a snapshot of the advances that they have made—in education, in politics, in the bureaucracy, economically, and in everyday relations. At the same time the book documents the continuing material disadvantage, inequality, discrimination, both direct and indirect, and consequent mental suffering that Dalits have to face. It also touches on the struggles, hopes, and dilemmas of Dalit activists as they seek to bring about a new social order and a relatively more egalitarian society. Nepal’s Dalits in Transition will be essential reading for anyone interested in the past, present, or future of social change in Nepal.

This thesis investigates the religious experience of chod, a tantric Tibetan Buddhist practice,
based on extensive ethnographic research in the Boudhanath area of Kathmandu, Nepal.
Chod aims to help practitioners detach from the self through visualizations, sonic practices,
and philosophical foundations. Through the medium of ethnographic documentary, the thesis
explores the ways chod shapes perception and its impact on practitioners and the
environment, aiming to provide an experiential journey that goes beyond mere
representation. The chapters delve into the ritual practice of chod from the perspectives of
practitioners at different expertise levels, as well as those involved in crafting ritual objects
and monastic teachers. The thesis examines the historical development of chod, particularly
its transition from a secretive practice to a public one, with a focus on the changes it has
brought to the Boudhanath area. It analyses the production and visualization of chod-related
images, alongside an exploration of the ritual and karmic economy. The significance of sonic
practices is emphasized, arguing that the chants of chod possess explicit aesthetic value. The
thesis employs concepts like sonic atmospheres and transduction to study the emotional
layers evoked by the chod chants, highlighting their role in facilitating practitioners'
detachment from emotions and the illusory self. Lastly, the thesis investigates the interplay
between the invisible and the visible, exploring how film can transcend conceptual
frameworks and enable viewers to experience chod in a realm beyond representation.

This thesis presents a descriptive and analytical study of Newar marriage and kinship in Kathmandu. Essentially, this is a study about caste and the role that it plays in Newar life, in particular, the way that caste is expressed through marriage patterns and kinship rituals. This study also shows that although the link between one's caste and one's traditional caste occupation is breaking down, one's caste identity is still maintained through one's choice of marriage partner and one's participation in kinship rituals which occur at the various levels of caste organization. Newar caste organizations are also undergoing a process of transformation. In addition to the traditional caste organizations, there are also new intercaste organizations which cater to the ritual needs of those in intercaste marriages. This recent phenomenon coincides with the professionalization of other caste organizations, which, in addition to performing their ritual duties, have als...

This thesis presents a descriptive and analytical study of Newar marriage and kinship in Kathmandu. Essentially, this is a study about caste and the role that it plays in Newar life, in particular, the way that caste is expressed through marriage patterns and kinship rituals. This study also shows that although the link between one's caste and one's traditional caste occupation is breaking down, one's caste identity is still maintained through one's choice of marriage partner and one's participation in kinship rituals which occur at the various levels of caste organization. Newar caste organizations are also undergoing a process of transformation. In addition to the traditional caste organizations, there are also new intercaste organizations which cater to the ritual needs of those in intercaste marriages. This recent phenomenon coincides with the professionalization of other caste organizations, which, in addition to performing their ritual duties, have also taken on the role of social and economic guardians to their caste members. It could be argued that although some forms of caste are no longer applicable, in other ways, caste in Newar society has never been stronger or more important. Despite the claim that intercaste marriages are on the rise, the data shows that the majority of Newars still practice caste endogamy. Membership into a caste organizationwhich is through the initiation ritualis so important to Newar identity that intercaste couples have started their own caste organization to ensure that their offspring will officially be a part of a caste group. In sum, this study shows that despite the fact that caste is no longer recognized in the Nepalese constitution, caste is still the main vector of Newar identity, and this is seen most clearly through the analysis of Newar marriage and kinship.

The Story of Gosya (Civet) Bingoi (Lilium wallichianum) plants bear flowers, Do you know about the nectar they have? So, the flower had nectar in it. Gosya (a cat like animal) was trying to eat the flower nectar since very long time. Nectar was a lot but couldn't eat as it could spill as soon as it tries to catch it. Slowly the nectar began to dry and ants were all over the nectar. After five days, Gosya felt very sad and decided to eat the nectar at any cost. It caught the flower and put the entire flower in mouth along with ants and swallowed which made its liver swell and ultimately the Goshya died. Therefore, Goshya bears total 12 livers in twelve years. Every year it adds one liver and after 12 years it dies itself. The Story of Syo (Stranger) One day, two kids, 5 & 2years old, no food was there in the house. Parents always used to go to forest early morning in search of food and came back only in the evening as without going to forest, there was no mean to fill up empty stomach. They told elder sister to take care of little brother, he can go anywhere and If she goes out of the house, Syo will behead her and take her away. If this is not told to that 5-year kid, she could leave the young brother and the young kid could go anywhere. So, it was intended to take care of young kid. This concept still prevails specially during rainy season as rain and landslides, floods can happen anytime and also wild animals can be found in the green forest. The story of Suji King (RE: Respondent, DA: Interviewer) RE: We don't know the actual place where they were. There were Suji king, Ratan king who were brothers. They tried to kill thum (Petty) kings. Thum kings were the kings of different Thums (Thum means hills). There were kings of all kind of casts in ancient times such as king of Kami, king of brahmin, king of Tamang in their own Thums, their own villages. DA: And who came to kill Suji king? RE: Maybe he was Prithvi Narayan Shah who came to kill Suji king. At the same time, Thum king was killed. Suji was not found but Ratan king was found. They were brothers. Ratan king was killed. The order was given to bring head of Suji, but brother Ratan was found and his head was brought. Suji's

The Newar ethnic group of Nepal has been the object of many anthropological studies since the opening of the country to the Western world after the fall of the Rana regime in 1950. These studies focused on the structures that animate social life on both the intra and extra-family dimensions. However, the pressures of modernity and consumerism have entered the country in recent decades, with significant consequences on family structures, such as transition from joint to nuclear families, the emergence of love marriages in opposition to arranged marriages and the evolution of parent/child relations. Therefore, a contemporary study of the social and family context is now urgent. This seminar presents the result of a 15-months qualitative fieldwork research conducted in the Newar city of Bhaktapur in 2018-2019. This study revealed the presence of numerous pressures that are shaping the everyday life experience of Newari people, spanning from the traditional social codes, to the ritual commitments and the pressures of consumerism propagating through the media, while, in the face of all of these forces, local people are aiming for autonomous and free choices. The consequence of these contrasting pressures, however, is unavoidable conflict between families of origin and newly formed nuclear families, and between family members within all types of family. As conflict was already an observed feature among Newari families in their traditional form, the aim of this project was to understand how motivations for conflict and their modality are evolving in contemporary times. Starting from this, this presentation will engage with a classical debate on kinship to see how this is shaped in a context of contemporary challenges in the face of modernisation. This seminar was made possible by the support of the University of Adelaide and by Sight and Life Foundation Switzerland. The Centre for Research on Families and Relationships seminars and blogs provide forums for debate and discussion on a range of topics. The views and opinions expressed in these forums are those of the authors(s) and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of CRFR or the University of Edinburgh. Although this seminar is free, places are limited and booking is essential. CRFR reserves the right to charge a £5 cancellation fee if a booking is made but the delegate fails to appear. As the seminar is not funded we are unable to provide refreshments but you are welcome to bring your own lunch.

Accepter ou refuser de boire un verre d’alcool est un dilemme auquel les ethnographes sont régulièrement confrontés sur le terrain. Cette invitation est bien plus lourde de sens que le simple partage d’un breuvage : il s’agit d’intégration, d’immersion sur le terrain mais aussi de recueil de données ethnographiques sur le boire, le religieux ou le social. En somme, la réponse à la demande est, elle aussi, primordiale et nécessite d’être pensée anthropologiquement. Pour qui boit l’ethnographe ? Pour ses interlocuteurs ? Pour son étude ? Pour des entités invisibles ?
Dans ce dossier, il s’agit de montrer comment s’articulent les usages de l’alcool sur des terrains de recherche en sciences humaines et sociales. Il questionne l’ivresse et l’alcoolisation et propose une démarche réflexive sur les expériences du boire des auteurs.

Since 1950, when Nepal opened its doors to Christianity, people have been converting in rapid pace. Anthropologists have theorized for decades that in the process of converting from any religion to Christianity, persons experience a relational rupture. By combining the set theory of Hiebert and post-relational ontological turn theory of Holbraad and Pedersen, I explore how the anthropological approach must change its starting point in order to understand how and why conversion happens. As we understand the motivations for conversion, we can see that relational rupture does not exist for Christian converts because of the core emphasis on relationality found within Christianity. Through ethnographic research, I was able to effectively show how conversion to Christianity should be considered a post-relational ontological re(turn) to relations.

The Present paper will analyse how Newars (particularly Maali caste group of Newars in Thecho village) interpret the religion in their indigenous way and how it helps them n fulfilling their social needs. Indeed how the indigenous way of interpreting the religion helps them to survive and sustain as a community. The present argument will be supported with the help of a case study of a religious festival which take place once in twelve years called Navadurga Jatara or Barah Baras Mela. The particular caste group called Maalis among the Newar interpret the religious festival to achieve a higher status in the social hierarchical order, and also how the Newars in total, as a caste system interpret this religious event and help each other to lead their lives as community.