If you ask any traveller what is the thing he/she recalls the most about Nepal is, he/she will surely not only recollect the mountains. It’s the toothy grin of a farmer in a terraced field, it’s the butter tea a stranger offers for sale at 4,000m, or the prayer flags, snapped by the wind above a village that’s welcoming visitors the same way for centuries. The topography of Nepal is awesome, but it is the people in Nepal who attract visitors again and again.
Nepal is sandwiched between two giants, India and China, and there are more than 125 ethnic groups and castes, which speak over 120 languages and dialects. This diversity does not occur evenly like the geography of the country, but is instead layered on top of each other. On entering the lowland Terai, you will encounter the Tharu and Maithali-speaking people. If you ascend in the mid-hills, you will be passing through Gurung, Magar, and Newar villages. Climb further up to the Himalayan passes and you will encounter Sherpa, Tamang, and Bhotia communities, whose lives have been defined by altitude, Buddhism, and the trade route to Tibet.
Knowing the folks you’ll be passing along the trail doesn’t just improve the pictures; it impacts your journey, too. It’s important to know that the monastery you are about to enter is located in a Sherpa community, or that the ridgeline village in front is Gurung, and that their forefathers served in the Gurkha regiments, so the knowledge of the Sherpa community adds to the sense of respect and connection that no guidebook fact can completely convey on its own.
The Major Ethnic Groups You’ll Meet on Your Nepal Trip
- Sherpa: No community is more closely associated with the Himalayan mountain climbing than the Sherpas. They were once migrants from eastern Tibet and have been living in the Solu-Khumbu region for centuries, where they formed the bulk of most of the great expeditions to Everest and its surrounding peaks. The Sherpas follow Tibetan Buddhism, and their villages, Namche Bazar, Khumjung, and Pangboche, are scattered with mani walls, prayer wheels and monasteries. Whenever you’re hiking to Everest Base Camp or Gokyo Lakes, you will be traversing the Sherpa homeland.
- Gurung: The Gurung community, who are bravely concentrated around Annapurna and Lamjung regions, have a history of courage: many members served in the renowned Gurkha regiments of the British and Indian armies. Gurungs are traditionally shepherds and farmers who practice a blend of Buddhism, Hinduism, and their own shamanistic Bon faith. The other popular villages on the Annapurna trekking routes – Ghandruk, Landruk – are some of the best places to experience Gurung culture in Nepal.
- Tamang: The Tamang people form the third largest ethnic group in Nepal and reside in the hills surrounding the Kathmandu Valley, such as Langtang, Helambu and parts of the Annapurna foothills, and have a strong Buddhist background and are noted for their craftsmanship skills especially in weaving and wood carving. This is why the Tamang Heritage Trail in the Langtang area is named after the people of this ethnic group — the people still live in the villages along the trail where they practice their customs.
- Newars: Newari peoples are the architects of the Kathmandu Valley If you have ever been in Durbar square in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur or Patan you have been in Newar territory. The pagoda-style temples, complex wood carvings and multi-level courtyards found in Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites are a legacy of this original urban civilization. But it is the festivals that Newars are well known for — Indra Jatra, Bisket Jatra, they’re ones to note — and also the food (yomari, bara, choila – it’s enough to make you want to venture into the valley for another day).
- Magar: Magars are considered one of Nepal’s Oldest Communities that are spread in the mid-western hill. Like the Gurungs, many Magars have a long military history and their communities are a mixture of Hinduism and Animism. The Magar villages can be seen along the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri trekking route.
- Tharu: The Tharu people, for centuries, have been part of the jungle in the flat plains of forest land in the Terai, and it is thought that they were naturally resistant to malaria before it became understood scientifically. A visit to a Tharu village near Chitwan National Park is a tour highlight for trekking and wildlife safaris, as they are known for their stilt houses, dance and their ability as trackers.
- Rai/Limbu: Rai and Limbu are the native people of the hill regions of eastern Nepal, including the trekking routes to the Everest and Mount Kanchenjunga. They are believed to be descendants of the ancient Kirat civilization, and have both animist and shamanistic beliefs along with Hinduism, and are well known for their contribution in Gurkha regiments and unique Sakela and Yalang festivals.
Religion and Daily Life
There is no single dominant religion in Nepal, practiced in isolation, as Hinduism and Buddhism have lived side by side and mixed here for a long time, so that sometimes there’s no distinction between them. Hindu shrines and Buddhist stupas could be found on one hillside, with the same villagers using them at different times. Daily life in the high Himalayan areas is influenced by Tibetan Buddhism: prayer flags, mani stones, and gompas (monasteries) are always present on high-altitude trekking routes. Hindu festivals such as Dashain and Tihar in the mid-hills and Terai unite the whole community irrespective of ethnic group.
All these communities are united by more than religion; however, it’s hospitality. The phrase “Atithi Devo Bhava” (Guest is God) is not just a catchphrase in Nepal. Frequently, people who have little to give are inviting ‘kiddies’ to join them for tea, to sit by the fire, to eat their food – and all this is done without any thought to what they might have to give.
