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INTRODUCTION
• Gurung
Gurung people
are also called
Tamu.
They were
migrated from
Tibet to central
region of Nepal in
the 6th centuary.

DISTRIBUTION
Gurung are primarily living
in north west Nepal especially
in Lamjung , Kaski, Mustang,
Tanahun, Gorkha , Syangja ,
Manang and Parbat.
Small number of them are
believed to be living in Sikkim,
Bhutan and India(West
Bengal).
Kaski and Lamjung is main
place of their residence.

Gurung village, Sikles (Kaski)

Gurung village, Tangting(kaski)

Gurung village, Bhujung (Lamjung)

Gurung village,Rumjhatar (Okhaldhunga)

Gurung village,Siurung (Lamjung)

Languages
Gurungs usually speak their own language –
Gurung (Tamu) language.
Tamu language is based on Bhot-Barmeli
language.
They also speak Nepali.
Some of them speak Himachali language.

A man chopping wood with an Axe
In Tamu language Axe is called as “Ta”

Religion
• Most of the Gurung follow Buddhism .
• Some of them follow Hindu religion.
• A few Gurungs are practicing Bon religion.
• Nowadays few are in Christian religion.
• They go Gumba and Temple.
• Their priests are: Pachyu, Klehpri and Lama.
• All religious rituals are performed by Pachyu,
Klehpri or Lamas.

Dress up
Gurung male wear
Tshirt , Askot,Topi,
Ghalek and Dhoti.
Female wear
Guniyo, Choli .Tikis
and Majhetro.

Birth Rituals
After the birth of child, Gurungs consult to
Astrologers.
On 6th day, Naming ceremony(Chhaiti) is held.
Lamas give name to new child according to their
Religious book.
Gurung take sons as important.

Navran
o 9th day after for a male and 7th day after for female, new mother is
purified.
o The purifying liquid used is called “Gaunth” (urine of cow) or
“Mahar Kyu” in Gurung language.
o This holly water comprises of gold ,honey , ghee ,milk or curd and
water which is basically the urine of cow.
o This is sprinkled on the women’s body and this day Navran is held.
o This purification brings the woman back into the social circle and
welcomes the newborn baby whose name is announced on this
day.
o In case of male child, his earlobes are pierced and in female her
earlobes and nostrils are pierced.
o This is followed by grand feast consists of various types of foods and
liquors.

Weaning ceremony(Rice Feeding)
 “Kain Koba” in Tamu, involves child being fed his/her first grains.
 Also called “Bhatt Khuwai” or Pasni.
 It occurs after 5 months for female and after 6 months for male.
 Astrologers is consulted prior to this ceremony so as to set proper
time and date.
 Different types of foods are prepared and possibly some meat.
 The child is first fed by a virgin girls as a symbol of good women.
 Everybody present puts a white tika on child’s forehead, feeds
him/her a little of foods and makes a present of some money or
clothes.
 Only after Bhatt Khuwai, children are permitted to wear shoes and
new dresses.
 A feast for kin, kindred , neighbour and guests is also given.

Weaning ceremony(Bhatt Khuwai)

Putpute(Pulpule) Ceremony
This ceremony is held only for the eldest male
child and is said to mean that the child is reared
in a very loving and pampered environment.
It is held at the age of 3 years and is conducted by
maternal uncle.
The main theme of this ceremony is to offer
worship to their patron god (clan god).
The boy is blessed by guests with gifts .
There is much singing and dancing and a feast of
foods and liquors.

Chhaewar
 At the age of 3,5,7,9 or 11, a Gurung boy has to go through a ritual called
Chhaewar “Kra Prehiba” in Tamu , that means initial hair cutting.
 The clipping of boy’s locks must be done by his maternal uncle of if not
exists , another man is made his mother’s brother and his pseudo-
maternal uncle carries out the task.
 A boy is taken to a cowshed and part of his hair is cut of by Mama by a
pairs of scissors and kept aside.
 After the ceremony , the child is taken inside and put on white tika by
parents and relatives put on “Rupa” (Rupa gantho , 7 for girls and 9 for
boys) and given a feast.
 For 3 days after Chhaewar, child is not allowed to go outside the house.
After which leaving a tuft of hair , the rest is shaved off.
 After ceremony , child can participate in all religious and social activities.
 The holding of this ceremony indicates that the boy has become socially,
culturally and legally responsible person.

Guniyo-Choli Ceremony
 Just like Chhaewar for boy, girl is given Guniyo and Choli
,after she completed 7,9 or 11 years.
 It is also called Phagi, Pro, Cholo, Dori and Chura bimba.
 Guniyo choli represent a women’s dress and signifies the
coming of age of a Gurung girl.
 The community recognises that she has now become an
adult and is able to bear social and cultural behabiours.
 On this occasion, she is told a story of life cycle as well as
duties and responsibilities of a women towards the family
and society.
 At the end, a feast is organised and she is warmly greeted
by all.

Marriage
 A Gurung marriage is clan exogamy and caste endogamy.
 One must carry outside his clan but within his caste.
 Marriage is of two types; Arranged and Elopement.
 Arranged marriage is done through a formal agreement between
prospective two families.
 In case of elopement , the couples elopes against their parents.
 Cross-cousin marriage is practiced where a boy marry his mother’s
brother’s daughter (multilateral) or marry his father’s sister’s daughter
(patrilateral).
 A mediator plays the role of contacting either the prospective bride’s
father and his lineage brothers or their own representative.
 After receiving initial approval for the match from the bride’s side and
having ascertained the horoscopes compatibility of the couple, the
groom’s representative again approaches the bride’s side bringing a gift of
liquor”pung”.
 If this is accepted by the bride’s side , the match is formally assured.

• The marriage of Gurung is taken as a contract between a man and
woman and not as ‘donation’ or ‘kanyadan’ prevelent among the
Hindus , where a daughter from her birth is considered as a ‘Paraya
dhan’.
• The marriage ceremony is simple, at bride’s house, it entails putting
on the white tika (rice mixed with curd) on foreheads of the couple
and parents and relatives wishing them a happy life.
• Then they wash their daughter’s feet and take a drop of water so
used to their lips.
• Usually money is given to both the newly wedded couple by
parents and relatives.
• Similar ceremony takes place at the house of groom.
• A wedding feast is organised.

Elopement marriage
In case of elopement marriage, the boy make
agree to girl and they elope and go into hidding.
Message is relayed to parents of girls.
In a few days boy send his representative to the
girls father to reason with him and request to
accept the new relationship.
If the bride’s father agrees , the new son-in-law
comes with gifts , and a ceremony takes place to
accept the wedded couple.

Dead rituals
 Also called Pie or Arghun.
 Dead ritual of Gurung is performed in two stages- burial or cremation of body and soul cremation
which also indicates the end of mourning.
 The body cremation is called roho-waba and soul cremation is called pie of arghun.
 These rituals are performed by Pachyu, Klehpri or Lamas.
 The dead body is either buried or burnt.
 If buried , the family of deceased construct a small shrine (motha) .
 In Gurung, death involves dissolution of bodily elements- earth, air , fire and water.
 These elements are released in a series of rituals .
 On 3, 7,9 or 13th day, Arghun is performed ,when Lamas put dead person’s thing (memory) in front
and dance, then finally they touch the dead person’s memory and assure that the sprit is freed.
 Another ritual in freeing a involves a lama injecting sprit of deceased through a string into a bird,
which then appears to recognize family members and act unnaturally.
 Then the bird is released after plucking off few feathers.
 The death rituals require presence of their close relatives; clan member (Tahmai), family members
(nehn mai), relatives from maternal side (Ashon mai) and son-in law and daughter ( moho-chame
mai).
 Many relatives of other villages also come to take part.

Festivals/Traditions
Lhosar/ Lhochchar is the main festival of
Gurung.
They also celebrate Dasain, Tihar, Chaite
dasain, Saune sakranti, Maghe sakranti.
Ghanto dance, Rodhi, Sorathi is popular in
Gurung.

. Lhosar/ Lhochchar
Also called puspandra
is celebreted on every 15 poush as a
new year of tamu.
It marks the beginning of Tamu
Sambat or Gurung calender.
Lhochchar heralds the change in
‘Lho”.
Gurungs divide time into cycles of
twelve years (lohokor), to each year of
which a special name is given, which is
known as barga(lho).
On this day ,Gurungs sing, dance
and play traditional games.
In major cities , all Gurungs come
together at a common place and
celebrate by having various
procession, cultural programs and
feasts.

Lohokor
According to astrological system , there is 12
Lhos – garuda , serpent, horse, sheep, monkey
, bird, dog, deer, mouse, cow, tiger and cat.
They are arranged in a single circle following
closely the Tibetan calender with 12 animals.
The Lho returns after 12 year cycle.
By knowing a man’s barga, his age can be
calculated.

Ghanto dance
 Ghanto nach festival takes place in the Magh panchami and ends on Baishakh
Purnima.
 This final performance lasts from morning to evening for 3 days.
 Not a single episode must be omitted , if a mistake is made it is believed that the
dancing girls will become sick and may die.
 Young girls around the ages of 12 perform the Ghanto and are called Ghantonis.
 They wear typical Ghanto dress comprising of traditional Gurung dress , jewellary,
and special headgears.
 They dance trance-like and it is extremely graceful, twisting, rising , and sinking ,
and then turning in a squatting position, with the hand just touching the ground
,with eyes closed , in a story that is sung by a group of men, a slow chant to the
rhythm of a double ended drum.
 Nowadays It is especially found in Lamjung and Gorkha.
 Ghanto is fading away ,as the old men who sung the songs die, young girls have
less time from their school works, and the rich soldiers who paid for perfomances
no longer come to the village.

Rodhi
Rodhi is famous among Gurung,it helds on
special occasions and at night.
In Rodhi, young boys and girls as well as old
people also participate.
They sing their traditional songs and dance
throught the night.
It is the opportunity for young people to
interact freely and get to know each other.

Occupation
Most of Gurungs are employed in Gorkha soldier ,
Indian army and Nepal Army(Chhatra Man Singh
>Nepal Army Chief).
Other are invoved in Agriculture .
Some of them are involved in tourism
industry(Annapurna trekking route , Ghale
Gaun,Sirubari> Famous Gurung community
managed touristic villages).
And also in sports(like; Anil Gurung,Heman
Gurungs > Nepali footballer).

Gurung village, Sirubari (Syangja)

Gurung women fishing at Mardikhola

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