Brahmin & Chhetri people

May 15th, 2010  | Comments: none
Posted in: ethnic groups of Nepal, People

Brahmin and Chhetris together comprise the largest group in Nepal; however, they are not the majority (28.5%). Brahmins and Chhetris migrated east across the Himalayan hills, eventually settling as far as Bhutan. Together they actually comprise two religious castes of Hinduism rather than distinct ethnic groups. Brahmins, or Bahuns as they are called in Nepal, represented the priestly caste of Nepali society, and Chhetris, or Kshatriyas as they are called in Hinduism, were the ruling-warrior caste. Brahmin and Chhetris live across the middle segment of Nepal, occupying the rich, fertile farmland of the Himalayan foothills. Brahmin and Chhetris control the majority of Nepal’s social and political resources, as they were the traditional ruling caste of Nepal.

Culturally, Brahmin and Chhetris practice Hinduism and while variation in these practices occurs across Nepal, they share major religious holidays, like Dashain, Tihar and Shivaratri. They are the native speakers of Nepali, an Indo-European language and the national language of Nepal. While many people do not speak Nepali as their mother tongue, Nepali is arguably the most important link language when two people from different parts of Nepal meet.

Tags: nepali