Quite
akin to the Tharus in numerous ways, the ancestral strongholds of the Danuwars
are Banke and Bardia districts. These days they are mostly found in different
places of Sindhuli, Makwanpur, Siraha, Udayapur, Sarlahi, Nuwakot and Dhading
districts. They belong to four clans - loincloth wearer, janai thread wearer
and Rai. The loincloth-wearing Danuwars live between the Chure and Mahabharat
Ranges while the thread wearing ones also known as Rajan Danuwar, live in the
Terai plains. Rai Danuwars prefer the riverbanks. They are divided into several
subgroups or septs such as Dhoni, Chheku, Kuechariya, Rajan, Kushniya,
Jidhariya, Kunuor, Adhikari, Dhami, Rai, Kanchla, Nampurchre, and so on. They
have their own language, but it is slowly fading away. In religious matters,
Danuwars are much closer to the Tharu and Dhimal ethnic groups. Farming is
their major occupation. Only 24.5 percent Danuwars are literate and 60 percent
of them live below poverty line. According to census 2001, their population is
53,229.
Danuwars
are a subtribe of the Tharus of Nepal who have their settlements in the area
north of the Terai where the Tharus of Nepal live and also the Churia basin
south of Mahabharat range (Bista, 1996). One of the thars (clan) of Tharu is
Danuwar also. This tribe believes in Ban Devi (goddess of forests). Since this
tribe has its settlements in Dun Area it is possible that it has been named
after the word Dun (Sharma, BS2052). Their behaviour, dress, food and lifestyle
appear to have been influenced by the people of neighbourhood (Sharma, BS2045).
Although they are settled in areas which are located in the interior parts
and/or basins of rivers, they are also scattered in different outer districts
of middle and east Nepal. The main area of settlement of Danuwars is the
district of Sindhuli. They are scattered today in Bagmati, Sagarmatha and
Janakpur zones, too. The 1993 Statistical Pocket Book of HMGN indicates that
the people who speak Danuwar language as a mother tongue have reached 55 districts
of Nepal (Khatri, BS2051/52). Danuwars live in districts like Lalitpur, Kabhre,
Nuwakot, Okhaldhunga, Sindhupalchowk, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Gorkha, Jhapa,
Morang, Dhanusa, Sarlahi, Rauthahat, Sindhuli, Udayapur and Makwanpur. The
census of 2001 records the population of Danuwars at 53,229. Experts are of the
view that the Danuwar language belongs to Majadhi family of languages. This
means that Danuwar language is thought to have been influenced by Magadhi
language (Khatri, BS2051-52). Bote, Majhi, Darai, Kachhade, Kuswar and Rai
Danuwar fall within the Danuwar group of languages (Gurung, BS2057). Danuwar
language may be dubbed as Bhojpuri mixed with Nepali (Sharma, BS2052).
Since
Danuwars are influenced by the inhabitants of neighbourhood, they are culturally
influenced by other ethnbic groups, too. The rituals of Rai Danuwar and Tharu
Danuwar cannot be performed by Brahmin. Naming ceremony is conducted by the
oldest woman in the family and the first haircut is done by maternal uncle.
There is a custom of stealing groom from the side of bride for marriage. The
dead ones are laid to rest (Sharma, BS2052). Some of them throw corpse in the
river, too (Sharma, BS2045). There is a practice of cremating, too, if the
deceased happens to be an adult (Khatri, BS2051/052). The newborn is christened
anytime between three and 11 days of its birth. On the last day of the naming
ceremony a feast is organized for the relatives and neighbours. They are
offered spirit to drink. Danuwars practise all types of marriage, ie marriage
by asking, marriage by choice and marriage by capture. Divorce can be validated
by society itself. Danuwar settlements are usually very densely populated in
one cluster. One thar (clan) of them accepts spirit and chicken as food and
drink whereas another thar never does so. Their houses are long and have
multiple rooms. They take enjoyment in songs, music and festivals.
Danuwars
have a system of joint family of simple nature with family relatives as
members. The male member of the family is considered the head of it. Rai,
Tharu, Kachhare Rajahan, Bahaduriya are some of their thars (clans).
Little
disputes that arise in the villages are settled by respectable persons of
society. The concept of mannyajan (or respectable superior persons) has
remained as an accepted custom from time immemorial in the Danuwar community.
Besides mannyajan they had authorities in the village committees like
president, bichari (clerk), gouro, goret, jayabar, etc. The custom of mannyajan
is disappearing gradually. The Danuwars rank high at getting things done by
upasana (worship) of invisible spiritual/metaphysical power. They use shamans
and mantrabidya (knowledge of spells) to a maximum degree. They believe that
man can become a tiger, can cross the river and can become invisible solely by
the power of using mantra (spell). They regard Bihibani as their family god.
They erect a small open hut in an open space under a pipal tree in the eastern
side of their settlement with a view to placing their favourite gods and
goddesses by carving their images on wooden plate. Thereafter they worship them
by offering sacrifice to them. Hen eggs, he-goats and she-goats are offered in
the worships. The worship is conducted by shamans. Sister's son and jwain
(sister's or daughter's husband) also become priests for such worships.
Danuwars
in recent days do farming but their family occupation is hunting itself.
Fishing is their regular job. Since they are indigenous people they are very
simple and straightforward in nature. As a consequence, they are exploited by
others. Some of them have even lost their properties due to these reasons. In a
number of places, however, they are well established in terms of local
standards. In some places they also do boating for those who want to cross
river (Gurung, 1980).
