Gurung People of Nepal

Let's see who they are

The Gurung people, also known as Tamu, are one of the 59 indigenous nationalities of Nepal, rich in traditions and heritage. They primarily reside in the foothills of the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre mountain ranges. The name Gurung is derived from the Tibetan word ‘Grong,’ meaning farmers, while they call themselves ‘Tamu,’ which translates to horseman in Tibetan.

Densely populated in Kaski, Lamjung, Mustang, Manang, Gorkha, Parbat, and Syangja districts, the Gurung community follows Bon-religion, an animistic and shamanistic belief system. Their oral texts, known as Pye (Uthon), and their traditional scripture, Pye-ta Lhu-ta, contain accounts of their history and cultural practices.

According to the 2011 Census, the Gurung population in Nepal is 522,641. They are known for their vibrant culture, colorful traditions, and warm hospitality. Historically, they believe that till the 15th century they were ruled by a Gurung king. When the British Empire came to South Asia, the Gurung people began serving the British in Army regiments of Gurkhas. Some of them also reside in Baglung, Okhaldhunga and Taplejung districts and Machhapuchhre region with some of them having migrated to West Bengal and Sikkim in India and Bhutan as well.

The Gurungs are very colorful, happy and flirtatious people. A caste hierarchy divides the Gurung community into ‘char jat’ and ‘sor jat’, group of four and twelve clans respectively. They are distinctly endogamous groups, however, are strictly exogamous clans. Traditionally they prefer cross-cousins marriage. Among some Gurungs, a small amount of compensation may be necessary if one wishes to avoid cross-cousins marriage. The parallel cousins marriage is, however, strictly prohibited. They also have a tradition of ‘Rodi’, a club of boys and girls of similar age group where dancing and singing is performed. This institution gives them ample opportunities to know, understand each other and develop love and affection. The environment in the Rodi is very flirtatious. The whole function is guided and held in the supervision of an adult. The Gurungs have very interesting dance tradition. They perform Sorathi, Ghado, Ghatu and others on one or many occasions. The dancing season generally starts on Shri Panchami day.

How they celebrate

Gurungs are known for their hospitality. Rodi Ghar (dubbed “Night Pubs” by some foreigners) is a special and beautiful culture of the Gurungs. The songs sung in Rodi represent their culture. Ghatu is probably the most famous dance of the Gurungs. Another famous dance is Sorathi. They celebrate their Lhosar on Paush 15 every year. They mostly follow Hindu and Buddhist religions. There are also shamanic practices (Dhami, Jhakri).

Traditional dress of the Gurungs includes a short blouse tied across the front and a short skirt of several yards of white cotton material wrapped around the waist and held as if a wide belt. The Gurung women wear a cotton or velveteen blouse tied at the front, and a sari of printed material usually a dark reddish color. Their ornaments include gold and coral necklaces, gold earrings and nose rings and bangles.