People who never have widows

Occupation: Leading Research Fellow, Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, RAS
Affiliation: Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

Journal name

Asia and Africa Today

Edition

Issue 10

Pages

65-72

Abstract

The research article is focused on the peculiarities of the ethnocultural identity of the Newars.This is one of the many Nepalese peoples that is practically not studied in Russian oriental studies.Newars are considered the descendants of the ancient population of the Kathmandu valley,but it is not known for certain whether their ancestors were indigenous here or came to the valley from other places.

Currently, the number of Newars is about 1.5 million people, this is the 6th population of the people of Nepal. They live mainly in the cities of the Kathmandu Valley.The Newars have long been famous as the creators of a rich and original culture. Their pronounced eth-nocultural identity has deep historical roots, and among its distinctive features there are many unique ones.The Newar religion is a synthe-sis of Hinduism and Buddhism, while many of its features are enshrined in a strictly ranked caste society. The caste system originally associated with Hinduism extends among the Newars and Buddhism, although initially it was incompatible with it.

A distinctive feature of the social life of the Newars is the guthi, social and religious formations that regulate and control the social and ritual life of the people and help them maintain internal unity.Unique features are also preserved in ritual practices, for example, in the ihi wedding ceremony, during which girls are symbolically married to the deities Vishnu-Narayana and Surya.When a girl later marries in the usual way and her husband dies for whatever reason, she does not become a widow.The cult of the living goddess Kumari is also unique.

Keywords

Nepal, Newars, ethnocultural identity, ihi ritual, living goddess

Received

16.03.2021

Publication date

01.11.2021

Number of characters

22999

Cite

GOST	Albedil M. People who never have widows // Asia and Africa Today – 2021. – Issue 10 C. 65-72 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://asaf-today.ru/S032150750016843-9-1 (circulation date: 10.09.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S032150750016843-9
MLA	Albedil, Margarita "People who never have widows." Asia and Africa Today 10 (2021):65-72. DOI: 10.31857/S032150750016843-9
APA	Albedil M. (2021). People who never have widows. Asia and Africa Today (10), pp.65-72 DOI: 10.31857/S032150750016843-9

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 530

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Doherty V.S. Notes on the Origins of the Newars of the Valley of Nepal Himalayan Anthropology. The Hague/Paris: Mouton, 1978. Pp. 433-445.

2. Gaborio M.1985. Nepal and its inhabitants. Мoscow. (In Russ.)

3. Nepali G.S. The Newars. An Ethno-Sociological Study of a Himalayan Community. Katmandu: Mandala Book Point, 2015. 476 р.

4. Shrestha B.G. The Newars. The Indigenous Population of the Kathmandu Valley in the Modern State of Nepal. Contributions to Nepalese Studies. 1999, V. 26, № 1. Рp. 83-117.

5. Gellner D.N. Language, caste, religion and territory: Newar identity ancient and modern. European Journal of Sociology. 1986. Vol. 27, Issue 1. Pp. 102-148.

6. Toffin G. Newar Society: City, Village and Periphery. Lalitpur, Nepal: Himal Books, 2007. 473 p.

7. Lowdin P. Food, Ritual and Society. A Study of Social Structure and Food Symbolism among the Newars. Katmandu: MandalaBookPoint, 1998. 233 p.

8. Gutschov N. The Ihi Marriage among the Newars of Bhaktapur, Nepal: Spatial Connotation of an Initiation Ritual. Hindu and Buddhist Initiations in India and Nepal. Wiesbaden: Harrasowitz Verlag, 2010. Pp. 151-166.

9. Albedil M. 2018.Metaphor of a vessel in Nepalese Buddhism. Thing in the manifestation of ethnicity: Materials of the 17th International St.Petersburg Ethnographic Readings. St. Petersburg. (In Russ.)

10. Vergaty A. Gods, Men and Territory. Society and Culture in Katmandu Valley. New Delhi: Manohar, 2002. 250 p.

11. Anderson M.M. The Festivals of Nepal. New Delhi: Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd., 2010. 288 p.

12. Allen M. R. The Cult of Kumary: Virgin Worship in Nepal. Katmandu: Tribhuvan University Press.1975. 166 p.

13. Kooij K.R. Religion in Nepal. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers. 1978. 33 p.

14. Ivanov B.A. Kumari cult in Nepal (In Russ.). http://www.nepal-nepal.ru/stati/kumari.php (accessed 20.03.2017)

15. Misyugin V.M. 2009. Three brothers. St. Petersburg (In Russ.)