Chepang Caste : The Low Population Indigenous Inhabitant of Nepal
Chepang Caste
Chepang Caste is one of the 59 tribes of the Adivasi Janajati Utthan Rashtriya Pratisthan. According to the 2068 census, the population of Chepangs is 68,399. They are found scattered in Makwanpur, Dhading, Chitwan, Gorkha, Lamjung and Tanahu districts. The life of the Chepangs is closely connected with the forest and the land.
It is found scattered near forests, sloping lands and rivers. Houses are usually made of stone and mud and covered with thatch. The houses of some Chepangs are made of wood and seula. The Chepangs tend to be less socialized and shy of visitors. They are physically thin but muscular. Their main occupation is farming and hunting. Nowadays, these communities are also oriented towards modern means of livelihood, agriculture and vegetable farming.
The identity of the Chepangs is based on their culture, dress, language, culture and traditional skills. Similarly, the Chepangs are forced to hunt wild animals for their livelihood in the form of wild groundnut (Lak), Vyakur (Bharlang) and Gittha Sisno, Munta of the waves. Churi trees are found in the main habitat of the Chepangs. It carries their identity. Vs. No. After the visit of the then king in 2034 BS, they changed their ethnic name from Chepang to Praja.
At that time, King Birendra, who was sitting as the government, ordered to call the people because of extreme poverty. The People’s Development Program was also implemented from 2034 BS. But the Chepang leaders and human rights activists did not want to erase their ethnic identity and later started calling themselves ‘Chepang Ho’. According to the argument of Ganeshman Gurung (1989), Che means ‘dog’ and Pang means ‘bow and arrow’.
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Therefore, the Chepangs are the community that uses dogs for hunting and packing food. The Chepangs have their own mother tongue. Their language is similar to that of the Bhote-Burmese family. From time immemorial, their own language (Laiko) was used in their daily practice. Although Chepang has its own language, the script has not been found.
The traditional religion of the Chepangs is the natural religion. Accordingly, the Chepangs worship from Simebhume to the tree. Before planting, the land is worshiped. This pooja is usually performed in Magh and Phagun. After ripening the crop, they first eat maize only after cultivating the nearest Thani land, while they do not eat Nibuwa, Bimiro, Pidalu, Ghanya paddy, etc. without touching their father.
The Chhonam ‘Nawagi’ worshiped in August is the largest religious worship of the Chepangs. The Chepangs are rich in folk culture. In terms of music and lyrics, they have a wealth of folk songs and music on many subjects. They sing various Vaka songs at weddings, festivals and social gatherings. The Chepangs are also rich in traditional literature such as folklore, poetry, proverbs, etc. But its use and prevalence is now very low. Songs in this language are almost extinct. Vinrai folklore is the story that has been told by the ancestors to their offspring from time immemorial. It is passed down from one generation to the next. In these verses, the creation of the earth, the interaction of human beings with the earth, forests, mountains, animals, etc., is mentioned.
The traditional dress of the Chepangs consists of gunyu-cholo for women and daura-kachad for men and stockings filled with netting. At the back, there is a wooden stool at the waist. Muga, Haremala, etc. are the traditional ornaments of the Chepangs. Currently, the Chepang community seems to have mixed in their clothes. Men often wear shirts, shorts, pants, hats, and so on. Women wear skirts, blouses and majestos. Some women and children also wear kurtas, pants and T-shirts.
