The
natives of Bhaktapur, Patan and Kathmandu, the Newars,
are mainly traders. With a purpose to trade, they are
scattered across the country; with greater concentration
in the Kathmandu Valley, Banepa, Dhulikhel, Bhojpur, Bandipur
and Tansen . In Kathmandu valley, they make 44% of total
population. Nationally, however, they make about 5.6%
of total population. Despite the small percentage numerically,
they contribute significantly in the history, art, architecture
and business activities in the country. They are in to
the business and government services; business being their
main profession. They have negligible representations
in the army and police services.Quite a few of them also
have agriculture as their main occupation. These agrarian
population are known as "jyapus".
Newars speak their own language,
' Newari' better known as Nepal Bhasa which belongs to
Tibeto - Burman family of languages. It has its own scripts
and has no linguistic connection to Nepali, Hindi or Sanskrit.
The Newari script, the 'Ranjana lipi' is exceptional.
The Newari literature is also very rich.There are both
Buddhist and Hindu Newars. Like elsewhere in the country,
religious syncretism is blended into the culture and tradition.
They celebrate numerous feasts
and festivals throughout the year. Newars
have a well defined occupational caste system among themselves.
Though some Newars have Mongoloid features, they rather
represent a community of different elements mixed together.Besides
their rich cultural heritage, festivals, the Newars are
impeccable artists and architects.
Among the Newar community, an interesting
ancient tradition, known as 'Ihi or Bel Biha' , requires
that a young girl often 7 or 8 years old, be married to
a certain tree called 'Bel tree' or to its green fruit
called 'Bel'. The tree and the fruit symbolize a deity
called 'Hiranya Garbha'. Among the deities, Hiranya Garbha
is one of the immortals. Thus marriage with 'Hiranya Garbha'
is considered to be everlasting.
To put it in a nutshell, the Newars, though small in numbers,
have a very strong and dominating influence in Nepal's
economy, politics and society in general.
The name of the county Nepal itself
derives from the Newars. Newars are the indigenous peoples
of the Kathmandu Valley. They are also found in the neighboring
hill settlements as well as in the towns and cities of
the Terai plains. Originally Buddhists, Newars have increasingly
become synceritc, and now a days some Newars practice
both Buddhism as well as Hinduism. They are prominent
in business, agriculture and craftsmanship. Their population
exceeds 1.3 million. Newars have their own language, called
Nepal Bhasha, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family.
The Newar language has incorporated the rich corpus of
Newa literature from historical times. Newars are considered
a highlydeveloped nation state of many communities. They
have a hierarchical clan system patterned after their
respective occupations. The written history of the Newars
is 2,5000 years old during which they developed their
impeccable culture and arts into a great civilization.
Newars maintained their unique kingdom even during the
various reigns of the Gopala, Kirat, Licchavi and Malla
dynasties. The Shahs finally amalgamated the Newar nation
state in their unification drives.
