Who are Magar

Magar is one, of the 59 indigenous peoples of Nepal, recognized by the government as indigenous nationalities having own distinct language, culture, rituals and history. Their settlements stretch over the western and southern edges of Dhaulagiri Himalayan range and eastwards to the Gandaki River basin.

Their homeland is divided into two sub-regions--the Athara Magarat (literally, 18 Magar region') and Bara Magarat (12 Magar regions), belonging to the Karnali and Gandaki River regions respectively. According to the officials, there exists slightly difference in the rituals, culture, and lifestyles of Magars from these two sub-regions.

Present day Magar settlements range from Tanahu district of Gadaki zone westwards included the districts of Palpa, Argha-Khanchi and Gulmi in Lumbini zone, Syangja, Kaski and Parvat in Gandaki zone, Dolpo, Myagdi and Baglung in Dhaulagiri zone, Rukum, Rolpa, Piuthan and Sallyan in Rapti Zone and Dailekha and Jajarkot in Bheri Zone. The Magars have spread all along the hills of east Nepal and to a few places in the Eastern Terai.

Magar is the third largest ethnic/caste groups in Nepal as per the 2011 Census, which reveals that there are--1, 88,733 Magar, representing 7.1 percent of Nepal's total population. The Magars are divided into different clans --Thapa, Ale, Rana, Budhathoki, Roka, Gharti, Pun to name a few and they usually identify themselves as belonging through these patrilineal inheritance.

Before the unification of Nepal in the mid-18th century, Nepal was divided into different principalities (22 and 24). During that period, the Magars were said to be the King and rulers in mid-western and western region (18th and 12th regions) of Nepal and later on their estates were invaded by the Shah Dynasty and annexed to single Nepal. The interesting is; the most prominent historians namely Hamilton, Baburam Acharya and others claim that the forefathers of former Shah Kings of Nepal were the Magar descent.

The language of Magar belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family. Even within this Tibeto-Burman family Kham dialect is spoken by Magars in Mid-Western region, Tarali or Kaike in Dolpa district of North-Western region, and Dhut, mostly in the West and Central part of Nepal. According to the recent Census conducted in 2011, Magar are the eighth major mother language speakers ethnic groups. The data reveals that as many at 788,580 people 3 percent of the total population of the country speaks Magar language namely Kham, Tarali or Kaike language.

The basis of Magar economy in all areas is usually agriculture growing varieties of crops and vegetables; some are pastoralists who raise sheep and goats some work as craftsmen others adept bamboo work. But the larger communities of Magars engaged in dry-crop farming and buffalo-raising, many have earned name and fame by joining British and Indian Security forces.

Their houses are built according to the style of the areas they live in ,l a standard which varies from one locale to the next. Most traditional is the two-storey stone house with thatch or in some cases slate roofing. Many of the smaller houses in the western communities are round oval in shape and washed with ochre or reddish mud. Magar houses in the eastern hills are never round and are most often whitewashed. They have stone walls and wooden shingle roofs, and are two storied with a verandah along the front. Some of the northernmost houses have flat roofs and consist of three storeys, the bottom one being a shelter for animal.