Bista ( ne, बिष्ट) is a family name of people of Nepal belonging to Khas people group under the caste Chhetri, sub-groups of Kshatriya varna and the Bahun caste of Brahmin varna. They are

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

with a local Masto deity. They speak Nepali language as mother tongue. In India, Bista/Bistas are spelled as Bisht/Bishts or Bist/Bists and are titled as Rajputs. They are mostly found in Indian state of Uttarakhand. Bista is also a surname belonging to the Brahmins of the Kumain Bahun subcaste.

Naming and Status

Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-16-05-39, Tibetexpedition, Gesandte Nepals mit Sekretären

Bista is literally translated as ''Baron'' or ''landholder''. For example;

Chauhan Chauhan, historically ''Chahamana'', is a clan name historically associated with the various ruling Rajput families during the Medieval India in Rajasthan. Subclans Khichi, Hada, Songara, Bhadauria, Devda etc. are the branches or subclan ...

in Eastern Nepal were referred as ''Bista'' in an explanation of assault of a

man by a Dalit man where governmental orders of capital punishment was given to the Dalit man on Poush Badi 12, 1882 V.S. (1826 A.D.) on the grounds of assaulting a high caste citizen. The excerpts from the royal orders to ''Bichari'' (Judge) Shivanidhi Padhya and ''Bichari'' (Judge) Parath Khadka on Poush Badi 12, 1882 V.S.:

Notable people with surname Bista

* Anjan Bista, Nepalese footballer *

Bikash Bista Bikash Bista (Nepali: बिकास बिस्ट; born 3 December 1965) is a Nepalese Economist and Statistician, and the former Director General of Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal. Biography Early years Bista was born in Palung VDC ...

, Nepalese academician * Deepak Bista, taekwondo gold medalist * Dor Bahadur Bista, Nepalese anthropologist *

Gokarna Bista Gokarna Bista ( ne, गोकर्ण विष्ट) is a Nepalese politician and was Secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (UML). He served as Ministry of Energy under the prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal and is former Minister of Labour, Em ...

, Nepalese politician *

Kirti Nidhi Bista Kirti Nidhi Bista ( ne, कीर्तिनिधि विष्ट; 15 January 1927 – 11 November 2017) was a Nepali politician and 25th Prime Minister of Nepal. Biography Bista was born in Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal in 1927. He served as p ...

, former PM of Nepal * Om Bikram Bista, Nepali pop singer *

Raju Bista Raju Bista (born 3 January 1986) is an Indian politician and managing director of Surya Roshni Limited. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India, from Darjeeling, West Bengal in the 2019 Indian general election a ...

, member of Indian parliament from Darjeeling. *

Ranjan Bista Ranjan Bista is a highly decorated former member of the Nepal national football team, and a NHA coach. History A former Boys Union Club (BUC) custodian, Bista is also the founder of the two-time ‘A' Division League champions Sunakhari Club. Bi ...

, Nepalese footballer

Notable people with title Bista

Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista (Tibetan: འཇིག་མེད་རྡོ་རྗེ་དཔལ་འབར།, Nepali: जिग्मे दोर्जे पलवर विष्ट; 1930– 16 December 2016) was the unofficial King of Mus ...

, Former Titular King of Mustang

References

Books

* * {{Bahun communities Surnames of Nepalese origin Nepali-language surnames Khas people Brahmin communities of Nepal Hindu communities