Kansakār () or Kasāh (कसाः) is a Nepalese caste group belonging to the

Newar Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisatio ...

community of the

Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

. In

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

, Kansakar means bronze worker, and their traditional occupation has been metal working and trading. Today, they are merchants, industrialists and professionals. They are part of the Urāy (उराय्) group which includes

Tuladhar Tulādhar (Devanagari: तुलाधर) is a Nepali/Nepalese caste from the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The name Tuladhar is derived from the Sanskrit words "tula" (weighing scale) and "dhar" (possessor), thus meaning sca ...

Tamrakar Tāmrakār (Devanagari: ताम्रकार) is a caste of coppersmiths and other metal casters found in Nepal and India. In Nepal, the Tamrakars are found among the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley. Etymology and names The name Tam ...

Sthapit Sthāpit ( ne, स्थापित) is a Nepalese caste from the Newa people of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. Sthapits are part of the Uray group which includes Tuladhar, Kansakar, Tamrakar, Bania, Sindurakar, Selalik Kasthakar and other c ...

, Bania, Sindurakar, Selalik and other castes. The Urāy are a community of high-caste Buddhist merchants, and their family names indicate artisan and mercantile specialists. Their religion is

Newar Buddhism Newar Buddhism is the form of Vajrayana Buddhism practiced by the Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It has developed unique socio-religious elements, which include a non-monastic Buddhist society based on the Newar caste system and ...

and mother tongue

Nepal Bhasa Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan languages, Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surro ...

. Kansakars have been traditionally based in Kel Tol in the historical section of

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

where they play a major cultural role. The neighborhood is famed for the sacred courtyard of Jana Baha (Machhendra Bahal) where the central temple houses an image of Aryavalokitesvara (Sacred

Avalokiteśvara In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicted, ...

), a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

deity popularly known as Jana Baha Dyah or White Machhendranath (alternative name: White Karunamaya).

Traditional occupation

According to the division of labour laid down from ancient times, Kansakars practiced the hereditary occupation of making utensils of bronze. Kitchen and ritual vessels, various types of dinner plates and cymbals are their main products. A dinner plate with a grooved border known as ''siphala dema'' (सिफाला देमा) is their specialty. Bronze is made in their workshops by melting copper and tin and mixing them in a charcoal-fired furnace. They were also major players in the traditional

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

trade, and maintained business houses in

Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level city, prefecture-level Lhasa (prefecture-level city), Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Regio ...

in Tibet and in

Kalimpong Kalimpong (Hindi: कलिम्पोंग) is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The re ...

and

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

in India.

Cultural life

Kansakars participate in the annual chariot procession of Aryavalokitesvara which is known as

Jana Baha Dyah Jatra Jana Bahā Dyaḥ Jātrā ( ne, सेतो मच्छिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्रा) is the chariot procession of Jana Baha Dyah, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, which is held annually in Kathmandu. It begins on the ...

by playing long horns. The Kansakar

Gunla Bajan Gunlā Bājan () is Buddhist devotional music played by the Newars of Nepal. "Gunla" is the name of the tenth month in the Nepal Sambat calendar, which corresponds to August in the Gregorian calendar and "bajan" means "music" and "music playing ...

musical band organizes performances of religious music during the hold month of Gunla and other festivals. The 12-yearly

Samyak Samyak ( ne, सम्यक) is an almsgiving Buddhist festival celebrated in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. During the ceremony which is held on a large open ground, hundreds of Dīpankara Buddha images are assembled, and gifts of different ty ...

is the most spectacular Newar Buddhist festival held in Kathmandu where statues of

Dipankara Buddha Dipankara (Pali: ''Dīpaṅkara''; Sanskrit: ', "Lamp bearer") or Dipankara Buddha is one of the Buddhas of the past. He is said to have lived on Earth four asankheyyas and one hundred thousand kappas ago. According to some Buddhist or folk tr ...

are displayed. Each Urāy caste has been assigned a duty in the festival from ancient times, and Kansakars have the task of preparing and serving five types of foods. Kansakars participate in the

Kumha Pyakhan dance Kumha Pyakhan (Devanagari: , also known as Kumar Pyakhan) is a sacred dance of the Tuladhar and Kansakar caste groups of the Newars of Kathmandu. The dance is performed in temple and market squares during religious festivals. Page 192. The dan ...

(also known as Kumar Pyakhan) which is held annually during the

Mohani Mohani or Mohni (Nepal Bhasa: ) is one of the most important festivals among the Newars which involves a packed itinerary of religious services, pilgrimages, family gatherings and outdoor celebrations lasting several days. Special dinners kno ...

festival in October on the open-air dance platform at Asan and at Kathmandu

Durbar Square Durbar Square, which means Royal Squares in English, is the generic name used to describe plazas and areas opposite the old royal palaces in Nepal. The name comes from Persian دربار ( Darbar). It consists of temples, idols, open courts, water ...

. A young Tuladhar or Kansakar boy is chosen to be the dancer.

Notable Kansakars

Bhaju Ratna Kansakar Bhāju Ratna Kansakār ( ne, भाजुरत्न कंसकार) (1882 in 20 December 1956) was a Nepalese trader and philanthropist who laid the foundations of the Jyoti Group, one of the largest business and industrial houses in Nepa ...

(1882-1956), trader and philanthropist *

Daya Bir Singh Kansakar Daya Bir Singh Kansakar ( ne, दयावीरसिंह कंसकार; 1911 – 5 February 2001, Kathmandu, Nepal) was a Nepalese social worker and the first blood donor in Nepal. He was also the chief founder of Paropakar Organization ...

(1911-2001), social worker * Gyan Jyoti Kansakar (1921-2004), President of the International Buddhist Meditation Center, trader, benefactor and industrialist * Maniharsha Jyoti (1917-1993), trader and industrialist *

Prem Bahadur Kansakar Prem Bahadur Kansakar ( ne, प्रेमबहादुर कंसाकार) (1918–1991) was a Nepalese fighter for democracy and linguistic rights, author and scholar of Nepal Bhasa. His main contributions were promoting Nepal Bhasa ma ...

(1918-1991), freedom fighter, author and language activist *

Vidyabati Kansakar Vidyabati Kansakar ( ne, विद्याबति कंसकार) (1906 – 31 January 1976) was a pioneer of nursing in Nepal. She was among the first batch of four girls sent abroad to receive nurse training in 1928. They served at Nepal's ...

(1906-1976), pioneer of nursing *

Yogbir Singh Kansakar Yogbir Singh Kansakar ( ne, योगवीरसिं कंसकार) (alternative name: Jogbir Singh Kansakar) (16 April 1885 - 29 March 1942) was a Nepalese poet, social reformer and one of the Four Pillars of Nepal Bhasa. He worked to ...

(1885-1942), poet

References

{{Reflist Newar People from Kathmandu Social groups of Nepal Newar caste system Newari-language surnames Surnames of Nepalese origin

Traditional occupation

Cultural life

Notable Kansakars

See also

References