Tulādhar (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the a ...

: तुलाधर) is a Nepali/Nepalese caste from 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 civilisation ...

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 ma ...

. The name Tuladhar is derived from the Sanskrit words "tula" (

weighing scale A scale or balance is a device used to measure weight or mass. These are also known as mass scales, weight scales, mass balances, and weight balances. The traditional scale consists of two plates or bowls suspended at equal distances from ...

) and "dhar" (possessor), thus meaning scale-bearer or in general, merchant. Tuladhars belong to the Uray group which includes Kansakar,

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 Ta ...

, Sthapit, Bania, Sindurakar, Selalik and other castes. They follow

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 speak

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

as a mother tongue. Traditional Tuladhar neighborhoods are

Asan Asan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 300,000. Asan is known for its many hot springs and is a city of spas. Asan has grown into t ...

( new, असं ne, असन), Nyata () (also known as Naradevi) and Jhwa Baha in Kathmandu where they hold a number of cultural performances annually including religious dances and music concerts.

Traditional occupation

Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-10-04-32, Tibetexpedition, Karawane vor Chomolhari

According to the division of labor laid down from ancient times in Newar society, business is the traditional occupation of Tuladhars. They are best known for their history as trans-Himalayan traders conducting trade between Nepal,

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

and

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, ...

. From centuries past, they have maintained business houses in

Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. The inner urban area of Lhas ...

Shigatse Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê (; Nepali: ''सिगात्से''), is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Its area of jurisdiction, with an area of , corresponds to the histori ...

, Gyantse and other towns in Tibet and in

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

and

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

in India moving goods by mule caravan over the Himalayan passes. The merchants used two trade routes to travel to Tibet. One went north from Kathmandu and crossed the Himalaya at Kuti (now known as Nyalam) or Kyirong, also spelt Gyirong. The other route started at Kalimpong and passed through Nathula or

Jelepla Jelep La (; ) elevation , is a high mountain pass between Sikkim, India and Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is on a route that connects Lhasa to India. The pass is about south of Nathu La and is slightly higher. It was frequently used for ...

on the

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligu ...

-Tibet border. These trade routes are offshoots of the ancient Silk Road. Textiles and other factory products were the main exports to Tibet while they brought back wool, musk pods, hides and yak tails. This traditional business came to an end in the mid-1960s after the route through Sikkim was shut down following the 1962

Sino-Indian War The Sino-Indian War took place between China and India from October to November 1962, as a major flare-up of the Sino-Indian border dispute. There had been a series of violent border skirmishes between the two countries after the 1959 Tibet ...

, and all the Tuladhar traders returned home. In the course of conducting trade, they have been a cultural bridge between South and

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former ...

. Today, while they are still primarily merchants, many pursue varied professions.

Cultural life

Tuladhars observe an annual schedule of religious performances, devotional musical concerts and hymn singing sessions that are conducted at the community level. Among the prominent street performances are the Dāpā Thāyegu, Gunla Bajan Thāyegu and Bahidyah Bwayegu festivals. The month-long Dāpā Thāyegu festival is held in October when they gather to sing hymns every evening. A picture of a sacred jar made of wheat, popcorn and black soybean is displayed at Asan to mark the end of the festival. During Gunlā, the tenth month in the

Nepal Sambat Nepal Sambat, also spelled as Nepala Sambata, (Nepal Bhasa: , Nepali: ) is the lunisolar calendar used by the Newari people of Nepal. The Calendar era began on 20 October 879 AD, with 1142 in Nepal Sambat corresponding to the year 2021–2022 A ...

calendar corresponding to August which is held holy by Newar Buddhists, a musical procession goes to

Swayambhunath Swayambhu (Devanagari: स्वयम्भू स्तूप; new, स्वयंभू; sometimes Swayambu or Swoyambhu) is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan name for the ...

daily in the early morning playing Gunlā Bājan music. The Bahidyah Bwayegu festival is held in August when a procession of musicians playing Gunla Bajan music and followers make a tour of sacred courtyards in Kathmandu where statues of Dipankara Buddha and paubhas are put on exhibition. Asan Pāyā (असं पाया) is part of the Mohani festival in October when a sword procession is held at Asan. The ceremony ends with the participants chopping up a gourd painted with the face of a demon. Tuladhars from Asan and Nyata accompany their respective musical bands and take part in the parade organized to celebrate New Year's Day of

, the national lunar calendar of Nepal, which falls in October. During the twelve-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 t ...

festival, the greatest Newar Buddhist celebration where hundreds of large images of Dīpankara Buddha are displayed at Kathmandu Durbar Square and

, the Tuladhars of Asan place leaf plates and the Tuladhars of Nyata serve boiled rice to the priests who come to receive alms.

Sacred dances

Sacred dance Sacred dance is the use of dance in religious ceremonies and rituals, present in most religions throughout history and prehistory. Its connection with the human body and fertility has caused it to be forbidden by some religions; for example, so ...

s are another major religious performance of the Tuladhars. * Kumha Pyakhan dance (कुम्ह प्याखं) (also known as Kumār Pyakhan) is held annually during the Mohani festival in October on the open-air dance platform at Asan and at Kathmandu Durbar Square. A young boy from the Tuladhar or Kansakar families is chosen to be the dancer. * Nyatamaru Ajimā Pyākhan (न्यतमरु अजिमा प्याखं) (also known as Swetkāli Pyākhan) is held annually on the open-air dance platform at Nyata during the Pahan Charhe festival in April. Once every 12 years, special performances of this masked dance-drama are held with a larger cast in which a Tuladhar from Nyata plays the part of the deity Māhādyah. The special shows are held at the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Kirtipur,

Bhaktapur , motto = ne, पुर्खले सिर्जेको सम्पत्ती, हाम्रो कला र संस्कृति , lit=Creation of our ancestors, our heritage and culture , image_map ...

and Bhonta ( Banepa). Pages 7, 101.

Notable Tuladhars

Religion * Aniruddha Mahathera (1915-2003), Buddhist monk who became patriarch of Nepal, formerly Gaja Ratna Tuladhar *

Dhammalok Mahasthavir Dhammalok Mahasthavir ( ne, धम्मालोक महास्थविर) (born Das Ratna Tuladhar) (16 January 1890 – 17 October 1966) was a Nepalese Buddhist monk who worked to revive Theravada Buddhism in Nepal in the 1930s and ...

(1890-1966), Buddhist monk who was exiled by the Ranas for writing in

and spreading

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...

, formerly Das Ratna Tuladhar *

Dharmachari Guruma Dharmachāri Gurumā ( ne, धर्मचारी गुरुमाँ) (born Laxmi Nāni Tulādhar) (14 November 1898 – 7 January 1978) was a Nepalese anagarika who was an influential figure in the revival of Theravada Buddhism in Nepal. ...

(1898-1978), Buddhist nun who was exiled by the Ranas for spreading

and established the first nunnery, born Laxmi Nani Tuladhar * Pragyananda Mahasthavir (1900-1993), Buddhist monk who was exiled by the Ranas for writing in Nepal Bhasa and spreading

, formerly Kul Man Singh Tuladhar Social Work * Bhakta Bir Singh Tuladhar (1912-1989), merchant, philanthropist and sponsor of

festival held in 1952 * Dharma Man Tuladhar (1862-1938), philanthropist and trader, best known for the renovation of the

Swayambhu Swayambhu ( sa, स्वयंभू) is a Sanskrit word that means "self-manifested", "self-existing", or "that is created by its own accord". Often, the word swayambhu is used to describe a self-manifested image of a deity, which was not made ...

and Kindo Baha * Krishna Sundar Tuladhar, sponsor of

festival held in 1880 *

Tara Devi Tuladhar Tara Devi Tuladhar ( ne, तारादेवी तुलाधर) (21 August 1931 – 27 November 2012) was Nepal's first female blood donor and a social worker who dedicated her life to serving society. Early life Tara Devi was born to an ...

(1931-2012), social worker and first female blood donor in Nepal * Tirtha Dhar Tuladhar (1936-2013), social worker and benefactor who dedicated his life in restoring multiple historical and religious sites throughout the Kathmandu Valley including Janabahaa. Arts and Sciences *

Chittadhar Hridaya Chittadhar Hridaya ( ne, चित्तधर हृदय; born Chittadhar Tuladhar; 19 May 1906 – 9 June 1982) was a Nepalese poet. He is regarded as one of the greatest literary figures from Nepal in the 20th century. The title of Kavi Kes ...

(1906-1982), poet and one of the greatest literary figures of Nepal, jailed for five years by the Ranas for writing in Nepal Bhasa *

Kul Ratna Tuladhar Kul Ratna Tuladhar, CBE ( ne, कुलरत्न तुलाधर) (6 July 1918 – 2 March 1984) was the first chief engineer of Nepal's Public Works Department where he served since its establishment in 1951 till 1957. The highlight of h ...

(1918-1984), first

chief engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer ...

Mandas Tuladhar Mandas Tuladhar ( ne, मानदास तुलाधर) (1900-1975) was a Nepalese Buddhist scholar, Nepal Bhasa activist and pioneer publisher. He collected and published ancient hymns and folk songs which is his finest contribution to the pr ...

(1900-1975), language activist, Buddhist scholar and publisher, jailed and flogged by the

Rana Rana may refer to: Astronomy * Rana (crater), a crater on Mars * Delta Eridani or Rana, a star People, groups and titles * Rana (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people and characters with the name) * Rana (title), a histor ...

regime for religious activities *

Moti Laxmi Upasika Moti Laxmi Upasika ( ne, मोतिलक्ष्मी उपासिका) (30 June 1909 – 1997) was Nepal's first woman poet and short story writer of modern times. Her first work, a short story, was published in 1935. Early life Moti ...

(1909-1997), poet, first short story writer in Nepal * Tara Bir Singh Tuladhar (b. 1943), artist and music composer Trade and Industry * Juju Bhai Tuladhar (1928-2004), pioneer manufacturer of readymade clothes * Karuna Ratna Tuladhar (1920-2008), trader and transport pioneer * Lupau Ratna Tuladhar (1918-1993), trader and transport pioneer *

Pratek Man Tuladhar Pratek Man Tuladhar ( ne, प्रत्येकमान तुलाधर) (1924–1991) was a Nepalese trader and philatelist. Born in Kathmandu into a family of hereditary merchants, he spent his youth in Lhasa, Tibet, where they owned a bus ...

(1924-1991), trader and philatelist *

Pushpa Ratna Sagar Pushpa Ratna Sagar ( ne, पुष्प रत्न सागर) (born Pushpa Ratna Tuladhar) (29 October 1922 – 11 November 2011) was a Nepalese merchant, grammarian, lexicographer and pioneer pressman. Born Pushpa Ratna Tuladhar in Asan D ...

(1922-2011), trader, Nepal Bhasa grammarian, lexicographer and pressman * Pushpa Sundar Tuladhar (1885-1935), benefactor and trader * Triratna Man Tuladhar (1905-1986), trader and Buddhist activist Politics * Dharma Ratna Yami (1915-1975), freedom fighter, social reformer, writer and deputy minister, spent seven years in jail for democracy activities *

Nhuchhe Ratna Tuladhar Nhuchhe Ratna Tuladhar ( ne, न्हुछेरत्न तुलाधर, 1888 – 25 December 1950) was a Nepalese democracy activist who was martyred in the freedom struggle against the Rana regime. He lived at Asan Baku Nani, a historical ...

(1888-1950), martyred on 25 December 1950 during democracy movement against

regime * Padma Ratna Tuladhar (1940-2018), human rights activist, writer and former minister, jailed for democracy activities

Gallery

Historical

File:tuladhar wedding.jpg,

A Tuladhar family with brides, 1942.

File:Asan, Kathmandu (1920).jpg,

Asan, Kathmandu in the 1920s.

File:Kathmandu Seto Machindranath 19th century.jpg,

Chariot of Jana Baha Dyah at Asan, ca. 1915.

File:Pushpa sundar tuladhar2.jpg,

Pushpa Sundar Tuladhar (right), Swayambhu, 1921.

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-12-35-20, Tibetexpedition, Lhasa, Markt.jpg,

Barkhor, Lhasa's main shopping street in 1938.

Contemporary

File:Nyetamaru Ajima masked dance.jpg,

Nyatamaru Ajima Pyakhan masked dance.

File:Halimali grain art.jpg,

Halimali (grain art) display at Asan.

File:Ihi welcome 2011.jpg,

Ihi, life cycle ceremony of young girl.

File:Gunla bajan players.jpg,

Gunla Bajan music performance at Asan.

File:Nyata gunla bajan.jpg,

Gunla Bajan band of Nyata in procession.

References

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