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 systems#Segmental syste ...

: 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 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 ...

. 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 a ...

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

Uray Uray (russian: Ура́й; Mansi: Урай) a town in Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, located on the Konda River from Khanty-Mansiysk. Population: History It was founded as a settlement for oil field workers. It was granted town status in 1 ...

group which includes

Kansakar Kansakār () or Kasāh (कसाः) is a Nepalese caste group belonging to the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. In Sanskrit, Kansakar means bronze worker, and their traditional occupation has been metal working and trading. Toda ...

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. 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 languages, Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surro ...

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 th ...

( 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 so ...

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 city, prefecture-level Lhasa (prefecture-level city), Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Regio ...

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 histor ...

Gyantse Gyantse, officially Gyangzê Town (also spelled Gyangtse; ; ), is a town located in Gyantse County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was historically considered the third largest and most prominent town in the Tibet region ( ...

and other towns 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 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 Nathu La (, ) is a mountain pass in the Dongkya Range of the Himalayas between China's Yadong County in Tibet, and the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal in Bengal, South Asia. The pass, at , connects the towns of Kalimpong and Gangtok ...

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 t ...

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 Siligur ...

-Tibet border. These trade routes are offshoots of the ancient

Silk Road The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...

. 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 Tib ...

, 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 subregion, 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 t ...

. 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 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 ...

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 ...

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 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 ...

and

paubha A paubhā (Devanagari: पौभा) is a traditional religious painting made by the Newar people of Nepal. Paubhas depict deities, mandalas or monuments, and are used to help the practitioners in meditation. The Tibetan equivalent is known as ...

s 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 ty ...

festival, the greatest Newar Buddhist celebration where hundreds of large images of

Dīpankara 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 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 ...

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, some ...

s are another major religious performance of the Tuladhars. *

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 ...

(कुम्ह प्याखं) (also known as Kumār Pyakhan) 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

. A young boy from the Tuladhar or

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 Pāhān Charhe (Devanagari: पाहां चह्रे) also known as Pāsā Charhe (पासा चह्रे) is one of the greatest religious festivals of the year in Nepal Mandala. It is celebrated with particular fervor in Kathmandu, ...

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 Kirtipur (Nepal Bhasa: किपू ''Kipoo'') is a Municipality and an ancient city of Nepal. The Newars are the natives of Kipoo (Kirtipur) that is believed to be derived from Kirati King Yalamber. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley 5 km ...

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 Aniruddha Mahathera ( ne, अनिरुद्ध महाथेरा) (born Gaja Ratna Tuladhar) (15 December 1915 – 17 February 2003) was a Nepalese Buddhist monk and the Sangha Nayak (Patriarch) of Nepal from 1998 until his death in 20 ...

(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 1 ...

(1890-1966), Buddhist monk who was exiled by the

Ranas Rana dynasty ( ne, राणा वंश, IAST=Rāṇā vaṃśa , ) is a Chhetri dynasty that imposed totalitarianism in the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1951, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other ...

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

for spreading

and established the first nunnery, born Laxmi Nani Tuladhar *

Pragyananda Mahasthavir Pragyananda Mahasthavir ( ne, प्रज्ञानन्द महास्थविर) (born Kul Man Singh Tuladhar) (2 May 1900 – 11 March 1993) was a Nepalese Buddhist monk who was one of the leaders of the revival of Theravada Buddhis ...

(1900-1993), Buddhist monk who was exiled by the

for writing in Nepal Bhasa and spreading

, formerly Kul Man Singh Tuladhar Social Work *

Bhakta Bir Singh Tuladhar Bhakta Bir Singh Tuladhar ( ne, भक्तवीरसिंह तुलाधर) (1912 - 1989) was a Nepalese merchant and philanthropist. He held a special Samyak (सम्यक) ceremony in 1952 when the country was passing through a poli ...

(1912-1989), merchant, philanthropist and sponsor of

festival held in 1952 *

Dharma Man Tuladhar Dharma Man Tuladhar ( ne, धर्ममान तुलाधर) (August 4, 1862 – August 24, 1938) was a Nepalese trader and philanthropist best known for the renovation of the Swayambhu stupa in Kathmandu, one of the holiest Buddhist shri ...

(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 Kindo Baha ( new, किन्द्व: बहा:), also known as Kinnu Bāhā, Kindol Bāhāl or Kimdol Bāhāl, is a vihara in Kathmandu which was the hub for the resurgence of Theravada Buddhism in Nepal from the 1920s to the 1940s. Loc ...

* Krishna Sundar Tuladhar, sponsor of

festival held in 1880 * Tara Devi Tuladhar (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 (1906-1982), poet and one of the greatest literary figures of Nepal, jailed for five years by the

for writing in Nepal Bhasa * Kul Ratna Tuladhar (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's ...

* Mandas Tuladhar (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 histori ...

regime for religious activities * Moti Laxmi Upasika (1909-1997), poet, first short story writer in Nepal *

Tara Bir Singh Tuladhar Tara Bir Singh Tuladhar or Tārāvirasiṃha Tulādhara (born 2 April 1943), is a Nepalese artist and composer on the classical string instrument Sitar. Tara Bir Singh Tuladhar lives in Lalitpur, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Training and musical work ...

(b. 1943), artist and music composer Trade and Industry * Juju Bhai Tuladhar (1928-2004), pioneer manufacturer of readymade clothes *

Karuna Ratna Tuladhar Karuna Ratna Tuladhar ( ne, करुणारत्न तुलाधर) (23 October 1920 – 19 July 2008) was a pioneer of Nepalese public transport. He was proprietor of Nepal Transport Service which he and his brother Lupau Ratna Tuladhar ...

(1920-2008), trader and transport pioneer *

Lupau Ratna Tuladhar Lupau Ratna Tuladhar ( ne, लुपौरत्न तुलाधर) (22 June 1918 – 2 June 1993) was a Nepalese trader and transport pioneer. He and his brother Karuna Ratna Tuladhar established Nepal Transport Service in 1959 and operate ...

(1918-1993), trader and transport pioneer * Pratek Man Tuladhar (1924-1991), trader and philatelist * Pushpa Ratna Sagar (1922-2011), trader, Nepal Bhasa grammarian, lexicographer and pressman *

Pushpa Sundar Tuladhar Pushpa Sundar Tuladhar ( ne, पुष्पसुन्दर तुलाधर; 1885-1935) was a prominent merchant of Kathmandu and one of the chief donors to the restoration of the Swayambhu stupa in 1918. Swayambhu, a UNESCO World Heritag ...

(1885-1935), benefactor and trader *

Triratna Man Tuladhar Triratna Man Tuladhar ( ne, त्रिरत्नमान तुलाधर) (1905-1986) was one of the largest Nepalese traders in traditional Tibet and the president of the Nepalese Chamber of Commerce, Lhasa in the 1940s. Early life Tr ...

(1905-1986), trader and Buddhist activist Politics *

Dharma Ratna Yami Dharma Ratna Tuladhar, popularly known as Dharma Ratna Yami ( ne, धर्मरत्न यमी) was a Nepalese government deputy minister, activist and Newa language writer While serving eighteen years jail term, he changed his surname fr ...

(1915-1975), freedom fighter, social reformer, writer and deputy minister, spent seven years in jail for democracy activities * Nhuchhe Ratna Tuladhar (1888-1950), martyred on 25 December 1950 during democracy movement against

regime *

Padma Ratna Tuladhar Padma Ratna Tuladhar ( ne, पद्मरत्न तुलाधर) (1940–2018) was a Nepalese politician and human rights activist. A resident of Kathmandu, he played an instrumental role in bringing the Nepali Maoists to mainstream politic ...

(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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