Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

Description: The article sheds light on the Thakalis' social reform in Pokhara, Nepal. It starts with a survey of Bista's work and many recent articles. Though their population is relatively small, the Thakalis' entrepreneurship and rapid rise to wealth and power has prompted attention. The article discusses one of the main institutions responsible for this on-going social reform - the Thakali Samaj Sudhar Sangh (Thakali social reform organization) of Pokhara. The Thakalis often appear as a marginal people living just outside the ethnic and economic sphere of the kingdom of Mustang. Actually the Thakali have long controlled the salt trade, and their many other enterprises gave them a great deal of cash which is now available for investment in the rapidly expanding economies of the South. Trucking, construction, hotels, large farms, and the cloth business provide good opportunities for investment and migration has been seen as a good option. From 1951 to 1971 the Thakalis became the fourth largest group of immigrants coming to Pokhara. The Thakali social reform organization has launched many social-reforms. One of the first moves toward cultural cost-cutting was seen in the funeral practices of the Thakalis where only the services of a jhankari were required whereas earlier they had combined rituals performed by both lamas and jhankaris in a complicated and costly affair. Other such cost-cutting social reforms are discussed. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-01-04)

Means of availability: Available online as a PDF within the Tibetan & Himalayan Library's bibliographic database.