This thread is dedicated to all who are willing to participate in a discussion about strength and weakness of Newar society and culture. I request all newars to participate in this discussion. Non-newar friends are also highly welcome to shed light on the very issue of problems faced by newar community. First I would like to ask you to show your interest and the topics that you are interested in. Then, we will follow up with a systematic discussion.

I believe, the well-educated mass of newars and newar-loving people in Sajha would come together to make a fruitful discussion, and useful conclusions for preserving our cultural assets and social integrity.

 

 

Newar cultures are richer than Bramhin and Khas. But Spent to much time in bhoj and bhater. Many delicious items you can enjoy in wedding party. But it is gradually replaced by non traditional party as well tradional , which makes double burden with the present economic situation. Most of the times, some of them go bankrupt ( kind of ) just to keep the tradition. We prefer to speak Newari as we meet and completely forget ( ignore ) the person ( non Newari spaking ) was with us. I have seen it in us too, specially south americans.

Well, I like newar culutre, newar tradition and so far, they have been very consistent in preserving their culture and tradtion. Culutre like Indra jatra, Bhoto jatra, Bisket jatra, handi gaunko jatra,  Samyak Mahadan, and many more occasional festivals like yomari punhi, pancharey and so on is so much deeply rooted in our society and infact often than not ( no offese to non newars) they reflect/represent identiy of entire nepal and nepalese people.  However, newar at the other end is pretty self centered, conservative. ( perhaps this why they are culturally so strong). But with the current political change, i guess their lot of culutures will be hurt, if not vanished.

While jatra should be presented more as national festivals than newar, i guess yomari punhi, pacharey, gathamangal etc should be practiced as pure ethnic culture.

One suggestion for newars,( not for all but for some) think nepal is bigger than valley! thats all..

 

Each time there is something to discuss about Newars and Newari culture it boils down to comparison between Bhauns, Chetries etc. At least for this thread I would wish newars and non-newars to think themselves as nepali and refrain from unhealthy comparisons.

Being a non-newar and living outside of Nepal, I am quite proud of what newars and their culture have given to nepali culture as a whole. Very often it feels, the nepali arts, architecture, cuisine have been molded around it.

I wish all my newar friends every luck to keep their culture and arts alive. This should not be done to compete with other ethnicity but just for the preservation of such a rich heritage.

After all we are all first nepali and then whatever ethnicity we represent.      

 

The problems in newar community to maintain its cultural values is growing up. Unfortunately I feel that  newar people are less united and less focussed on these issues these days. Younger generation are mostly unaware of the their cultural assets and are in risk of losing their ethnic identity.

This is a good issue to discuss, and I am interested to participate.

All I got to say is ("HAMRA BUDA-PAKA VANCHAN NI...")

"Newar bigray koe bhoj lay, chettri bigray koe moj lay"

Thanks,

Chettri.....

I grew up in a Newari neighborhood  but I am not a Newar.I loved going to different kind of Bhoj that my neighbors had. I loved the different types of food. I think Newar girls are more open than Bahun and Chettri girls. At least that was the case in our neighborhood and it may have changed now.

 Icanfly

Hi, being a newar, I also want to give some comment about newars.

I must say, comparing to other society, newari people have more jatras bhoj and bhater. In fact, in my guthi alone, there were at least 2 bhoj within a month . I am proud that my ancestor preserve these beautiful culture which actually try to tie all the people together and share feeling otherewise our nepal would have been society lik  US which has money  but not social life. These jatras bhoj bether try to bring people closer and closer. Right now I am in US and I miss those moments and got to know real values of those culture.

I also agree some of the friend that we should go with time. Sometime I also didn't make enough time to attain all those bhoj bhater coz i was busy and they put a heavy charge on me.

One blame to newar community is that they promote alcohol or simply called 'Local raksi'. Well I strongly disagree with this. Lets try to analyze this. Even in our home. my parents  make raksi for festives. I am not blaming other ethnicity, but I must say "MORE YOU TRY TO PRESS YOUR DESIRE, MORE IT TRY TO COME UP". What I am trying say is , I know alcohol are totally banned from bahun's society but frankly saying they drink more alcohol than newar do. Well I am not saying its good or bad ( coz infact so called developed citizens of US drink more than we nepalese do, isn't it?). I might not be 100% right. I post these things based on my experiences because I have equal number of bahun and newar friend. So simply saying, making raksi at home and allowing raksi in festives doesn't prove newar promote raksi culture in nepal.

I also agree with some of the friends that Newari people are little bit conservative. Well I am not hesitating to say, there is wide unseen gap between newari people and bahun people in Nepal. For that,  I am blaming both of the culture. Bahun people think newari people try to embarass and dominate them and Newari people think that bahun people try to embarass and dominate them. We must stop this. yeah it takes time to change.  With the rise of ganatantra, its time to change.I strongly hate those guys which try to mimic newari tone ( you know what i am saying right?)  coz those things seems to be minor but it actually increasing the gap so I am strongly requesting everybody to stop those action.

I must say that main drawback of Newari people is education. They still lack of education. Education is not the problem in so called higher ranked newari people ( bajracharya, tuladhar,shrestha etc...) but its the problem in so called lower ranked newari people(Maharjan, dangol, suwal, prajapati, sahi, etc.....). I am not hesitating to mentioning the term   higher and lower ranked newari people coz thats the real fact and bitter truth which newari people are  facing right now. This proves the huge gap between within the newari cuture and people.

I HOPE THAT NEW NEPAL WILL ELIMINATE THESE PROBLEMS.

I will highly appreciate for comments and suggestion.

Thanks
Anil

Newars, specially the new generation newars, do not have gut to face up with the problem, nor do they have enough sense to recognize how good their own culture is. They rather prefer to run away from their social duties and family responsibilities. They are irresponsible and reluctant to invest their time and energy in preserving their culture and heritage, because they think, someone else will do it for them. Probablym the young generation newars are too selfish so that they do not want to get involved in preserving culture because it is unproductive or worthless topics for them. 

I have met many newar youngs - of 25-35 age group, who are not even aware of why and how newari culture is  in danger. Some of them even feel inferior to speak newari language. They don't feel proud to be called a newar but feel humiliated if others call them newar. They are happy to lose their newar identity. They don't feel ashamed to say - they can't speak in newari. It is so sad.

You will see very few newars will be participating in this thread too. It is not because there are few newars in Sajha, but because most newars do not have knowledge on the problems of newari culture. Some of them may not be willing to show up here because they do not want to be seen like "newar supporter" - a kind of coward mentality. This generation has yet to realize that if newars do not get involved in preserving newari culture, no one else would do it. Other non-newars who get involved in preserving newari culture is actually interested to make money or some sort of extra benefits only.

I am glad, many of you have come up with very nice opinions. Thank you for it, and please continue on discussing the very issue here.

 

However, I would like to request you all "Please refrain from making comparision with other ethnic groups and please avoid any sort of blaming to others with weak reasonings". I am afraid, such a irresponsible commentary may drag this thread into unhealthy debates. I do not want to get involved in promoting unhealthy debates. Thank you for understanding the spirit of healthy discussion. I would like you all to actively participate.

 

Well, there's new, newar, and newarest.  Think I'll wait until the beta-testing is finished. / 

Jwajaalapa: Please take time to read these essays by fellow nepalis. Comments will be highly appreciated.
http://nepalwire.com/community/?cat=9

For Info: this competition was done in Facebook about 2-3 months ago.

Thanks

I do not think, gathering few people, drinking alcohol with CHIURA  on GUNDRI is called culture.

Thanks slipknot, that is quit good move. I enjoyed reading.

NEWAH JHEE NEWAH HAY JUYEE!!!!

Well myself being a newar I regret that most newars are loosing their culture, values and language. I personally think the upcoming generation Newars do not teach their kids anything about where we come from and where we belong. Futher more not even the language. So to all the Newars and the upcoming generation please let me advice you our culture and preserved with the language we speak. Lets not forget where we are from and be proud of being a Newar and just being a NEPALI.

I_A_N

There is not a single society that exists out there that does have problem. We are humans being, we are born to solve problems till the day we die. So even if you do solve the above mentioned problems today there will be more in the days to come. If we are perfect then we will be God, bhagabaan, yahweh, or superman(whatever you believe in).

As far as the Newari culture being extinct, he he WHO IS TO BLAME ? THE NEWARS THEMSELVES NOT OTHERS. All the foundations of Newari culture is still there but are not being implemented like it used to be. Thanks to modernization not just newars but other cultures are also eroding(sherpa, lama, tharu, gurung etc etc) thanks to implementation of Nepali Language and culture. But if we did not do that that Nepal as a country would cease to exist. Then we will be back to that same old feudal lil cities before the SHAHS. I mean they did what they needed to do to make Nepal a functional country by implementing Nepali Language and culture. BUT ITS UP TO NEWARS TO PRESERVE THEIR OWN HERITAGE.

this is ridiculous, i hate this cliche' "NEWAH JHEE NEWAH HAY JUYEE!!!!"which basically presents frightened mentality of newars. "Newar cha nyableyen newaye jui"- cha nayahathe' yasan', barmu na jui makhu marsya na juimakhu. does not make sense to me at all!

राणा बिग्रीयो मोजले
नेवार बिग्रीयो भोजले

मलाई त नेवाni केटी प्लस नेवारी खाना मात्र मन पर्छ।

सुमन अन्वर सुमन