Dhanuk in Nepal


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

The Dhanuks, who are settled in the Terai districts of Saptari, Siraha and Dhanusa, are either from a low class or a minority indigenous people. Dhanuks are called Rajbanshis. The Dhanuks of Eastern Terai are called Kurmi and Patel in the Western Terai.
The Dhanuks live across India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Dhanuks are scattered from Morang in the east to the Terai in the west. But the Dhanuk are also found in Saptari, Siraha and Dhanusa in the east. Their main area of settlement stretches from Saptari to Dhanusa in the inner valley plain south of the Churia Hills. It is hard to calculate the population of minority nationality of Dhanuks in Nepal.
Their language and culture of the Dhanuks are like the Tharus. The Dhanuks, like Tharus, are employed by landlords and well-to-do persons to do private household work. They are influenced by the Hindu religion and the Indian culture across the border. The language of the Dhanuks is Maithili and Hindi in eastern Terai.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The rites of birth, death and marriage are performed by giving due importance like other tribes. The pregnant woman is kept in a separate home to arrange assistance from a dagrin (midwife) of the Chamar community. The baby is caused to cry as soon as it is born. "Ghosts" are driven away by putting the branches of jujube and unwanted shoes placed at the main gate of the house. The baby is given the milk of a she-goat to drink. Chhaiti is done in six days and Barahi in twelve days. In Barahi, worship and festivities are arranged.
Dhanuks do not marry within the clan, nor do they have the practice of cross-cousin marriage. In most of the cases, the parents seek the girl or the boy. Due to the influence of neighbors, they also have the system of dowry.
When a Dhanuk dies, the corpse is cremated if the deceased is above 12 years of age and is buried if younger.
The houses of Dhanuks are plastered with mud and pictures are drawn of mud too. Women go outside for work, but a male member remains the head of the family. The main occupation of Dhanuks is working for big zamindars (landowners) and farming.
Lots of feasts are organized on various occasions. Some Dhanuks never drink spirits and jaand but Dhanuks in general have the practice of drinking raksi or spirits.
The houses of Dhanuks are built in cluster in the river basins and edges of forests. They like to settle in river basins. A group of ten or eleven households makes a bindar committee and five bindars constitute a praganna. The chief of praganna is called maijan. There is one post, called Chaurasi, above him. These institutions manage tribal reconciliation and settlement of disputes. Those who do not abide by rules are expelled from the ethnic group. Mandal, Mahato and Kurmi are their thars (clans).
Since they dwell in the river basins and the edges of forests, they fish and tend livestock. Some people of various types within the Dhanuks are even big landowners, but the Dhanuks who belong to the group of minority nationality are landless. They earn their livelihood by working as agriculture laborers and household servants.


What Are Their Beliefs?

In some places Brahmins are appointed as priests while in other places they use Dhanuk priests. Dhanuks believe in magic, witchcraft and ghosts. They are divided into two groups in terms of religion: those who worship Kali are called Kaliyaha and others are called Maharkhiya. Those who worship Kali eat pork and drink alcohol, whereas Maharkhiyas do not do so. They worship a goddess called Gahil, who is one of five sisters. Their other goddesses are Shitalmata and Goureya Gaiya.


What Are Their Needs?

Today there are several churches and quite a few believers among them. They need to be willing to become Christ bearers to other people in their region of Nepal.


Prayer Points

Pray for a spiritual hunger that will give the Dhanuk people a willingness to receive the blessings of Jesus Christ.
Pray for Dhanuk disciples who will make more disciples.
Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the Dhanuk people to tell them about Jesus.


Scripture Prayers for the Dhanuk in Nepal.


References

Pawan Kumar Gurahiya


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Dhanuk
People Name in Country Dhanuk
Pronunciation dah-NOOK
Alternate Names Dhakna Rajput; Dhanak; Dhanak Julaha; Dhankia; Harijan; Jamadar; Julaha; Kabirpanthi; Kurmi; Mahatroji; Mandalji Mahatoji; Mandatji; Methur; Patel; धानुक
Population this Country 253,000
Population all Countries 4,996,000
Total Countries 3
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 5
PeopleID3 16696
ROP3 Code 111925
Country Nepal
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Total States on file 12
Largest States
Janakpur
105,000
Sagarmatha
75,000
Narayani
38,000
Kosi
28,000
Bagmati
2,900
Mechi
2,700
Lumbini
1,000
Mahakali
500
Seti
300
Gandaki
200
Bheri
200
Rapti
40
Country Nepal
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Total States 12
  Janakpur 105,000
  Sagarmatha 75,000
  Narayani 38,000
  Kosi 28,000
  Bagmati 2,900
  Mechi 2,700
  Lumbini 1,000
  Mahakali 500
  Seti 300
  Gandaki 200
  Bheri 200
  Rapti 40
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.05 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
99.92 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.03 %
* From latest Nepal census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Maithili (177,000 speakers)
Language Code mai   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 11
Secondary Languages
Bhojpuri
32,000
Nepali
5,500
Magahi
1,900
Angika
1,300
Hindi
1,000
Awadhi
600
Kumaoni
100
Bengali
100
Dotyali
80
Musasa
60
Primary Language Maithili (177,000 speakers)
Language Code mai   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 11
Secondary Languages
  Bhojpuri 32,000
  Nepali 5,500
  Magahi 1,900
  Angika 1,300
  Hindi 1,000
  Awadhi 600
  Kumaoni 100
  Bengali 100
  Dotyali 80
  Musasa 60
People Groups Speaking Maithili

Primary Language:  Maithili

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes
Bible-New Testament Yes  (2010)
Bible-Complete No
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
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Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories One Story
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Maithili Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible and Resources in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app: Maithili YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Maithili Bible General / Other
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Maithili YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Maithili Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter The Ancient Path Live Global
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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