SUPER RARE 19th.c Nepal Tharu Hill Tribe Silver Bronze & Wood Smoking Pipe

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SUPER RARE 19th.c Nepal Tharu Hill Tribe Silver Bronze & Wood Smoking Pipe :
$300.00

Rare 19th Century Nepal Tharu Hill Tribe Silver Bronze & Wood Smoking Pipe

100% Hand Made

This is one of the oldest and most unique pipes I have come across. It is a silver and wood Tharu Hill Tribe smoking pipe. This style pipe is smoked by the men and women of the Thru Hill Tribe and other hill tribes throughout Nepal and Tibet. It normally smoked with a clay or ceramic bowl that is attached to the wooden stem opposite the metal bowl using a cloth to secure it in place (as in the photo above). This piece comes without the clay or ceramic bowl. However, you can procure a clay or ceramic bowl that can be used with this pipe by doing a search for \"hookah bowl\" on . Indeed it is very rare to find such an old and ornate pipe such as this. I was very fortunate to find and procure this unique masterpiece during a recent trip toKathmandu. The Tharu People inhabit the southern foothills of the Himalayas both in Nepal & Tibet. I have included more info about the Tharu below. If you are an avid collector of pipes you should not hesitate about procuring this unique masterpiece.

ATTENTION: THIS PIECE IS INTENDED FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES ONLY... NOT FOR ACTUAL USE.

Size: Approx. 17 inches long (can be seen in photos).

Materials: Silver Bronze & Hard Wood

Age: 19th Century

PLEASE NOTE THIS PIPE ISnormally smoked with a clay or ceramic bowl that is attached to the wooden stem opposite the metal bowl using a cloth to secure it in place (as in the photo below). The clay or ceramic bowl is NOT provided with this item. However, you can procure a clay or ceramic bowl that can be used with this pipe by doing a search for \"hookah bowl\" on .

Don\'t let this unique opportunity pass you by... Buy It Now!

Thanks for your time and consideration... Dobuydon

SHIPPING (PLEASE READ)

I will ship your item via InternationalRegistered Air Mail as soon as payment is received. Registered Mail is the mostreliable and secure method of shipping and guarantees that your item willarrive. I have never lost any registered mail shipments. Normal shipping timeto most locations is 10-14 business days. Sometimes it can take longer… pleasebe patient. Onceyour shipment arrives, a signaturewill be required. If no one is available to sign for the shipment the postoffice should leave a notice and you may have to go pick up your item.

Expedited shipping viaInternational Express Mail Service (EMS) is available for an extra charge.Normal shipping time to most locations via EMS is 5 working days. Please emailme for a price quote if you desire express shipping.

Please remember to check customsregulations before importing items that may be restricted in your country.

PROBLEMS–If you haveany problems I ask that you please email me so that we can resolve any issuesbetween ourselves.

ONCE YOU RECEIVE YOURSHIPMENT-Iask that you please email and let me know that you have received the shipmentas soon as possible. If you are happy with the item and with the service that Ihave provided, I ask that you please leave POSITIVE response. I strive toprovide 5 STAR products and services...Thanks again for your support….Dobuydon.

Tharu(Nepali:थारू, Thārū) are anethnic groupindigenousto theTerai-- the southern foothills of theHimalayasinNepalandIndia.[5]They are considered to be the direct discendents of theGautama Buddha.[citation needed]Anthropologist Prof Dor Bahadur Bista, Balaram Gharti Magar and many scholars support the logic Suddhodhana being Tharu king ofKapilvastu,Lumbini-the birth place ofBuddha,Nepal. Archealogical findings have also been supporting that Tharu people were living in that area for quite long time. The Tharus are recognized as an officialnationalityby the Government of Nepal.[6]

Contents[hide]

1Resistance to Malaria
2Distribution
3Culture
- 3.1Household Structure
- 3.2Language
- 3.3Marriage system
- 3.4Religion
4History
- 4.1Modern history (1846 - 1999)
- 4.2Recent history (2000-present)
5References
6Further reading
7External links

[edit]Resistance to Malaria

The Tharu were famous for their ability to survive in the most malarial parts of the Terai that were deadly to outsiders. In 1902 a British observer noted, \"Plainsmen and paharis generally die if they sleep in the Terai before November 1 or after June 1.\", although others thought the Tharu weren\'t totally immune.[7]

Contemporary medical research comparing Tharu with other ethnic groups living nearby found an incidence of malaria nearly seven times lower among Tharu.[8]The researchers believed such a large difference pointed to genetic factors rather than behavioral or dietary differences. This was confirmed by follow-up investigation finding genes forthalassemiain nearly all Tharu studied.[9]

[edit]Distribution

The majority of Tharu live in Nepal where they constitute 13.5% of the total population[10]or 3.96 million of Nepal\'s estimated 29.4 million population as of July 2010.[2]There are severalendogamoussub-groups of Tharu:[11]

Rana Tharu[12]in theKailaliandKanchanpurdistricts of the far western Nepal Terai; also in India, inNainital,UttarakhandandKheri Terai,Uttar Pradesh. Rana Tharu claimRajputorigin.
Kathoriya Tharu,[13]mostly inKailali Districtand in India.
Sonha[14]inSurkhet district
Dangaura Tharu[15]in western style=\"margin-bottom: 0.1em; \">Paschuhan (Western) TharuRupandehi,Nawalparasi
Rautar TharuRupandehi,Nawalparasi
Purbaha TharuRupandehi,Kapilvastu
Aarkutwa or Chitwania Tharu[16]in central style=\"margin-bottom: 0.1em; \">Kochila Tharu[17]in Eastern Districts
Danuwar[18]in Eastern Terai:Udayapur,SaptariandMorang districts.
Lamputchwa Tharu[19]inMorang District

Smaller numbers of Tharu reside in the adjacent Indian Pradeshstate; andNainital,Uttarakhandstate.[5]In 2001, Tharu were the largest of fivescheduled tribesinUttarakhand, with a population of 256,129 accounting for 33.4% of all scheduled tribes.[3]In the same year, they constituted 77.4% of the total tribal population ofUttar Pradeshwith a population of 83,544.[4]

[edit]CultureTharu village nearBardia National ParkA Tharu man

The Tharu people themselves say that they are a people of the forest. In Chitwan, they have lived in the forests for hundreds of years practicing a short fallowshifting cultivation. They plantedrice,mustard,cornandlentils, but also collected forest products such as wild fruits, vegetables,medicinal plantsand materials to build their houses; hunteddeer,rabbitandwild boar, and went fishing in the rivers and oxbow lakes.[11]

The Tharus never went abroad for employment – a life that kept them isolated in their own localities.[20]In this isolation they developed a unique culture free from the influence of adjacent India, or from the mountain groups of Nepal. The most striking aspects of their Environment are the decorated rice containers, colorfully painted verandahs and outer walls of their homes using only available materials like clay, mud, dung and grass. Much of the rich design is rooted in devotional activities and passed on from one generation to the next, occasionally introducing contemporary elements such as a bus or an airplane.[21]

[edit]Household Structure

In the western Terai, most Rana Tharu prefer living inBadagharcalledlonghouseswith big families of many generations, sometimes 40-50 people. All household members pool their labor force, contribute their income, share the expenditure and use one kitchen.[22]

[edit]Language

There is no one Tharu language unifying Tharu communities in different parts of Nepal and India. Several speak various endemicTharu languages. In western Nepal and adjacent parts of India, Tharus speak variants ofUrduandAwadhi. In and near central Nepal, they speak a variant ofBhojpuri. In Eastern Nepal, they speak a variant ofMaithili. More standard versions of these dialects are widely spoken by non-Tharu neighbors in the same areas so that there are no important linguistic barriers between Tharus and their neighbors. However, there are linguistic barriers between these dialects standing in the way of communication between Tharus from different regions.

Tharu were already living in the Terai beforeIndo-Europeansarrived, raising the question what they may have been speaking at the time. The only surviving pre-Indo-European language in the Terai isKusunda,Santhalifurther west.

[edit]Marriage system

Traditionally, marriages were often arranged during the pregnancies of two women. If they gave birth to opposite sex babies, the two babies were supposed to be married if they grew up as friends. It was problematic if a boy or girl came of age and rejected their assigned fiance(e). Finding a replacement was difficult because most girls and boys were already engaged. However this custom has been disappearing. Most Tharus now practice conventionalarranged marriages. They also practice love marriages, marriage after courtship and eloping.

[edit]Religion

The spiritual beliefs and moral values of the Tharu people are closely linked to the natural Environment. Thepantheonof their gods exhibits a large number ofdeitiesthat live in the forest.[11]

This articleneeds additionalcitationsforverification. Please helpimprove this articleby adding citations toreliable sources. Unsourced material may bechallengedandremoved.(December 2006)

The Tharu are adherents ofHinduism. Small numbers have converted toBuddhismin the recent years. Such syncretic practices have led Tharu to practicefolk Hinduism. With the advent of religious freedom, others have converted toChristianityand there are a variety of congregations active in the various districts where Tharus are found.

Traditional Tharu worship various gods in the form of animals such as horse, tiger, ox, snake and sheep. Such gods are seen inHinduism. Every village has their own deity, commonly known as Bhuinyar. Tharu in East Nepal call their deity Gor-raja.

Most Tharu households own a statue of a traditional god. Family members often offer animal\'s blood sacrifices to appease the god. Animals such as pigeons and chickens are used for sacrificial purposes. Milk and silk cloth are also used. Many Tharu would also use the blood of one of the male members in the family for such rituals. Such rituals are conducted through ceremonies, and superficial cuts are made forehead, arms, throat, legs, and/or chest.

The gods are believed to have the ability to heal diseases and sickness. According to traditional legend, gods are given abhakal, a promise of something, on condition that the sickness is cured, in any events of misfortunes, plagues and horror dreams. A relative\'s death is an event of great significance among Tharu, and rituals conducted varies in accordance to regions.

Tharu would approach shamans as doctors, known as Guruba. Such shamans use Buddhist medicines to cure illness. Shamans will also try to appease gods through incantations, beating drums and offering sacrifices. The Tharu believe sickness comes when the gods are displeased, and the demons are at work.

Buddhist converts among the Tharu are found in Saptari, Siraha and Udaypur. Currently it is believed that there are more than one dozen of Buddhist monks and novices among the Tharus. Such practice was possibly based on the fact that they were inspired by the discovery of Lord Buddha as a member of the Tharu tribe.

97.63% of the ethnic Tharu were Hindu according to the 2001 Census of Nepal, whereas 1.95% were Buddhist.

[edit]History[edit]Modern history (1846 - 1999)

According to Nepali author Subodh Kumar Singh, a series of invasions by the other races, from north India across the border and from hills and mountains of Nepal, eroded the influence of the indigenous Tharus. In 1854Jung Bahadur, the firstRanaprime minister of Nepal, developed the Mulki Ain, a codification of Nepal\'s indigenous legal system, which divided society into a system ofcastes. The Tharus were placed at next to the bottom (lowest touchable, above untouchables) of the social hierarchy. Their land was taken away, disrupting their community and displacing the people.

In the 1950s, theWorld Health Organisationhelped the Nepalese government eradicatemalariain the Terai region. This resulted in immigration of people from other areas to claim the fertile land, making many Tharus virtual slaves of the new landowners and developing theKamaiya systemof bonding generations of Tharus families to labour.[23]

[edit]Recent history (2000-present)

The Government of Nepal outlawed the practice ofbonded labourprevalent under theKamaiya systemon July 17, 2000, prohibiting anyone from employing any person as a bonded labourer and declared that the act of making one work as a bonded labourer, be punishable.[23]Though democracy has been reinstated in the country, the Tharu community has called for a moreInclusive Democracyas they are fearful of remaining a backward, underprivileged people.[24]