This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations.

Selected ethnic groups of Nepal;
Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali
Gurung
Kiranti, Rai, Limbu
Newari
Pahari
Tamang

Mankhim (Tample) of 'Rai' at Aritar, Sikkim

The Rai, also known as the Khambu, is one of Nepal’s most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. The Rai belong to the Kiranti group or the Kirat confederation that includes the Limbu and the Sunuwar ethnic groups. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 576 pixel Image in higher resolution (1298 × 934 pixel, file size: 100 KB, MIME type: image/png) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Demographics of Nepal... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 576 pixel Image in higher resolution (1298 × 934 pixel, file size: 100 KB, MIME type: image/png) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Demographics of Nepal... The Bhutias are people of Tibetan origin, who migrated to Sikkim, India and Bhutan some time after the 15th century. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang For other uses of the word Sherpa, see Sherpa (disambiguation). ... The Thakali ethnolinguistic group originated from the Thak Khola region of Mustang district in the Dhaulagiri zone of Nepal. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang The Gurung is an ethnic group from the Central region of Nepal. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Limbu (meaning: archer) or Yakthumba are an ethnic group that belong to the Kiranti group or Kirat confederation that includes the Rai and Sunuwar who are believed to be the descendants of the ancient Mongolian people and are still known as Mongolians in Nepal. ... The Newar or Newah are the indigenous group of Nepals Kathmandu valley. ... Selected ethnic groups of Nepal; Bhotia, Sherpa, Thakali Gurung Kiranti, Rai, Limbu Newari Pahari Tamang Pahari (or Pahaari) is a general terms for a range of dialects spoken across the Himalayan range, not limited to a single country in the subcontinent. ... The Tamang (also known as Murmi) are one of the several ethnic groups living in Nepal descended from Tibeto-Burman origins. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Map to Aritar, East sikkim. ... , Sikkim (also Sikhim) (DevanāgarÄ«: सिक्किम  ) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Kirant or Kirat refers to the Kiranti group or Kirat confederation that includes the Rai, Limbu and Sunuwar ethnic groups of Nepal. ... The Limbu (meaning: archer) or Yakthumba are an ethnic group that belong to the Kiranti group or Kirat confederation that includes the Rai and Sunuwar who are believed to be the descendants of the ancient Mongolian people and are still known as Mongolians in Nepal. ...

The traditional homeland of the Rai extends across the Solukhumbu, the Okhaldhunga (home of the Bahing,Wambule subgroups), the Khotang, the Bhojpur and the Udayapur districts in the northeastern mountains of Nepal, west of the Arun River in the Sun Kosi River watershed. Rais are also found in small numbers in the Indian state of Sikkim and in the northern West Bengal towns of Kalimpong and Darjeeling. The Bahing are a subset of the Rai ethnic group, located in the Okhaldhunga district of eastern Nepal. ... Arun River may refer: River Arun, a river in England Arun River (Nepal) Category: ... India is a federal republic comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. ... , Sikkim (also Sikhim) (DevanāgarÄ«: सिक्किम  ) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... , Kalimpong (Nepali: कालिम्पोङ) is a hill station (a hill town) nestled in the Shiwalik Hills (or Lower Himalaya) in the Indian state of West Bengal. ... Darjeeling (Nepali: , Bangla: দার্জিলিং) is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. ...

Description

According to Nepal’s 2001 census, there are 636,151 ethnic Rai in Nepal which represent 2.79% of the total population. Of this number, 70.89% were Kiranti and 25.00% were Hindu. Yakkha were measured as a separate ethnic group of which 81.43% were Kirant and 14.17% were Hindu. The Rai are divided into many different clans, including the Bantawa, Chamling, Sampang, Dumi, Jerung, Kulung, Khaling, Lohorung, Mewahang, Rakhali, Thulung, Tilung, Wambule, Yakkha, and Yamphu. Some clans number only a few hundred members. The languages together with the traditional religion of the Rai is known as Kiranti. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

More than 30 different Kiranti languages and dialects are recognized within the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The oral language is rich and ancient, as is Kiranti history, but there is no distinct written script. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος) is a variant, or variety, of a language spoken in a certain geographical area. ... The Tibeto-Burman linguistic subfamily of the proposed Sino-Tibetan language family is spoken in various central and south Asian countries: Myanmar (Burmese language), Tibet (Tibetan language), northern Thailand (Mong language), Nepal, Bhutan, India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Ladakh region of... Sino-Tibetan languages form a language family of about 250 languages of East Asia, in number of speakers worldwide second only to Indo-European. ...

The traditional Kiranti religion, predating Hinduism and Buddhism, is based on ancestor-worship and the placation of ancestor spirits through elaborate rituals governed by rules called Mundum. Sumnima and Parohang are worshipped as primordial parents. Sikatakhu Budo, Walmo Budi, and Jalpa Devi, among others, serve as Kiranti deities. Most Rai practice a form of syncretic Mundum that combines elements of Hinduism and Lamaism with both Hindu and Buddhist practices and major festivals. A major Rai holiday is the harvest festival, Nwogi, when fresh harvested foods are shared by all. The pujhari or priest plays an important role in Rai communities. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Veneration of the dead. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... A Hindu ( , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the religious, philosophical and cultural system that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... For other uses, see Holiday (disambiguation). ... Look up Harvest in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A festival is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community. ...

Because of the fiercely independent nature of the Rai community and its location at the eastern end of the consolidated Nepali nation-state, the Rai were given exceptional rights of Kipat autonomy and land ownership in their homeland of Majh (middle) Kirant. Motto जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी  (Sanskrit) Mother and motherland are dearer than the heavens Anthem Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka Capital (and largest city) Kathmandu (Nepal Bhasa:येँ) Official languages Nepali Government Interim government  -  King Gyanendra1  -  Interim Head of State Girija Prasad Koirala  -  Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Unification December 21, 1768  Area  -  Total 147,181...

Subsistence agriculture of rice, millet, wheat, corn and even cotton is the main occupation of the Rai although many Rai have been recruited into military service with the Nepali army and police, and the Indian and British Gurkha regiments and Singapore Police Force. Like most farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, this Cameroonian man cultivates at the subsistence level. ... Gurkha, also spelled as Gorkha, are people from Nepal and parts of India, especially northern West Bengal state, who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. ...

Rai women decorate themselves lavishly with silver and gold coin jewelry. Marriage unions are usually monogamous and arranged by parents, although bride capture and elopement are alternative methods. Music (traditional drums and string instruments; yele, dhol and jhyamta), dance (sakela - chandi dance) and distilled spirits (aaraakha),(ngashi),(waasim), are central to Rai culture. Faithfulness redirects here. ... To elope, most literally, merely means to run away. ... // Music is an art form consisting of sound and silence expressed through time. ... Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to movement used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting. ... Laboratory distillation set-up using, without a fractionating column 1: Heat source 2: Still pot 3: Still head 4: Thermometer/Boiling point temperature 5: Condenser 6: Cooling water in 7: Cooling water out 8: Distillate/receiving flask 9: Vacuum/gas inlet 10: Still receiver 11: Heat control 12: Stirrer speed...

Sakela or Sakewa or Chandi dance is the great religious festival of kirat rai.

Famous Rai

Lain Singh Bangdel (Rai) - Artist, Writer, Art Historian (Former Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy)]

Sambhu Rai - Singer Artist.

Saurav Kumar Rai- Chikat!.

Dhiraj Rai - Singer Artist.

Sabin Rai - Singer Artist. Sabin Rai is a popular pop singer from Nepal. ...

Pawan Kumar Chamling (Rai) - Minister of Sikkim. , Sikkim (also Sikhim) (DevanāgarÄ«: सिक्किम  ) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ...

Ratna Kumar Bantawa- Revolutionary founder of Nepal communist party.

Supreme Master Godangel Patron sain of Heavenly Path, Member of the world peace conference made of 71 coutries

Ram Prasad Rai - Revolutionary founder of Nepal Congress party.

Bal Bahadur Rai - Revolutionary and founder of Nepal Congress party.

Gopal Rai - Founder of Nepal communist party.

Karna Bahadur Rai - Politician.

Narad Muni (Thulung) Rai - Poltician.

Ran Dhoj Rai, Captain, M.B.E (Member of British Empire) - Honorary British Gorkha Officer

See also

• Demographics of Nepal
• Mankhim

Perched on the southern slopes of the Himalayan Mountains, the Kingdom of Nepal is as ethnically diverse as its terrain of fertile plains, broad valleys, and the highest mountain peaks in the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

References

• CIA Fact Book
• Rastriya Janajati Bikas Samiti
• Nepal Ethnographic Museum
• Wambule and Jero
• Kiranti Languages
• Bista, Dor Bahadur. (2004). People of Nepal. Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.
• Rai/Limbu
• The Kirat Rai Association's Web Portal
• Article about Sakela or Sakewa:[1]

External links

• Kirat-Rai Society of America
• Kirat-Rai Society of America blog
• Online kirat community