The Thangmi (in Nepali थामी) are an indigenous tribe of the hills east of the Nepalese capital

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

. They mainly live in Suspa, Kshamawati, Khopachagu, Alampu, Bigu, Kalinchok, Lapilang and Lakuri Danda villages of

Dolakha district Dolakha, often known as Dolkha or Dholkha (Nepal Bhasa:दोलखा जिल्ला)), a part of Bagmati Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Charikot as its district headquarters, covers an area of a ...

in East-Central

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

. They are locally known as Thangmi. The social structure of the Thami comprise a bilineal clan system. Apart from the male clans, there are distinct female lineages that are passed down from mother to daughter. They speak the Thami language, which is related to Nepal Bhasha. They do not have a written script; however, inscriptions on monuments built over graves lay claim to one. According to the 2011 Nepal Census, there are a total of 29,000 Thami of which some belong to the Kirant religion and some belong to Buddhism.2011 Nepal Census, Social Characteristics Tables
/ref> Legend says that the first Thami couple had seven sons and seven daughters. When the parents could not find suitable marriage partners for their children, they allowed them to intermarry. The Thami people are their descendants. The Thami men originally engaged in shifting agriculture besides hunting and foraging. They now earn a meagre living through the stone quarrying business and by joining the military forces. To escape this extreme hardship, many have fled to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

to find better jobs. Many upper class members of Thami clan are living in Bhutan. They go to Nepal in search of employment, and to do business. The Thami are shamanists, though they have come under strong

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

influence from the

Tamang The Tamang (; Devanagari: तामाङ; ''tāmāṅ'') are an Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group of Nepal. In Nepal Tamang/Moormi people constitute 5.6% of the Nepalese population at over 1.3 million in 2001, increasing to 1,539,830 as of the 2011 ...

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

influence can be also seen in their marriage rituals, which is a festival to them. Although they are poor they must make a chautara in the name of their deceased relatives. Recently many people of the Thami clan are joining Christianity.

References

Remembering the Thami: A case studyNepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalitiesथामी जातिबारे जानौं: सपना थामी
{{Reflist Indigenous peoples of Nepal