Tangbe (Taye in Tibetan) is a small village in the village development committee of Chhusang in the Mustang District of

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. It is located on a promontory with a good view over the Kali Gandaki Gorge on the Upper Mustang trekking route, between Kagbeni and Chhusang.

Demography

The people of Tangbe village call themselves "Tangbetani". Most of Tangbetani have surname "

Gurung Gurung (exonym; ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung language, Gurung: ) are a Tibetan people, Tibetan ethnic group living in the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurungs speak Tamu kyi which is a Sino-Tibetan language derived from the ...

" and some use "Tangbetani" or "Tangbe". Tangbetanis come from the village of Tangbe, which is a part of the Bahra Gaunle (12 villages) confederation in Mustang district. According to oral history, they have come to Tangbe from Bhurcho of Manang District. Most of the Tangbetanis have already migrated from Tangbe. A majority of the Tangbrtanis are living in

Pokhara Pokhara ( ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Named the country's "capital of tourism" it is the List of cities in Nepal, second largest city after Kathmandu, with 599,5 ...

, some are living in

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

and some of the Tangbetanis are living in the United States as well as in Australia. There are only 32 households in the Tangbe village. Some 85 families are found in Pokhara, around 25 families in Jomsom, around 20 families in Kathmandu and around 50 individuals in the United States and Australia. They were traditionally salt traders. The ruins of an ancient fortress have become a silent witness of history, when Tangbe was on a major salt trade route between

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. After the decline in this trade many years ago, most Tangbetanis stated to be engaged in farming and other vocations. Nowadays a majority of Tangbetanis are owners of Fashion Wear Shops at Pokhara. The Tangbetanis have been described as an indigenous people of Nepal, residing in the Barha gaun area of Mustang. They resemble Lhoba in physical appearance and are influenced by

Tibetan Culture Tibet developed a distinct culture due to its geographic and climatic conditions. While influenced by neighboring cultures from China, India, and Nepal, the Himalayas, Himalayan region's remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinct ...

. They have their own unique language called the "Serke", meaning the golden language. They have their own unique dress and ornaments. They also have their own traditional cultural songs, which are sung during the festivals. They also dance along with the melody of the songs they sing.

Religion and Culture

All the Tangbetanis are

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

. They celebrate several festivals such as Chhau/ Losar (Lhochhar: New Year), Yartong (The festival of riding on a horse and going to the Muktinath) and Dhachyang (The festival for playing Bow and Arrow). According to their tradition, second son should become Dhawa (

Lama Lama () is a title bestowed to a realized practitioner of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. Not all monks are lamas, while nuns and female practitioners can be recognized and entitled as lamas. The Tibetan word ''la-ma'' means "high mother", ...

: Religious Devotee, Buddhist) and second daughter a Jhuma (a Buddhist nun). Their marriage system is polyandrous by tradition, but such marriages are not practiced anymore.

Community

A social association of Tangbetanis have been established in Pokhara. This association is called "Tangbe Samaj Sewa Sanjh". The office and conference hall of this association is located at Parsyang, Pokhara. * The President; Tangbe Samaj Sewa Sanjh; Head Office:Parsyang, Pokhara-05, Kaski, Nepal.

References

{{Mustang District Populated places in Mustang District

Demography

Religion and Culture

Community

See also

References