Socio-economic Status of Gandharva Community Living in Batulechaur, Pokhara

Ananta Raj Dhungana School of Development and Social Engineering, Pokhara University Email: [email protected]

Abstract: This study aims to exploreKishor the Chapagain socio-economic status of Gandharva

Gandharva community of Batulechaur in Pokhara were interviewed by using structured community. For this purpose, the household heads of all the fifty households of from the respondents. The study focused on socio-economic status and occupational shiftquestionnaire. of Gandharva Descriptive community. statistics The wasstudy used found for analyzingthat the Gandharvathe information community gathered is socially marginalized and relatively poor in comparison to other communities. Their living status is not good. They have low education and low income profession as reason. For this reason most of them have shifted their occupations from singing and dancing to others like service sector, unskilled job, foreign employment in golf countries and some small business like running shops, vegetable selling, ect.

Keywords: Gandharva Community, Living status, Marginalized, Occupation, Singing

Introduction Gandharva in Batulechaur, Pokhara with total More than hundred castes and ethnic groups population 375. are living in . Among these, 26 caste Gandharva people sing folksongs that groups are considered as communities have been never written but passed verbally which are further divided into two groups from person to person from generation to based on regional origin like mountainous/ sorrow resulting from death and disasters these , Gandharva or Gaine is one of whichgeneration. were Theirfaced songsspecially reflect by therural feeling people. of thehilly Dalit and castes plain/ living Tarai in (NDC, hilly region. 2016). AmongMainly, The main economic source of Gandharva Gandharva are inhabit in the western hill people was singing, and dancing in the past. Even now some of them have the same Baglung, etc. According to the census of source of income for their livelihood. As a 2011,districts the liketotal Lamjung,population Tanahun, of the Gaine Kaski, is result of modernization in different sectors, 6791. Gaines are famous for their diverse urbanization process is going rapidly. For this reason people have interest towards of Gaine population have been migrated to the modern songs and musical instruments. and floating cultural life. A large number The modern means of communication like T.V., Radio have minimized the importance ThisTarai. study However, focused this on study only isthe flcused Gandharva only of Gandharva's folksongs and sweet music ofon Batulechaur, in search for Pokhara, livelihood since (NDC, the 2016).place of Sarangi. Their traditional occupation has the largest concentration of Gandharva of singing, dancing and begging is also people. There are around 50 households of

not liked by modern society (Macdonald, Journal of Development and Social Engineering Volume 3 | Number 1 | December 2017, 9-16 ISSN 2382-5332 © School of Development and Social Engineering, Pokhara University 10 Ananta R. Dhungana seriously to their source of income. It is believed1975). These that the factors Gandharva have beensang the hindering heroic Pradesh.1975). The Most historicity of the Gaine of the agree Gaine with is thought the fact songs to encourage the army to show their to be related to the Bhat and Badi of Karnali badi and Bhat communities of western Nepal their socioeconomic status was gradually that they have strong sense of affinity with degradedbravery in due the to battlefield. the various In reasons. course of time It has been already mentioned that there Nepal is a multiethnic, multi-cultural, are(Darnal, very 2043).few sociological and Studies on the multi religious and multi linguistic country. Due to it's geographical and socio- cultural diversity, it is a fertile land for studieslowest (Dalit)about castes the in Gaine Nepal. Sociologistscommunity. and anthropologists have not done sufficient has stated the Gaine are occupational caste. allsocio the anthropologicalcastes and ethnic research groups of (Gurung, Nepal. TheirKantipur, traditional a Daily norms newspaper and customs (5 May, 2005)allow Also,1989). he Bistadescribed (1970) their has custom, described belief almost and marrying in childhood. They eat meat of pigs cultural life in brief. Gautam and Thapa brief description of Gaine of Nepal in their Surnameand drink of wine the Gandharva. necessarily. They Kantipur, are living Daily bookMagar(1994) entitled have Tribal attempted ethnography to highlight of Nepal, the inNewspaper western (6regions. June, They 2005) are has doing stated early the marriage now. But some NGOs/INGOs are Gaine's inhabiting districts, their physical working to promote the lifestyle of the Gaine characteristics,Vol. II (1994). Intheir this septs. book theyThey describedtried to community by doing different programs describe the Gaine of Nepal with reference like as counseling to do marriage in adult, to the historical background. Also, they educating programs etc. Nepal government attempted to highlight Gaine's cultural life, social belief as well as economic status. the lowest untouchable caste groups. If any member(2002) has of the stated high the caste Gaine Hindu are group considered is ever have traced about some untouchable castes of touched accidentally by them, he/she must Gautam and Thapa Magar (1994) also purify either by sprinkling “gold water” or Halkhor etc. are some of the untouchable taking bath in the pond as well. Even today castesNepal. theyBadi, have Dom, tried Gaine, to , describe. Musahar , Gandharva are not allowed to fetch water The word Gaine indicates that they are the either form the private or public tube-wells. professional signers. The word ‘Gandharva’ is They have separate tube wells for their own mentioned in our holybooks like Ramayan, use or go to the nearby stream to fetch water. Mahabharat and other epic literatures. In Regarding their origin, the Gandharva these literatures Gandharva is mentioned as a have their own ideas and believes. Most musician of Indra, a Hindu god. According to of the Gandharva claim that they are the Yogi Narahari Nath, there was an existence of descendants of the Gandharva a musician of Indra, a Hindu god. According to their 1279. It is supposed that the Gaine of Jumla version, Brahmaji the creator, created four areaGaines gradually in Karnali migrated Pradesh to in thearound eastern sake part Era of the country during the medieval period. there was one Rishi called Gandharva, who Also, Hira Gaineni was a good singer who wasRishis less (hermits). cunning than Among his colleague. these four So, Rishisother sang the songs on the bravery of Mathvar three Rishis wanted to remove him from their Sing Thapa. Gaine themselves say that it group. For this, they consulted each other and was only under the rule of Ranas that their they gave him a leg of a cow and told him to position deteriorated to the point where they beg for alms uttering the word "Awariha". The simple minded Gandharva Rishi did what he became one of the lowest castes (Macdonald, Socio-economic Status of Gandharva Community... 11 was told to do. On returning with alms, he process of Nepal by king Prithivi Narayan he had used the leg of cow and so from then are found mentioned during the unification hewas was told to that continue he had his defiled life as ahimself beggar. because Thus it Gandhrava live in remote area of Nepal, is believed that Gandharva is the progenitor soShah all (NNDSWO, the people 2005). of that area engage in different occupation. Gandharva has own Gaines by birth are regarded as low caste today.of the The Gaine stringed and sincemusical he instrument was defiled called the and so on. So their condition is not so well. the 'Aarwajo' which they use to provide music Afterworks, declaration singing, dancing, of republic fishing, democratic laboring

having simple works. Some serve in Hotel, whileGandharvas they sing also have originated their own (Gautam language and as Nepal, Gandharva engage in different field otherThapa communityMagar, 1994). which is known as Parsi workers. Because of being uneducable they arehospital not able and to in be other employee offices in as higher low graderank to communicate within community and inter personalsimilar to asDamai well andto keepKami. something It is mainly secret used In terms of population and socio- in front of other language speaking people. economic(Wordpress, development 2016). Gaines is the But to communicate with other community most marginalized caste among the Dalits people, they prefer to use Nepali considering many more changes are taking place. Their communities. By the order of the first languagea common behavior field of has experience. been changed. At present Their DalitsNational caste Civil hierarchy. Code 1854 According (Muluki to Ain, the 19101991 lifestyle has also been changed. The young census,BS) Gaine the number is listed of at Gaines the bottomwas 4,484. of Now, intra generation hardly use their own language but the latest census 2011 shows there are 6791 prefer to use instead. The Gaines in Nepal. This is 0.03 Percent of total old generations suggest them to continue their traditional occupation but the young Though, more or less Gaines are scattered generations have rejected their suggestions. overDalit all population the country (3710575) but the large of the population country.

It seems to be a great confusion about the National Dalit Strategy Report 2002 states origin(NNDSWO, district 2005) of Gandarava society in Nepal. theof Gaines population are found of Gaine in Batulechaur with more thanof Kaski. 200 No reliable graphical source has been found in number is observed only in seven districts is the original place of Gandarva people and localsas yet. thinkCertain that researchers Batulechaur claimed is the that ancient Kaski compared(Dang, Kaski the Chitwa,Pyuthan, national average Gulmi, of 39.6Surkhet, per place of the Gaine and they have been living centTanahun). whereas The the literacy overall rate literacy of Gaine rate was of Dalit31.3 over there for generation to generation. Many of them also claim Gandharva community started to live in Batulechaur area in the was According only 22.8 percentto the census in the 2002of 2011, (Wagle, in western2015). development region, there is a years old female Gaine Nainkala Gayak, the maximum population of Gaine as compared reign of Kulmandan Shah. According to 76 to the other development regions. Similarly, of Badhar bott and people back then were in Far Western development region, the involvedfirst settlement in rearing of Gandharva pigs. Although was at Pathan many population of Gaine is minimum as compared locals claim Batulechaur as the origine of to the other development regions. It has Gandharvas in the context above, but the been observed that the Gandharvas of real truth seems different. Names like those of Maniram and Hiradevi Gaine of Gorkha their occupation and lifestyle. Further, Still Batulichaur of Kaski have been changing 12 Ananta R. Dhungana there is no research specially focused on the collecting the information. Descriptive statistics was used for analyzing the data. their socio-economic status and occupational shift.Gandharva Hence ofthis Batulichaur, study tried Kaski to explore regarding the Results and Discussion socio-economic status and occupational shift Based on the information gathered from of these people.

Data and Methods fifty household head, we have the following Socio-demographicfindings: Characteristics of the district ranks at a second largest district. Respondents TheOn thetotal basis population of population of Batulechaur of Gaine, is Kaski 376. In this section, socio-demographic variables In total there are around 50 households of like age, sex, religion, marital status, types of Gadharva at Batulechaur, Pokhara. Due to the Marriage, education, family type, and family largest and compact settlement, Gandharva community of Batulehaur is considered as an appropriate place for the study of socio- aresize fromof the age respondents group up towere 40 analyzedyears. Majority (table economic status of Gandharva. As this study 1). More than half (54 %) of the respondents has tried to explore the socio-economic status family are slightly more than that of Nuclear of Gandharva community, both descriptive family.(58%) are Similarly male. Themore respondents than two third from of joint the as well as exploratory research design was respondents have large family size. Majority of the respondents are married, few are housholds of Gandharva community of widow/widower and divorced. Another Batulechaur,adopted for thisPokhara study. were Further, selected all thefor fiftythis component of the study is the marriage study. The interview was carried out from pattern. This study shows that more than half the household head of these communities. remaining have love marriage. (52.0%) have married with arrange while the StructuredTable questionnaire 1: Social and was demographic used for characteristics of the respondents Variables Number Percent Age group (years) Upto 40 years 27 54.0 Above 40 years 23 46.0 Sex Male 29 58.0 Female 21 42.0 Family type Nuclear 24 48.0 Joint 26 52.0 Family Size 15 30 35 70 Marital Small(less status thanof Respondent or equal to 4 LargeMarried (more than 4) 40 80.0 Divorce 1 2.0 Widow/Widower 9 18.0 Types of marriage Love 24 48.0 Arrange 26 52.0 Total 50 100 Source: Field Survey, 2017 Socio-economic Status of Gandharva Community... 13

Upper Caste’s Treat above Rs. 40000. It is also found that majority Our social system is based on the caste of the respondents i.e. 58.0 percent, have system or caste hierarchical system has their saving account in the bank while 42.0 created many problems. One of them is social percent of the respondents still don’t have their saving accounts in the bank. Almost abolished all kinds of social discrimination one third of the respondents have loan. Most basedinequality. on caste By the system. civil code But, of 2020in practice B.S., it hasthe of their loan is for household expenses and caste hierarchy is still strictly followed other remaining is for medical checkup and within the caste groups. The Gandharva are rearing goats and chickens. also treated as an untouchable caste in Nepal. Gandharva of Batulechaur, Pokhara are living Table 3: Socio-economic status of the within the periphery of high caste settlement. respondents Their settlement is totally concentrated at Variables Number Percentage one corner of Batulechaur. Education status Table 2 shows that almost nine tenth of the Literate 24 48.0 respondents responded that the upper caste’s Illiterate 26 52.0 relation with them are friendly whereas Religion very few of the respondents are treated as Hindu 45 90.0 respectful by upper caste people. It shows Christian 5 10.0 that most of their relationship is friendly Annual Income (in Rs.) with high caste people. With awareness and Below 20000 9 18 modernization of time dominating nature of 20000-40000 37 74 upper class people is not found in this case, Above 40000 4 8 and none of the respondents feel dominated Saving accounts by upper caste people. Yes 29 58.0 No 21 42.0 Table 2: Behavior of high caste people Loan with Gandharva Yes 15 30.0 Response Number Percentage No 35 70.0 Purpose of loan Respectful 6 12.0 For medical checkup 2 4.0 Friendly 44 88.0 For house hold ex- 12 24.0 Total 50 100.00 penses Source: Field Survey, 2017 For rearing goats, 1 2.0 chickens Socio-economic Status of the Respondents Total 50 100 It covers the different socio-economic Source: Field Survey, 2017 characteristics of the respondents. Table School-going Children of the Respondents by Sex Among 103 school-going children, majority Nine3 shows tenth that of literatethe respondents respondents are (48%)from cover less percentage than illiterate (52%). Christian religion. Almost three fourth of the school-going(56.31%) of thechildren children study are malein boarding followed respondentsHindu religion have while annual rest income (10%) betweenfollows theRs. schoolby female nearby (43.69%). the community. Further, almost This may all thebe 20000 to Rs. 40000 and eighteenth percent of due to the awareness through their education. the respondents have annual income below So, the number of school-going girls has also Rs. 20000. Further only eight percent of the been increasing and is almost the same as respondents have their annual income as school going boys. 14 Ananta R. Dhungana

Table 4: School-going children by sex Facility from VDC, Birth Registration and Sex No. of School- Percentage Participation in Election going Children It is found that except few respondents; almost all other respondents are not Boys 58 56.31 getting any facilities from VDC. Majority Girls 45 43.69 Total 103 100.00 registration while 12.0 percent do not have Source: Field Survey, 2017 theirof the birth respondents registration. (88%) Further, have doneIt is found birth

Household Physical Infrastructure respondents have participation for voting It is found that majority of the respondents inthat last more election than while three 22.0 fourth percent (78.0%) have of not the participated for voting in last election during respondents who live in rented house are only(92.0%) 8.0 percent. have their The own entire house respondents and the them are aware about the political situation have toilet in their house. Almost all the regardingthat time the (Table voting 8). right It means for election. that most of respondents have normal toilet and very Table 6: Facility from VDC, birth without safety tank. More than nine tenth registration and participation in election few of the respondents have toilet with flush Variables Number Percentage with tin roof followed by concrete roof house (92%) of the respondents have their house Facility from VDC Yes 1 2.0 have access of drinking water in their house No 49 98.0 and(8%). all are Except using few tap respondents, water as their almost sources all Birth registration Yes 44 88.0 are not aware about safety tank or they don’t No 6 12.0 of water (Table 5). It seems that either they have space to make the safety tank. Voting in election Yes 39 88 Table 5: Household physical No 11 22.0 infrastructure Total 50 100 Variables Number Percentage Source: Field Survey, 2017 Types of House Own House 46.0 92.0 Intra- caste Marriage and Prefer after Rented House 4.0 8.0 Marriage Having toilet Table 7 shows about the condition of Yes 50 100.0 marriage with other culture of caste peoples. Type of toilet In this community intra - caste marriage is Normal 48 96.0 not a new phenomenon. It is found that more - 2 4.0 than half of the respondents have no any out safety tank intra-caste marriage in their family members TypeHaving of flush Roof with while the remaining 46 percent have intra- Tin Roof 46 92.0 caste marriage by different members of the Concrete Roof 4 8.0 family like as son, brother and sister of the Access to drink- ing water the respondents prefer birth of any one i.e. Yes 49 98.0 babyrespondent boy or baby by him girls or after herself. marriage. Four Sixteen fifth of No 1 2.0 percent of the respondents prefer birth of son Total 50 100 after marriage while only 4 percent prefer Source: Field Survey, 2017 birth of daughter after marriage. Socio-economic Status of Gandharva Community... 15

Table 7: Intra- caste marriage in family Table 9: Change in Occupation during last and prefer after marriage 10 years Variables Number Percentage Change Number Percentage Intra- caste Marriage Yes 40 80 Yes 23 46.0 No 10 20 No 27 54.0 Total 50 100 Preference of Source: Field Survey, 2017 child by sex Son 8 16.0 It is found that majority of the respondents Daughter 2 4.0 whose previous occupation was singing a song Any one 40 80.0 with sarangi has changed their occupation Total 50 100.0 Source: Field Survey, 2017 during the last ten years which is similar

Occupation of the Respondents the study of of Surkhet district Table 8 shows the current occupation status regardingto Dhungana their and occupational Khadka (2013), shift. Most which of the is of the respondents, it shows that more than respondents are involved in wage labour and two third of the respondents are involved in services while very few of the respondents service as their occupation, followed by others are now involved in business. It may be due

(16%, i.e. in beauty parlors, sewing, foreign traditionalto the poverty occupation and peoples’ is not liked look very (behave/ much by household’semployment, main poultry source etc.), of income wage (12%),is service and in modernperception) society. over Due them to the as rapid low urbanization, caste. Their varioussinging sectors. song (4%). Further It shows It also thatshows most that of their the the people seem more interested in western main traditional occupation of singing and music and songs which are popularized by begging have been overlapped by other sources modern means of communication like Radio of income, most of the respondents don’t want and TV channels. As a result, the Gaine’s folk to continue their traditional occupational songs and sweet music of Sarangi are being as income source as far they want to shift to neglected by people. other sources of income generation occupation rather than their traditional occupation. Conclusion Although majority of the respondents are Table 8: Occupation of the respondents Hindu, there are also some respondents who Occupation Number Percent are Christian. The proportion of literate and Singing 2 4.0 illiterate respondents is almost the same. Wage 6 12.0 Majority of the respondents have their family Service 34 68.0 members with size four or more. Majority of the Other 8 16.0 respondents have saving account and do not Total 50 100.0 have any loan. The number of school going girls Source: Field Survey, 2017 is also satisfactory. It may be due to awareness through education. The Gandharva community Changing Shift in Occupation In this unit changing pattern of occupation is not aware about the safety tank for their toilet. with respect to time is described. It is found Almost all are not getting any facilities from the VDC. Most of them have birth registration. have changed their occupation while 20.0 Most of them are aware about the political thatpercent majority of the respondents (80.0%) of have the respondentsnot changed situation of the country and casted their vote their occupation during the last 10 years in latest election. It is found that most of the Gandharva’s relationship is friendly with high

(table 9). 16 Ananta R. Dhungana caste people. They have inter-caste marriage author. The dissertation has been submitted practice within their family member. They have to the School of Development and Social open choice regarding the preference of birth Engineering, Faculty of Humanities and Social by sex after marriage. Modernizing elements Sciences, Pokhara University in 2017. of society like communication, transportation and education have changed the society. No References society remains constant. While looking at the People of Nepal. social, cultural and economic life of Gandharva of Batulechaur, one can see the changes taking Bista, D. B. (1970).Sabai Jatko Fulbari. place in this community. Being an urban Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar. settlement, nowadays in this community Bista, D. B. (1972).Social Charastristics Table. positive attitude towards education have been Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan. traced out. They are giving priority for the CBS, (2011). Batulechaur school education to their children. They feel PokharaCentra Bureau Ka Gaine of Statistics, Jati Ko Samajik Kathmandu. Aarthik humiliated when anyone calls them “Gaine”. ChhetriAaddayan (Bista),, Unpublished G. (2042). dissertation Instead of this word they like to hear calling submitted to Faculty of Humanities and them “Gayak” or “Gandharva”. Social Science, Tribhuvan University, Further, the number of school- going girls the education. Economy is one of the deciding Socio-economicKathmandu. Status and Occupational factorsis increasing. of social They change. are somehow The economic influenced life byof Dhungana,Shift among A. R., Badi and People Khadka, in K.Chinchhu (2013). Gandharva of Batulechaur is mainly based on VDC, Surkhet District, Nepal. Journal of various occupations. Singing and dancing is Economics and Management also their traditional occupation but which is not liked very much by modern society. Due Gaine”. Pragya 4.55: 29-34. . 1(1): 31-44. to the rapid urbanization, the people seem Darnal, R. S. (2043 B.S.). “Nepali Lok Geet RA more interested in western music and songs Tribal Ethnography of Nepal Vol. II Book which are popularized by modern means of Gautam,Faith, R.India. and Thapa, Magar, A. K. (1994). communication like Radio and TV channels. As The chepang a study in a result, the Gaine’s folk songs and sweet music continuit. of Sarangi are being neglected by so called Gurung, G. (1989). The Gaine of Nepal: modern people. The Ethnology of Nepal and South Asia. The traditional occupation of Gaine people Macdonald, A. W. (1975). is badly affected due to modernization of the 2016,Kathmandu: Nepal Government.Ratna Pustak Bhandar. in mind, majority of the respondents are NDC, (2016). NationalEthnographic Dalit Commissionstudy on hill seekingsociety. other Keeping occupation the professional for better life. problem By the Dalit in Nepal, Nepal National Dalit Social NNDSWO, (2005). others prestigious jobs and they have shifted 52. theirinfluence, occupation they are towards interested services and seeking and othersome Welfare OrganizationA (NNDSWO),Short Review pp. 51-on sectors like beauty parlors, sewing, foreign Gandharva Community in Nepal, retrieved employment, poultry. It may be due to the Wordpress,from https://shakawath39.wordpress. (2016). com/2016/06/22/a-short-review-on- over them as low caste. gandharva-community-in-nepal/ poverty and peoples’ look (behave/perception) Gaine: Traditional Acknowledgement Media man retrieved from https:// The study is based on the data collected for Wagle,jesiwagle.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/ T. C. (2015). the Master’s Degree dissertation of the second gaine-traditional-media-man/