The ghiughar chhumbe/mhigyaba grow long hair, are marriageable, wear white clothes, and stay in white-colored houses. Yellow school buses were plying on this single street, presumably bringing children from surrounding villages. Anthropology and Humanism 36 (2): 193214. Jabyang Sonam practises one of the oldest strains of Tibetan Buddhism. times, the Loba people have lived in the foothills of the Himalayas. As animists, Lhoba people believe that everything has an immortal spirit called Wuyong. They perform many rituals at the palace and Gomba (monastery) for the well-being of humans, animals, and plants. They produce single seasonal crops of few varieties (wheat, naked barley, mustard, potatoes . In Krishna B. Bhattachan, Pasang Sherpa and Pasang Dolma Sherpa (Eds.) The autonomous institutions of Loba have been playing a crucial role in framing compulsory obligations, ensuring access to and control over valuable local resources through a system of reme ghapkin, a democratic system of turn, which is based on community rules. This study has contributed significantly to the advancement of the Ostroms (1990, 1993) eight design principles and made it ten, in the case of local institutions of the Loba community of Upper Mustang. So we ended up retracing our steps to Pokhara over the next three days. The living customs of the Loba people are deeply influenced by the Tibetans, and their daily diet and food preparation methods are basically the same as those in the Tibetan agricultural areas. We feasted on buckwheat pancakes dripping with mountain honey as our eyes feasted on the Nilgiri wrapped in a gossamer scarf of mist. They were not allowed to leave their area without permission and were not allowed to marry Tibetans. However, people prefer to give birth to a single child these days, so they would not be obliged to send their loved ones to the monastery. The Lo King system with the privilege of titular Kingship ended in 2008. 1965. Data is not as precise as it appears. 2006. The findings of this paper were presented by the first author at the Central University, Jharkhand, Ranchi, India on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas (14-16th Nov. 2022). ), Anthropology and Sociology of Nepal: Cultures, Societies, Ecology and Development (pp. Rich agricultural land was only available in pockets and in-between these were large uninhabited areas used for hunting. They fish the Congo River and its main tributaries intensively. Being younger, he could not visualise how exhausting it might be for three senior women to go on tramping for 24 days. The Phalwas are the most dominant and economically powerful and place themselves in the middle of the social position. Lhoba religion practices include shamanism, spiritual healing, fortune-telling and wizardry. Lately, tourism became a significant source of income for Lhoba people. of Metou County use Tibetan, while the other Loba people use Loba. told reporters that due to the dispersed living and inconvenient transportation The Loba typically drink butter tea before and after work for energy and to prevent chapped lips. The Mustangi King had a good relationship with the Kings of Nepal in Kathmandu. National population and housing census 2011 (village development committee/municipality). This institution was the center of attraction in the past. Macao is located at the junction of saltwater and fresh water, and the crab produced is delicious. In Upper Mustang polyandry is practiced by Loba communities. Led by photographer Taylor Weidman and writer Nina Wegner, the Vanishing Cultures Project aims to help. For some years now, these murals are being restored under the stewardship of Luigi Feini, an Italian who has trained the local people to do the work. The rhetoric and realities of peoples participation in conservation and development in Nepal: An anthropological perspective. project. The fixation of the high amount of fine indicates the value of crops and the sensitiveness of crops for food security. culture of Loba. Mustang is a windy, arid, high altitude desert. Traditionally, the means of transportation used to be the draught power, particularly the mules and horses to carry goods and oxen for farm-plough. International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology 5 (1): 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-020-00039-w. Knrzer, Karl-Heinz. Loba culture # [ Loba Pakistan weaving] Lhoba weaving and Luoba bamboo, Luoba knife dance with the Tibet Autonomous Region intangible cultural heritage projects. The content of the song is mostly The local customary laws are obliged to send a second child to the Gomba, but when there is only one child, it is not compulsory and customary law is also eroding with the introduction of formal laws such as fundamental human rights. of the Loba people, the dates of the annual festivals vary from place to place, The former King of Mustang, Jigme Dorje Palba Bista, died in 2016 in Kathmandu, and his son runs a hotel in Lo. Cultural, religious and archaeological heritage of Lo-manthang and their restoration. If you want to experience a small window to distant hunter-gatherer past of our species, Tibet offers a surprising and unique experience: The Lhoba people. Both men 1986. This research involves human participants, human data, and human issues. A dyeing method in which fabrics are partially tied up so that t. O Bai (about 1610) - 1669, Manchu: Oboi) Guwalgiya Manchuria is set in Huangqi banner. Khattri, Man Bahadur. today. Goldstein, Melvyn C. 1971. The Reme ghyapkin is a system of sharing and managing resources, costs of community work, and benefits of community utilities on a rotational basis. Although informal, the King still has some power, recognized by Loba communities, to modify individuals or households fine fixed by the ghenba system. The change from obligatory labor to paid labor has been witnessed as the titular kingship ended, the last King died; and the family of the present King lives mostly in Kathmandu. Nayuene is celebrated once or twice a year and there are a number of rules that must be followed in order to observe it. There are 14 families, 30 species of mammals, 11 orders, 36 families, 115 species of birds, 19 species of reptiles and 10 species of frogs in Guang'an City. society, and a way of existence of the folk life of the Loba people. Abadani had three sons, the eldest was Some Lobas use caves as houses and monasteries. In Asian highland societies in anthropological perspective, edited by Christoph von Frer-Haimendorf, pp. 2547). On such occasions, the Loba people too, used to greet the King with some money and khada (a piece of special cloth as the symbol of well-wishes) to the Loba King and the Queen. The Economy of Mustang: Lo Region. Other than the game they hunt, they consume maize or millet flourdumplings, rice or buckwheat. The past in the present: History, ecology, and cultural variation in highland Madagascar. For this reason, people often sleep on the terraces during the summer to escape the heat. Marriage among/between the children of two brothers is called ruru; and marriage between children of two sisters shya-shya is considered incest and sinful. Gomba had been playing a role and supportive in controlling the Loba population through promoting celibacy by Lama and Anis, which was obligatory to each family that a second child be the Lama or Anis. Despite the harsh surroundings, villages in Upper Mustang seemed like veritable oases. The semi-structured checklist was prepared to guide the KII to seek information on institutions that govern their unity with the Lo kingdom, craft their norms, values, beliefs, perceptions, and adaptive strategies to cope with the changing socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions. Women are the ground . to restrain ghosts. Only a tiny 19-seater aircraft flies from Pokhara to Jomsom daily, and even this shuts down when the weather in Jomsom turns moody and misty, which is often. Qualitative data were collected by applying observation and interviews. We stopped for a bite at the Yak Donalds restaurant. In Pokhara, we gorged on delectable cheesecake and plum pudding and got our pile of clothes laundered in one of the many laundromats that line the streets. Structures wrought by the wind and other elements over millions of years and looking like Grecian Corinthian or Ionic columns rose towards the sky. Upper Mustang is not connected by road or air and can only be accessed on foot or on mules over a rutted dust track. Lhoba speaks Sino-Tibetan languages named Adi and Bokar; as well as Idu Mishmi. 2022. - Few evangelicals and few who identify as Christians. The Loba are primarily farmers, shepherds, or merchants. Despite the changes in the natural environment, geo-political relations, politics in Nepal, infrastructural development, and technological advancement that have taken place within the last seven decades in the region, the King, ghenba, dhongba, Lama have been playing a crucial role in maintaining a balanced relationship between people, surrounding environment and livestock, which ultimately supports peace, prosperity, and harmony among the people by regulating, managing, and protecting agriculture, pasture, and the monuments in Lo-manthang. Thus, Lamas are always supportive of the overall ecosystem, and warding the socio-cultural and psychological well-being of Loba people whenever they are in pain, panic, and trouble. The midhi is a post that acts like a judge who advises the ghemba and the King when a dispute occurs. Again, Lo King Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista took the side of Nepal Government during the Khampas rebellion when they were waging war against China from Mustang. Applied Geography 64 (1): 7486. Pray that God will open the hearts of the governmental leaders in Nepal as well as the local leaders of Mustang to the Truth. As Nina Wegner explained via email, "A new school in Lo Manthang offers the national curriculum in the Loba's native language of Lowa, while an amchi (Tibetan doctor) school instills young people with the science, art and . 2004. The kingdom of Lo (Mustang): A historical study (1st ed). Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Culture is a very deep topic but the simplest way to define it is that culture is a group of people's values, norms, assumptions and behaviors. Crate, Susan A., and Nuttall, Mark. 169190. sons migrated southward in three ways and entered the Loyu area. Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples (pp. Central Bureau of Statistics. The three mausoleums outside Guanzhou refer to the Fuling Tombs of Nuerhachi, the Taizong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the Zhaoling Tombs of the Taizong. Women are the mother of everything, so women take care of the seeds more than men. Cambridge University Press. The paper presents the role of the galbo, (Lo King), ghenba (Village Chief), Lama (Monk), and dhongba (Household) as local institutions that act in close relation and make community-level decisions. Here are five interesting facts about the Himba: 1. 5278. The major changes observed during this period and their implications in the life of Loba Community of Upper Mustang are briefly discussed below: The analysis of meteorological data shows the rise of temperature and decrease in rainfall in the Upper Mustang (Khattri 2021; Khattri & Pandey 2021). Central Bureau of Statistics. - Few evangelicals, but significant number who identify as Christians. We had decided to leave Muktinath for the return journey. Village municipality developmental works are mostly done by these in-migrant workers since the members of the Loba community are not much interested in such labor works. Lobas have started using the threshing machine for crop harvest and tractors and trucks to deliver fuel, food, and bring local products to the market. The Loba who live in the Kingdom of Mustang remain one of the most isolated peoples in the world, both geographically and spiritually. The living customs of the Loba people are This paper presents Loba identity on their self-categorization, language, homeland, cultural practices, religious or spiritual practices, settlement types, types of social categories, and livelihood pattern, because without such knowledge, the roles of their institutions in adaptation facilitation cannot be understood adequately. originally lived in Gongbu, but later moved to Baden Banga, Milin Village, 2012. This type of household also has a compatible practice of fraternal polyandry. On our early morning walk through this street, we spotted Dhaulagiri Boarding School and an attached hostel where girls were getting ready for school. I like to eat a kind of Uprety, Laya Prasad. It teaches respect for the diversity in society and nature. Lhoba women wears skirts made from sheep's wool and narrow-sleeved blouses. The area was forbidden to foreigners until 1992, so it used to be recognized as the forbidden kingdom of the Himalayas. The Government of Nepal adopted only the high-yielding and controlled-flow of tourists after 1992. 2015. The popular way of cooking is putting the game in fire and covering by ashes to prepare for eating. The forms of performance are solo, duet and chorus. Lo Kingdom continued the practice of cultural systems of resource use and population control. In old days, Lhoba people were divided into two classes - 'maide' and 'nieba'. On our way back, we visit it and the shrine of Muktinath. and his descendants were Bogars. This practice was also a part of population control. Google Scholar. According to the key informants, Aani Gomba was established about a century ago, with the suggestion of a lama from Bhutan. The study was conducted under the PhD in Anthropology project of the first author at Tribhuvan University, Nepal. A PhD Dissertation Submitted to Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. All the mountain passes and peaks we had crossed en route seemed like dwarfs in comparison. Occasionally, the villages get access to allopathic medical care, when flying doctors from Medicines Sans Frontiers set up medical camps. There were moments when we felt we could not go any further and might have to freeze under a star-studded sky; temperatures can plunge to minus at night. 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In this way, the local institutions are supporting Loba communities to adapt to the changes, although the level of success in adaptation in a traditional way is limited, so the institutions, not only the community, demonstrated their dynamism to adapt to the change. For him, this system always favors the local feudal and gives them priority to harvest their crops first. Cambridge University Press. The belt is used not only to tie the dress, but also to A displayed zero can mean true zero, a very small rounded number or sometimes unknown. language belongs to the Zang-Burmese language family of the Sino-Tibetan Please. They prayed for the blessings of ghosts and gods, often killed The introduction of tourism after the 1950s partially in the region and openning to outsiders after the 1990s also contributed to understanding the value of their cultural and natural heritages (Tulachan 2003). Jomsom is a windswept, desolate outpost in northern Nepal in the shadow of the Annapurna range, which stops all rain-bearing clouds. For example, the feudal lords build three-story houses; but the common people and those in the lower castes are only allowed to build single-story houses without walled in compounds. Migration, social change, health, and the realm of the possible: womens stories between Nepal and New York: womens stories. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. By using this website, you agree to our Explorations by Samar, at 3,700 m, is a verdant village of just seven households. Abadani's three Uphoff, Norman, and Buck Louise. One of the main reasons for reduced interest in the system is associated with the out-migration of households, and they no longer utilize the irrigation facility. The waist and neck of both men and women are Ostrom, Elinor. These sorts of issues are pertinent due to their changes in livelihood strategies. Google Scholar. Mule trains were bringing in provisions needed to cater to tourists and household goods all the way from Pokhara, as they might have brought in tea, salt, silks and precious gems in the past. The Mustangi King initiated the dialogue as some traders were violating the customary monopoly of the salt trade (Uprety 1980). and depicts the colorful life of the Loba people from different perspectives. Such isolation held out the possibility that Upper Mustang might be home to some unsullied original Tibetan culture. Khattri, M.B., Pandey, R. Indigenous institutions as adaptive measures to environmental dynamics: an ethnographic study of Loba Community of Upper Mustang, Nepal. As the Lo-manthang was the center of the Buddhist Himalayan pilgrimage, various well-known Lamas, such as Tulko Lato Marpo, Rinchen Zangpo, and Yogi Lama Milarepa visited the Lo kingdom. The Loba The dialects of the Loba people in different areas are In agricultural land, black crops and white crops are cultivated annually and are the alternative crops. Each year, they come from the Kuthak family. The Pemako area can be reached after weeks of jeep and foot travel so the people are still pretty much isolated. The ghenba system has three key positions in Lo-manthang. The King, as an institution, has played a crucial role in establishing, protecting, and promoting Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Sakyapa sect in the Lo Kingdom. In archery competitions, Garbo's arrows landed on both sides of the fruit, the PLoS ONE 7 (5): e36741. Some adaptation strategies such as mobility, external assistance, acceptance of provisions of Nepal government, democratization, and reform in cultural practices are found as the major strategies in changing soci-economic, political and environmental conditions. Unfortunately, not much is known about the history and origin of Lhoba people. Craig, Sienna R. 2011. The remains of irrigation canals indicate that irrigation canals broke many times because of floods, and it is very difficult to repair them due to the highly dynamic nature of the slope. This paper investigates how different institutions of Loba communities of the Upper Mustang work together and facilitate the community to cope with the environmental dynamics in the region. Those people who have traveled outside of Lo-manthang for work, study, or business and have already earned a good amount of money can contribute to rituals. Ask the Holy Spirit to cause the Loba to become dissatisfied with their traditional religions, and to make them hungry for the Bread of Life. 2021. NGOs also assisted Gombas financially and materially. A picture from their classroom Thickly forested area is sparsely populated. They hold sizeable agricultural land from their lord. The Loba are very religious people. Aani Gomba was found in Thinger, Tsarang, and Lo-manthang in the past. However, as Loba people prioritize cash income away from agriculture, the practice of half-share crop production system hardly exists. https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v6i0.8480. They are supposed to contribute compulsory labor to maintain the irrigation system. For Loba ru-shya, marriage relation is perfectly desired, similar to many Himalayan indigenous ethnic communities (Godlstein 1971; Levine 1981; Vinding 1979), including Magar, Gurung, Thakali. 2005. Time factor becomes important because of watching convenience to the assigned individuals. It is surrounded on three sides by Chinese-occupied Tibet. They still practice reme ghyapkin, the turn system, in the community and household works by sharing responsibilities to maintain harmony among the community members. The result is that Gomba was compelled to modify their existing rules to make people more obliged to support Gomba, particularly the operation of agricultural activities in the land plots owned by Gomba. political, historical, natural common sense, family and marriage in reality, Lobas have maintained some traditional practices of livelihood and added new livelihood strategies. As local youth of Lo-manthang migrated out, the cheap labor from other districts immigrated to the place seasonally, mostly to work in farm-fields, repairing irrigation canals, and fencing farm-fields, as well as the construction of house building and roads and bridges. Part of She says storing seeds is a cultural task of Bijags women. Chhetri (2008) has called it the reflection of the power structure of Lo-manthang. The art of Nepal is centred in the Kthmndu Valley, in an area of less than 250 square miles (650 square kilometres). Nevertheless, some households are bound by the customary rules developed in the past and are still sending their second son/daughter to the Gomba. Wuyuezhai Scenic Area, National Forest Park, AAAAAA Tourist Area, is located in the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain, located in the northwest of Lingshou County, Hebei Province. These local institutions are cooperating well, successfully regulating, managing, and protecting agricultural, forest, and pasture lands, and maintaining the monuments in Lo-manthang for centuries. Traditionnal political system in Mustang, Nnepal. While that burnt a huge hole in our wallets, after our experience of the previous day we were ready to sell all our possessions, including our homes if it came to that. Springer Nature. Earlier, the land of the Gomba used to be cultivated by those households who sent their children to the Gomba as Lama or Anis. The Loba institutions have enduring characteristics which have facilitated the enhancement of the adaptive capacity of the Loba people in the harsh environmental condition of Upper Mustang. As the crow flies, that would have been the shortest route, except that we were not crows and the route entailed going up and down one mountain after another until we reached Jomsom. ing Tibetan culture, making it one of the last pockets of tradition-al Tibetan life left in the world. Gorgeous grey and brown cliffs, looking like exquisite shades of raw silk, shimmered in the backdrop. The wind whistles eerily. In these caves, relics from a Bon past were found alongside Buddhist artefacts. Poudel, 135154. Cookies policy. The social and cultural hierarchy of the Lo Kingdom is significantly different from the caste and ethnicity system of Nepal. The farm laborers come from the western part of Baglung, Rukum and Rolpa districts of Nepal. Sherpa, Pasang. IT is not easy to prise yourself away from the Annapurna, not after you have glimpsed the suns rays spotlight her sparkling snowy crown. They inhabit the Mustang and Dolpa districts in the northern part of the region (Dhawalagiri Zone), close to the Nepal-China border. The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), a Unit Office at Lo-manthang, shows that a total number of 52,559 foreign tourists visited Upper Mustang from 1992 to 2019. The dominant sect is Ngorpa, a sub-sect of Syakyapa. Its territory includes the source of the Kali Gandaki River. Field observation was one of the principal methods of collecting primary information, followed by Key Informant Interviews (KII). In the festivals of the Loba people, Dangbang, the second was Dangjian, and the third was Dangjian. Women wear short shirts with round collar and narrow sleeves, skirts with It was probably the toughest stretch in our entire trek, even tougher than the trudge in the dark to ABC. In the land of the Loba On the treacherous high-altitude trail to Lo Manthang, the walled city that is the capital of Upper Mustang province in Nepal and whose denizens are true custodians of a. All rights reserved. We visited the local gompa and the attached monasteries where young monks were being schooled in Buddhist scriptures. All seven of us squeezed into a jeep with our luggage strapped to the roof. People can Agricultural adaptation to climate change in the trans-Himalaya: a study of Loba community of Lo-manthang, Upper Mustang. Theory of culture change: The methodology of multilinear evolution. Other airlines that used to fly to Jomsom diverted their services to the Everest sector owing to increased traffic there. A PhD Dissertation Submitted to Cornell University. caps. National Geographic revealed remnants of human skulls and bones, animal remains and artefacts of the earlier Bon culture, which preceded Buddhism in these parts. This study adopted multi-site ethnography, which is suitable in the modern social context, as argued by Marcus (1995). The Loba people often invite folk singers to perform in their All those heaps of rocks that we would have climbed seemed like a models ramp compared with this ride. Social equity in farmer-managed irrigation in the Terai of Nepal. activities. Joshua Project makes every effort to ensure that the subject in an image is in fact from the specific people group. The Loba celebrate four major religious festivals: Gine, Gensu, Gelung, and Nayuene. This town, with a resident population of around 15,000, has a single high street that runs its entire length, a few hotels and the odd shop or two, all watched over by the magnificent Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri peaks. In 2016, during the harvest of grass and crops, the common people were requested and labors presented one person per household to collect fodder and harvest crops for the King. Kailash, 7 (3 & 4), pp. Many young Lamas are giving up their monastic life and starting married family life and the number is growing every year in Lo-manthang. Timsina, R.B. However, as people are no longer interested in educating their children as monks, most of the cultivable lands are abandoned. The sun, which just the other day was seductively golden over the Annapurna, was blindingly silver and hot, as if out to burn everything in sight. Thus began the next leg of our journey. University of Michigan Press. The Reme gyapkin, the turn system followed in different spheres of Loba life. This system was followed also in Varanasi India during winter trade. hang knives, sickles and other ornaments made of copper and shellfish. tight lower body and wrapped legs. A. Puga Nara. However, the condition of polyandry is dying out at present. Changes in institutional role in the changing socio-economic, and environmental context. We want to thank the University Grants Commission Nepal for partial Financial Support for this research under PhD thesis grant. Climate change impacts and adaptation response: A study of Trans-Himalaya (Upper Mustang), Nepal. Conference Proceedings 2016: The Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal and the Himalaya. Gongbu Festival, organs, enterprises and institutions in Linzhi District have The traditional role of the Gomba in the Loba community, as described above, is an institution that maintains a peaceful and just society, as per the values of Tibetan Buddhism. The ghenba system in Lo-manthang is led by eight households from Bista/Kutak clan. Government of Nepal National Planning Commission Secretariat. But we pressed on to Lo Manthang. Evangelicals = 2% Professing Christians > 5% and = 50% 3 Superficially reached- Few evangelicals, but many who identify as Christians. These languages are not mutually intelligible and Lhoba people do not have any written script. The annual turn is followed in traditional leadership (ghenba, midhi, and chhime). The construction project contractors of the village municipality for developmental works supply the laborers from those districts where poverty and unemployment are high. Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action. They also mediate and hear the local disputes relating to the civil law of the village. The girl child is usually entitled to become Aani, and they assist in maintaining the Gombas and the Temples. From the time, Mustang became the vassal state of Nepal and the King of the Mustang had the titular privilege of enjoying the title of raja (the King) by receiving state grants and customary rights from the Kingdom of Nepal (Dhungel 2002).