"The people there still live very much as Besides, we also had, in a moment of recklessness, included in our itinerary Upper Mustang, one of the two Tibetan provinces in Nepal, which stretched our trek to an insane 24 days: insane because none of us were habitual trekkers even if we were reasonably fit. The Loba settlement is built as a clustered, mud-walled historical town. different. Despite the infrastructural development in the region, Loba has migrated to other places for better opportunities as their traditional livelihood system could not support coping with peoples desires since they are searching for freedom of choice. They are also responsible for the operation and maintenance of grinding mills in the village. 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. Vinding, Michael, 1994. The Ghara settlement lies outside the main settlement in Lo-manthang, which is more or less the same pattern as the traditional Newa: settlements of the Kathmandu Valley (Pandey 2004). Festival culture is one of the most obvious The Loba Being younger, he could not visualise how exhausting it might be for three senior women to go on tramping for 24 days. Chhetri, and K.P. However, as people are no longer interested in educating their children as monks, most of the cultivable lands are abandoned. Vinding, Michael, 1979. Lhoba religion practices include shamanism, spiritual healing, fortune-telling and wizardry. University of Southern California. Education and trade also take turns seasonally. The main function of such indigenous institutions is to formulate plans and supervise public works, programs, and regularly organize communal worship in an appropriate way. As a result, members of the system are less burdened financially. A picture from their classroom Sociological and Anthropological Society of Nepal (SASON). In a couple of hours, we crossed Ekla Bhati village with a single dwelling and a fancy Roc Cafe, which advertised espresso and apricot crumble, but was locked. The ever-increasing cash income has a greater impact on the economy of households and communities of Loba. District Development Committee, Mustang. 2022. 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). Other visible impacts reported are increased invasive species, changed phenology of plants, increased incidents of crops and livestock diseases, and changed habitats of disease vectors. The Lord longs to set the Loba free from earthly and spiritual bondages, and to birth them into the Kingdom founded upon His Son, Jesus Christ. Article https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v6i0.8480. Nowadays, another challenge emerged that many people are willing to pay money instead of playing the role of chhime. Occasional Papers in Sociology and Anthropology 9: 141175. Otherwise, that household must pay NPR 40,000 as a fine. For him, this system always favors the local feudal and gives them priority to harvest their crops first. They work in the royal fields and look after the royal herd on a turn basis. We are thankful to Mr. Kanchan Mani Dixit for editing the language of this paper. 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. Nowadays, weak and poor people from anywhere in Nepal can send their children to Gomba in Lo-manthang. After a few hours, we reached Kagbeni, one of the bigger villages in Upper Mustang, at a height of 2,810 m. It is home to 1,600 people living in 229 households. The main function of this system is to prevent conflict and violence among the main competitors/stakeholders in resource and service use. people also used carved wooden knots to record things. Overview: The Loba of Nepal, numbering 35,000, are Engaged yet Unreached. The Loba people practice polyandry, where a woman marries multiple men. Its territory includes the source of the Kali Gandaki River. methods are basically the same as those in the Tibetan agricultural areas. 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. buckwheat cake baked on the slate. Oddly shaped blood vessels on this freshly harvested liver are bad omens. We want to thank the University Grants Commission Nepal for partial Financial Support for this research under PhD thesis grant. On our way back, we visit it and the shrine of Muktinath. It is a stark landscape, where nature has wrought some stunning mud sculptures in vivid colours. The Luba supplemented their agriculture by hunting and fishing in the surrounding area. 2012. Dhongbas are also obliged to send their second son and daughter to monasteries to be trained as monks and nuns. The local socio-economic, political, and environmental conditions have changed in the Upper Mustang in the last seven decades while the Lobas have been coping and adapting to all of these changes, whether well or hard. The chortens (temple) were crowded with garlands of rocks inscribed in Tibetan. The ghenba system in Lo-manthang is led by eight households from Bista/Kutak clan. They need to pay a little higher amount to the community for that. The barter animal hides, musk, bear paws and other items with Tibetans in exchange for tools and clothing. To cope with this sort of crisis, the ghenba System enforced a new rule that every household must play the role of chhime and ghenba on their turn. Privacy Int. This system was followed also in Varanasi India during winter trade. Their number varies, such as there are one ghenba, two midhis, and six chhimes, which is more or less similar to the formal governance council at the local unit. Ancestral properties are only transferrable from generation to generation, mainly to the eldest son, as the family's heritage. Nepal is multi ethnic, multi lingual and multi cultural country. The Loba follow a collective decision of crop cultivation and harvest. The individual students are also sponsored, mostly by foreign donors. We plunged our feet into the cool waters of the Kali Gandaki before returning to our hotel, which faced the Nilgiri (well, all the hotels in Jomsom do). The conceptualization of adaptive measures of Loba indigenous institution. This kind of buckwheat cake smeared with Dhongba is similar to western Tibetan regions, which maintain ancestral property system, socio-cultural systems, and prepares household members to participate in political and religious affairs (Goldstein 1971). The issue of identity is complex, multifaceted, and overlapped. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Cambridge University Press. nationality has successfully declared the national intangible cultural heritage in the Loyu area in southeastern Tibet and adjacent counties such as Chayu, The Loba live in a kingdom that was founded by a fierce soldier under the oppression of feudal lords. Similarly, the seasonal weather pattern has become unpredictable as some winters are warmer than the springs as winter snowfall is shifted to early spring. 2008. Pray that God will open the hearts of the governmental leaders in Nepal as well as the local leaders of Mustang to the Truth. 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. This was the scenic Ghorepani-Poon Hill-Tadapani route for the able-bodied and the hardy, hardly for us, already out of breath and longing for level ground. 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 . J. Barnes and M.R. After one beautiful legend after another, the folk singer usually touches the scene in the traditional tune, has the We were wrapped up like a mummy in a tomb, and yet grit got into our eyes and mouth and blocked our nostrils too. 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. Man Bahadur Khattri. 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. The above-mentioned institutions have significantly played a role in the changing context, which is summarized in Fig. 3 and described in the following section. nationality is an organic part of the life of the Loba people, a mirror of the @ Hu Zuxin @ Nyingchi window 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. However, the condition of polyandry is dying out at present. The ranchunchube/dhawa is represented by the monastic Lama. The Loba are primarily farmers, shepherds, or merchants. According to the Amchi Ghyacho, there are three kinds of human life situations in which a Lama needs to perform rituals: Nakchi rituals are performed for sick people; Sinchi rituals are performed for dead persons; Karcha rituals are performed during the marriage and the birth of a child in a family. Our travel agent, Suman, who is in his forties and an avid trekker of yesteryear, sits in distant Kathmandu. Samasume includes those households formed by children who are usually grown up in maternal homes and are illegitimate for the ancestral property. 20,000 as a fine for those households unable to take responsibility of chhime. 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. This type of household also has a compatible practice of fraternal polyandry. Nevertheless, the institutions are working hard to continue their existence by frequently modifying their rules and norms. Women wear short shirts with round collar and narrow sleeves, skirts with 2006. 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. tight lower body and wrapped legs. Grocery shop in Lo Manthang (2018) by Angelo ChiacchioEphemera documentary Newly paved routes. https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v11i0.18822. This hotel supports to employ some Loba youth and contributes to the economic development of the region. Cambridge University Press India. The total population of Upper Mustang is 3322, which has the lowest population density (1.49 person /km2) in Nepal comparing the national average of 198 person/km2 (CBS 2022). labor, especially in festivals, religious ceremonies and other collective However, as Loba people prioritize cash income away from agriculture, the practice of half-share crop production system hardly exists. As it rattled along dusty dirt tracks with the Kali Gandaki hurtling down the slopes dangerously to our right, we had a full 14 hours to rue our decision to exchange the trek for this roller-coaster ride. 2001. pp. years, Loba men usually cross long knives, wear fur hunting clothes and fur and his descendants were Bogars. USA. Climate and Development 7 (3): 235245. 5278. Local people remembered the past and said that a knombo, the basket was torn-off, as they worked at the royal field and palace each year. 2015 Indigenous peoples customary laws and practices in natural resource management: A case study of Ngisyang Valley, Manang. Introduction: Anthropology and climate change. Indigenous knowledge-based systems of farm, labor, and resource management, accompanied by changes in food preference (food value) and linking agriculture with spiritual practice, followed by occupational modernization and migration, are a high priority in the adaptation process (Khatri & Pandey 2021) that the Lobas have demonstrated through their indigenous institutions. Evangelicals = 2% Professing Christians > 5% and = 50% 3 Superficially reached- Few evangelicals, but many who identify as Christians. The speaker in this instance depicts the Loba as akin to the vibrancy of indigenous American cultures, which arguably fall outside of mainstream culture. Local institutions and adaptive capacity to climate change/variability in the northern savannah of Ghana. Their leadership is selected from each household of the Phalwa (Gurung) community on the basis of turn system. The cliffs were spectacular, far more stunning than any we had seen. In the past, Loba had a practice of bhogmo which means a half-share of the production to be given to Gomba as the rent for cultivating the land. The ghemba has overall led and represented the team, chaired and led meeting(s), his role is to plan farm-related problem-solving and execute the decision made by the council. Other than the game they hunt, they consume maize or millet flourdumplings, rice or buckwheat. It is surrounded on three sides by Chinese-occupied Tibet. where he settled for a period of time. Anthropologists have focused their studies on cultural ecology and ethnoecology. Although the formal monarchy of the region was abolished in 2008 from Nepal, Loba communities still follow the monarchy institution informally and the King has not lost the respect of the Loba people. Because of today. 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. The reflection of such teaching can be observed in peoples behavior toward animals and plants. The area became restricted to foreigners for centuries and opened for controlled tourism only after 1992. Furthermore, due to the out-migration of the Lamas and other people, increased dependency on the market and changing livelihood options of the younger generation are also observable in the Loba community. In-depth interviews with 15 farmers, 10 traders, 5 Buddhist monks (Lamas/ religious leaders), 1 Amchi (Himalayan traditional healer), two development practitioners, two local teachers, and two village heads have been conducted by the researcher, along with field research assistants. "This is my work in nature. Gombas are still playing their customary role even in a recently changing context where the modern education system has already entered the Loba community, and there is no obligation these days that the second child of the family becomes the Lama or Anis. 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 pressure on monks at Gomba from local people has decreased. This is happening despite the availability of all sorts of facilities at Gomba. The trek to Kagbeni started around 11 a.m. The paper is based on anthropological fieldwork. The Lhoba people are very superstitious and have many taboos related to Wuyong. The Lobas of Monthang: Loba ethnography and tourism as development. based on the ancient myths, legends and stories of the Loba people, or on the As we were nearing Chumrung, our group of three began to experience the first rumblings of a mutiny. They have become less dependent on the parental property as they have diversified their livelihood system, including but not limited to labor migration and engagement in trade and commerce, including in the tourism industry. area of Nanyi). 1980. Central Bureau of Statistics. The dialects of the Loba people in different areas are Mustang is a windy, arid, high altitude desert. 2547). International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology 5 (1): 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-020-00039-w. Knrzer, Karl-Heinz. Book They focused on the role of local institutions in enhancing adaptive capacity to maintain the livelihood system (food, fuel, shelter, health, education, communication system, sovereignty over resources, and their management) in resource-scare ecological regions. Traditionnal political system in Mustang, Nnepal. One of the works of the Lama is to assist people in erecting lungta in different locations of the settlements, agricultural fields, and sacred sites, including the cemetery. Pandey, Rishikesh. They have also explored new livelihood opportunities, which are the outcomes of education and the changed legal system of the Government of Nepal. Mio Yuanhoon, Quan Chen, the son of Saul fruit of the tribal chieftain of the Qing Dynasty, the founding fathers . Occasionally, a daring four-wheel-drive vehicle might brave the odds to drive to Lo Manthang, the capital. Lama/monks work to improve the spiritual life and general health of the Loba community. District Development Committee, Mustang. The chhume, light supports achieving shil (good manner, meditation or concentration, and enlightenment). H.R. 1999. Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity. 1 global company with the best workplace culture. But we had no time to linger; we were breathless at 13,000 feet (3,900 metres), where the oxygen level is depleted. They build their homes out of stone, making the roofs out of thinly chiseled stone squares. All living things in the world are subject to wuyong and it brings bad fortune to offend a wuyong. In great need of spiritual renewal and commitment to biblical faith. The ghenba system has three key positions in Lo-manthang. After all, all that remains unconnected is just a stretch of 50-odd kilometres between the Tibetan border and Jomsom. Lhoba lives in villages on high terraces. Ellen, Roy F., Peter Parkes, and Alan Bicker. The legend of the ancestors of the Loba Oddly shaped blood vessels on this freshly harvested liver are bad omens. If we had followed Sumans original plan, there would have been no respite from boulders, rocks and slopes for the next eight days. The Economy of Mustang: Lo Region. At the same time, anthropologists are engaged in documenting indigenous environmental knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, indigenous technical knowledge, local knowledge, folk climate models, and cultural-specific knowledge (Ellen et al. It teaches respect for the diversity in society and nature. These institutions are built-in social bonds, known as social cement, with reciprocity for mutual benefits (Yaro et al. There was an unmistakable feeling of being on the roof of the world. Lamas also play a leading role during disasters and support people in coping. The Kali Gandaki widens considerably just before Tsaile, and we crossed a tiny metal bridge at the foot of a massive canyon with a line of caves up on a 155-foot-high (47 m) cliff. Migration, social change, health, and the realm of the possible: womens stories between Nepal and New York: womens stories. They inhabit the Mustang and Dolpa districts in the northern part of the region (Dhawalagiri Zone), close to the Nepal-China border. Village square is also an important place to experience Lhoba culture and customs as Lhoba regularly gather in the village square to perform their Dances and Songs for (small) Tourist Groups. They widely spread in the areas of Katanga, Kasai, and Maniema. There is no native Others also focused on various components of institutions to facilitate adaptation to climate and environmental dynamics: on natural resource management highlighting socio-economic, political, and religious governance, mainly in the forest, pasture (Chhetri 1999; Gurung 1996; Frer-Haimendorf 1975) and irrigation (Chhetri 2008; Uprety 2005); Nepali (1965) studied guthi, a local institution, of Newari people in Kathmandu, Nepal, which has multiple functions in the community. "Now we only have 52. Aanis were not allowed to marry and had to shave their heads and wear red clothes. 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. However, recent social-environmental dynamics such as climate change, migration, and modernization are reducing the relevancies of traditional norms and practices. Mario Time is still not over, as the animated film has broken another record, becoming the first film of 2023 to pass the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Figure1 presents the major local institutions and interconnectedness that collectively sustain the livelihood of the Loba people. - Few evangelicals, but many who identify as Christians. Today, most Lhoba people are Lhoba households are farmers but hunting is the central activity of Lhoba men. However, this practice is being changed slowly as new generations of Loba began to marry outside the cross-cousin relations. Your Guide to Tibetan People and Cultural Life, Uncovering the great Himalayan mystery: the Yeti, The Essence ofTibetan Culture Seen through The Attire and Accessories They Adorn, Leisure life in Lhasa, Tibetan life style, {{count}} Questions and Answers On "Lhoba People in Sountheast of Himalayas", Sorry, E-mail has not been sent successfully. The surface elevation is between . 192211). Lhoba population consists of many tribes; Bogar, Ningbo, Adi and Tajin peoples to name some. Dhongbas work for the King during crop cultivation and harvesting time. Lhoba societies are patriarchal and in the feudal past, women had no rights and had inherited nothing from their husbands and fathers. 2009. The younger Loba want to discard it, but the older generation feels it is necessary. https://doi.org/10.1086/soutjanth.27.1.3629185. Lhopa; Lhopas; Lo; Lo Manthang; Lo Montang; Lo Monthang; Lopa; Lowa; Loyu; Loyu Lo Montang; Manthang; Mustang; Mustang Bhote; Mustang Tibetans; Mustange; Sat Thapaule Bhote; . The legend of the ancestors of the Loba Theory of culture change: The methodology of multilinear evolution. They are privileged to participate in rituals and community festivals and have influential roles in community decision-making. Lo Kingdom continued the practice of cultural systems of resource use and population control. The Loba people were traditionally practicing a polyandry marriage system which has changed to monogamy. The Loba live in the Mustang District of northern Nepal, at altitudes of between 11,000 and 13,000 feet. At present, the ways of life of Lama have changed greatly and those living, studying, and teaching at Chhoede Gomba have a well-off life. New situations such as changes in political, economic, and environmental contexts, have led the Loba people to some troubles in continuing the ghenba system. Stealing and lying are considered heavy crimes and stealing is punished heavily, usually expelling from the village. Ancestors of the Loba Nationality" declared by Milin County of Tibet Left Coast Press. Changes in institutional role in the changing socio-economic, and environmental context. The participants were informed about the research during the observation of their activities. There are no competing interests in this manuscript. Their primary language is Loke. They also mediate and hear the local disputes relating to the civil law of the village. Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology 11: 2459. Two culture of Loba. j. anthropol. Annual Review of Anthropology 24 (1): 95117. Contributions to Nepalese Studies21(2), pp. Introduction. Jomsom is a windswept, desolate outpost in northern Nepal in the shadow of the Annapurna range, which stops all rain-bearing clouds. The Loba is also those mysterious, breath-taking aspects of nature: 'you are the hills'. language belongs to the Zang-Burmese language family of the Sino-Tibetan University of Illinois Press. Xudulong Festival is the most special Lhoba festival which is celebrated on the second month of Tibetan calendar. Google Scholar. culture of Loba, and more conducive to the inheritance and development of the Customary systems of natural resources management among Tarami Magars of western Nepal. They produce single seasonal crops of few varieties (wheat, naked barley, mustard, potatoes, buckwheat, vegetables). Ojha, N.P. Today, one of the most important Lhoba settlement is Caizhao Village, which is created by resettling mountain villages in 1985. language, and a few people speak Tibetan. They arrange all the business and support to strengthen the economy of the palace. It costs $500 and is valid for 10 days stay in Upper Mustang and has to be obtained in Kathmandu or Pokhara ahead of travelling to the region. This sort of household support management overcomes severe famine and extreme poverty caused by disasters. The second name will be the name they received from their parents at birth. Evangelicals = 2% Professing Christians > 50% 4 Mustang was close to the Tibetan salt mine of Naithapaila and Lo-Kingdom had a customary monopoly on the salt trade. All rights reserved. Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples (pp. PLoS ONE 7 (5): e36741. likes roast meat, dried meat, milk dregs and buckwheat cakes, especially Under the strict feudal society of Tibet, Lhoba people were considered inferior and 'wild. International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology Ghar Gompa, the oldest one in the region, is a living example of this fusion. This institution was the center of attraction in the past. Young Lobas are attracted to the modern knowledge system and go to high-earning countries, which is a big challenge to maintain the indigenous knowledge system and the cultural identity of the Loba. political, historical, natural common sense, family and marriage in reality, This practice will likely be lost to the ages in only a few generations. These languages are not mutually intelligible and Lhoba people do not have any written script. Cultural life centered around the kitenta, the royal compound. Khattri, Man Bahadur, and Rishikesh Pandey. Accessed from: https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/Home/Details?tpid=2&dcid=27a1b4d1-9a2a-4205-96be-1c540c24f193. The Lo King, ghenba, Lama, and dhongba had a close relationship and interdependency in Lo-manthang until now. The Lhoba fortune-telling practice is quite unique as they read patterns (colour, shape and blood vessels) in a freshly harvested liver. Water crab porridge. Yiliang Jiuxiang Scenic Spot is located in a mountainous area with a cool climate, continuous peaks and valleys with a relative height difference of about 200 meters. The life for Lhoba people are harsh due to the region they live and most Lhoba people are considered poor in the region. They are the political authority as well. Electricity, telephone and internet facilities are extended to this remote location. Motu and Milin. 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. Such isolation held out the possibility that Upper Mustang might be home to some unsullied original Tibetan culture. tribes. The most important livelihood of Lobas relied on salt (rock salt) and grain trade, which connected them to the central hills of Nepal and India. This is evident even in the way the Loba build their homes. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Gombas were supported by local dhongbas, who were mobilizing local resources. The occupational groups include the Ghara (smith), the Shemba (butcher), the Chemba (leather worker), the Nepa (leather processer), the Samjuwa or the Sumbra (tailor), and the Emeta (musician). Reporting directly to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global, Culture & Engagement), the Chief of Staff, Global, Culture and Engagement is a key member of the Portfolio's leadership team and will manage the portfolio to ensure the timely and efficient execution of a range of international programs; provide strategic oversight to and ensure support for the Committees, Advisory Groups and Working . 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. Most houses are built close together and have no windows, only holes in the walls to protect against the high speed winds that race up the mountains. The Government of Nepal contributed a lot to developing a formal education system in the region, where NGOs have also implemented their educational program in coherence with government efforts. 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. Pandey, Rishikesh, and Douglas K. Bardsley. We recommend against using %Christian Adherent and %Evangelical to calculate absolute numbers. The main cause of monogamy is quarrel among the brothers (Gurung 2012) and new family law of Nepal. The annual ranking is based on anonymous employee ratings . The men also wear swords and carry bows and arrows. The Lo King and his officials sponsored to arrange religious councils between 14721475, where over nine hundred monks attended the meetings (Dhungel 2002). Khattri, M.B., Pandey, R. Indigenous institutions as adaptive measures to environmental dynamics: an ethnographic study of Loba Community of Upper Mustang, Nepal. Indigenous irrigation management system is as old as the agriculture system that began in Lo-manthang. society, and a way of existence of the folk life of the Loba people.

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