Jitiya: Tharu Inherence to Eco-Culture

Abstract

Having their physical and psychological struggle with frequently happening pandemics like malaria for many centuries until the new settlement plan from the government, Tharus, the indigenous people of central Nepal, Chitwan, have long attachment, recognition, and consideration to nature; and despite the issues of cultural hegemony over nature in environmental studies, they have the eco-culture to respect, preserve, implore, and eulogize nature. Now, after the formal migration, they live with cultural diaspora among many cultural values, but they have their own cultural values, distinct from non-Tharus, however, majorities of their religious functions resemble with traditional Hindu culture. Jitiya festival, distinct from rest of Hindu communities, is an example on how Tharu people, especially, women stay Vrata, and primarily worship nature and identify nature as the source of harmonizing all human and nonhuman environment. Their cultural respect to nature signifies their belief on the value and greatness of nature. The paper analyzes Tharu patterns of eco-culture in Jitiya, the cultural festival, and Jitiya Pawani, their Mythical literature.