Tharu culture

Language

There is no one Tharu language unifying Tharu communities in different parts of Nepal and India. Several speak various endemic. tharu langauge . In western Nepal and adjacent parts of India, Tharus speak variants of hindi  urdu and  awadhi .  In and near central Nepal, they speak a variant of  bhojpuri .In eastern Nepal, they speak a variant of. maithili . More standard versions of these dialects are widely spoken by non-Tharu neighbors in the same areas so that there are no important linguistic barriers between Tharus and their neighbors. However, there are linguistic barriers between these dialects standing in the way of communication between Tharus from different regions. Tharu people have their own language often known as "Tharu Language". Many professors and well educated persons say that many others languages were derived from Tharu Language (like as Nepali, Maithli, Bhojpuri etcTharu were already living in the Terai before  indo  europeans arrived, raising the question of what they may have been speaking at that time. The only surviving pre-Indo-European language in the Terai is kusunda, santhali  further west.Marriage system


Traditionally, marriages were often arranged during the pregnancies of two women. If they gave birth to opposite sex babies, the two babies were supposed to be married if they grew up as friends. It was problematic if a boy or girl came of age and rejected their assigned fiance(e). Finding a replacement was difficult because most girls and boys were already engaged. However this custom has been disappearing. Most Tharus now practice conventional  arrange marriges . They also practice love marriages, inter cast marriage, international marriage, inter world, marriage after courtship and eloping.Religion

The spiritual beliefs and moral values of the Tharu people are closely linked to the natural environment. The  pantheon of their gods comprises a large number of deities  that live in the forest. They are asked for support before entering the forest
According to the 2001 Census of Nepal, 87.63% of the Tharu people were      Hindus   whereas 13.95% were  buddhists.