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Jharra Chhetri

Jharra Chhetri are Kshatriya in Hindu Social status. They follow Bratabandha ceremony and proclaim a caste-based supremacy over Thakuri and other Khatri Chhetri(Brahmin Descendants) and Pawei Khasa Chhetri based on the socio-religious gradation of purity.They are historically Indo Aryan people with concept of racial purity. Jharra Chhetri are the actual faction of Chhetris who held the most of the rulling positions with some exceptions like Pandey family being a khatri clan (Brahmin Descendants)within Chhetris.Most of them were historically warriors, administrators, or government officials as their surname suggest.

Chhetri with heterogenous surnames are also called as Bahuthariya, such as Thapa (Bagale/Lamichhane/Godar/Suyal/Puwar), Karki (Mudula/Lama/Sutar), Basnet (Khaptari/Shripali/Khulal), Khadka (Kalikote/Puwar/Khulal/Maharajhi) whereas those with homogenous are known as "Ekthariyas" like Katwal, Raut, Kunwar etc. They are mostly descendants of different rank holding Indo-Aryan people in different feudal kingdoms of Medieval Himalayas.

Jharra Chhetris are strict Tagadhari Hindus to the extent that Jharras who consumed alcohol and pork were even degraded to Matwali Chhetri(liquor drinkers) and robbed from Jharra status.

The meaning of the terminology "Jharra" is 'pure'^[1] and 'unpolluted'^[2] while the terminology "Chhetri" is a direct derivative^[3] or a Nepalese vernacular of the Sanskrit word Kshatriya.^[4]

Chhetris along with Brahmins are considered among the twice born castes called Tagadhari in Nepal and they wear the sacred thread called the Yagnopavita.^[5] Chhetris are considered among the Pahadi caste groups and they speak Nepali language as their mother tongue which is highly influenced by Sanskrit.^[5] The term 'Chhetri' was introduced by Jang Bahadur Rana, because he felt that the previous term of Khas (which the warrior castes of the hill people - i.e. present day Chhetri were known by) was not grand sounding enough and would cause him to lose face in front of foreigners.

Hypergamous marriages are traditionally considered acceptable among Chhetri . The children born from the union of a Chhetri man and his married Chhetri wife, only accomplished by a proper Brahmā vivāha are considered『Jharrā』(meaning: 'pure') while those children born from the union of a Hill Brahmin man and a Chhetri woman are considered『Thimā』(meaning: 'hybrid'). They are not accepted in the funerals of Pure Kshatriyas Lineage.^[1][6] Jharrā children are traditionally assigned a higher ritual status above the Thimā children.^[1]

A Jharra Chhetri would accept ritually relevant food items from only among respective Jharra Chhetri in terms of traditional touchability. They were demoted to Matwali Chhetri if they consumed foods like Pork, Alcohol in different places. ^[1] During the rituals of annual sacrifice to the clan deities, only Jharra Chhetri would be allowed to enter into the inner sphere of the shrine.^[1][6]

A Jharrā boy would be given a six threaded Janai (sacred thread) at his Hindu passage of rite Bartaman ceremony while a Thimā boy would be given only a three threaded Janai (sacred thread).^[1] A Thimā son would inherit a sixth of the ancestral property compared to that of the Jharrā son.^[1]

Jharra Chhetris claim the highest social ranking among all subgroups of Chhetris.^[7] It is either "allegedly pure" Khas origin or Rajput origin that is considered to have constituted the Jharra division.^[7] Jharra Chhetris are ritually observed to be higher than other non Jharra Chhetris^[8] based on the concept of purity of descent.^[9] The concept of purity distinguishes Jharra Chhetris from the children of other inter-ethnic or inter-caste marriages.^[4] Jharra Chhetris are considered to have maintained a caste based superiority over other Khatri and Matwali/pawai (both being Chhetri sub-castes) based on the gradation of purity.^[10]

Most Jharra Chhetris were Aristrocrates,administrators,warriors,landholders and farmers of medieval himalayan states. From Unification of Nepal to King Mahendra's Panchayat rule they occupied majority of government posts. They had Monopoly in and other major posts in Nepal Army and Nepal Police including Army chief.

On the basis of concept of Jharra caste purity, some Chhetri men traditionally do not consume food cooked by their lower caste wives.^[4]

• Bhimsen Thapa
• Abhiman Singh Basnet
• Dilli Jung Thapa
• Amar Singh Thapa
• Bhakti Thapa
• Bal Narsingh Kunwar
• Swarup Singh Karki
• Balbhadra Kunwar
• Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal
• Abhiman Singh Basnet
• Mathabarsingh Thapa
• Pyar Jung Thapa
• Purna Chandra Thapa
• Surya Bahadur Thapa
• Rookmangud Katawal
• Yogi Naraharinath

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