The Nyinbas inherited their practices of fraternal polyandry from their Tibetan ancestors, who migrated to the Humla valley from the steppes of the Asian plateau centuries ago. They also inherited a love for trading and herding which together with cultivation the meager soil, make yup the traditional Nyinbas economy. Polyandry suits this economy, “With one or two husbands always away on herding or trading trips, one husband will always be at home to care fot the wife,” explains Maila Dai, a trader from he village of Bargaau. “We think Polyandry is just like insurance for the wife. If one husband is no good or leaves his wife there’s always another brother.”
While being served barley beer known locally as chang, representatives of the groom’s known at the Nyau dance and sing songs in the form of riddles readying themselves to go fetch the bride. They wear fabulously hand-stitched rainbow colored stripped robes and top hats.
Humla, Nepal.Three generations (from right to left) of a polyandrous family-grandfather brothers share a wife as do three fathers and three sons all living together under one roof.
Humla, Nepal.
Anthropologists have explained Polyandry as a method of curbing population growth (which is the fallacy, given that the birth rate of monogamous Hindus in the neighboring village of Thehe is the same as that on the Nyinbas), and being divided up into less profitable units when a family of sons inherits from the previous generations. It also concentrates the wealth of each household by maintaining a large population of working adult makes under one roof.
To the Nyinbas, its advantages are self-evident. Both men and women talk about the wealth polyandry provides and the way it distinguishes them from their poorer Hindu neighbors. Says Maila Dai, “If my sons partition the land, we will become as poop as Hindu Village of Thehe.”
Generations of a polyandrous family.
Bride with three of five husbands and parents in laws.
Humla, Northwest Nepal.A newly married bride standing in the middle with her five husbands of different generation and her in-laws.The stability of the family-this is the constant preoccupation of socities the world over. Among the Nyinba of Nepal, a woman is expected to have a number of husbands at the same time. It is normally an arrangement where a woman marries a group of brothers and moves into their household. Passionate attachment to any one of them is frowned upon, for it risks alienating the others and threatens to break up the family. While the practice of polyandry has been explained as a special adaptation to a landHumla, Nepal.Displaying family wealth with necklaces of amber, coral, conch, and turquoise, the women wear in herited gaus, portable alters, around their necks, and headdresses showing the influence of such western Himalayan Kingdom as Ladakh. Their rainbow trimmed robes, unique to the region.
Humla, Nepal.Humla women dressed with heirloom jewellery will participate in the marriage ceremony by dancing and singing as they receive the representative party of the groom.
Humla, Nepal.Three generations (from right to left) of a polyandrous family-grandfather brothers share a wife as do three fathers and three sons all living together under one roof.
Humla, north-west Nepal.While being served barley beer known locally as chang, representatives of the groom’s known at the Nyau dance and sing songs in the form of riddles readying themselves to go fetch the bride. They wear fabulously hand-stitched rainbow colored stripped robes and top hats.
Humla, Nepal.
टुरशाला डटकम जेपी मिडिया प्रालिद्धारा सन्चालित एक अनलाइन मिडिया प्लेटफर्म हो, जसले अंग्रेजी र नेपाली भाषामा कम जानिएका र भनिएका पर्यटनसम्बन्धि समाचारजन्य एवम् खोजमूलक सामाग्रीहरु पस्कन्छ।
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