Significance of “thar” in the Social Structure of the Khambu Rais: Some Observations

Abstract

Although Khambu Rais of Darjeeling have now absorbed different mainstream religions/practices we have very little information on what originally constituted their culture/tradition. The Khambu Rais are commonly understood to be a single group but an examination of their past would reveal that innumerable sub-groups known as thars constitute what we know as Khambu Rais. This paper examines the diversity and commonality found among the Khambu Rais on the basis of their social structure. An attempt to understand the complex nature and functioning of the thars can also illuminate cultural aspects of the Khambu society of the Darjeeling hills.