In the plains around Chitwan and Bardia live the Tharu, one of Nepal's largest indigenous groups, with a culture shaped by the forests and rivers of the Terai.
Quick answer: the Tharu are indigenous to the Terai plains along Nepal's southern border. Visitors to Chitwan and Bardia can see Tharu villages of mud-plastered houses decorated with paintings, watch the stick dance, try Tharu food, and stay in community homestays. Their biggest festival is Maghi in mid-January.
Traditions
- Houses: mud and wood houses, often decorated with painted designs.
- Stick dance: a lively dance with sticks, performed in Sauraha and villages.
- Maghi: the Tharu new year in mid-January, with feasts and dancing.
- Food: fish, snails, rice dishes and dhikri (steamed rice-flour dumplings).
Where to experience Tharu culture
- Village walks and cultural shows in Sauraha, Chitwan.
- Homestays near Chitwan and Bardia.
See things to do in Chitwan, village homestays and our Chitwan safari.