The Gandarbha caste (Nepali: गन्धर्व जाति) or Gaine (Nepali: गाईने) are a tribal community which belongs to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group from the central, hilly region of Nepal. They have also been called a "caste of professional musicians" and "itinerant bards."^[1][2] By tradition they make their living by singing^[1] Gandarbha Geet or Gaine Geet, a type of folk song. The Gandarbhas traditionally work as travelling musicians and play traditional folk and historical songs.^[2] They improvise songs too, incorporating news into them as a service, in return for which they receive donations of food or other things.^[2] They use the Nepali sarangi, a type of violin, as their main musical instrument.^[1] The sarangi has been an iconic musical instrument identified with the Gandarbha people.^[2] The instrument has replaced another instrument they played, the aarbajo, which was larger and "more cumbersome."^[1]

Due to many caste-based discriminations in Nepal, the government of Nepal legally abolished the caste-system and criminalized any caste-based discrimination, including "untouchability" (the ostracism of a specific caste) - in the year 1963 A.D.

Geographic distribution

Recently Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Gaine/Gandarbha within the broader social group of Hill Dalit.^[3] At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 6,791 people (0.0% of the population of Nepal) were Gaine/Gandarbha.^[4] The frequency of Gaine/Gandarbha by province was as follows:

• Gandaki Province (0.1%)
• Karnali Province (0.1%)
• Lumbini Province (0.1%)
• Bagmati Province (0.0%)
• Koshi Province (0.0%)
• Madhesh Province (0.0%)
• Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)

The frequency of Gaine/Gandarbha was higher than national average (0.0%) in the following districts:

• Surkhet (0.2%)
• Arghakhanchi (0.1%)
• Baglung (0.1%)
• Banke (0.1%)
• Bardiya (0.1%)
• Chitwan (0.1%)
• Dang (0.1%)
• Gorkha (0.1%)
• Gulmi (0.1%)
• Jajarkot (0.1%)
• Kaski (0.1%)
• Lamjung (0.1%)
• Palpa (0.1%)
• Pyuthan (0.1%)
• Salyan (0.1%)
• Tanahun (0.1%)

Status in society

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Popular Gandarbhas

• Jhalak Man Gandarbha

See also

• Gandharva
• Damai

References

External links

• News article about Gandarbhas and their future.
• Modern Gandarbha plays incorporates public safety message in music on buses.

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