Gurung people
Gurung (exonym; Nepali: गुरुङ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung: ཏམུ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurung people predominantly live around the Annapurna region in Manang, Mustang, Dolpo, Kaski, Lamjung, Gorkha, Parbat,Tanahun and Syangja districts of Nepal. They are one of the main Gurkha tribes.
Gurung Ghatu Dance in Tamu losar festival | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 795,290 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Manang, Lamjung, Mustang, Gorkha, Kaski, Tanahun, Syangja and Dolpa | |
| Nepal | 543,790 (2021) |
| India | 139,000 (above) |
| United Kingdom | 28,700 |
| Japan | 16,800 |
| Malaysia | 15,200 |
| Australia | 12,800 |
| USA | 11,300 |
| Bhutan | 9,600 |
| UAE | 7,500 |
| Canada | 4,500 |
| Korea | 3,300 |
| Hong Kong | 2,800 |
| Languages | |
| Nepali (Lingua Franca), Gurung (Tamu kyi, Manangi, Mustangi, Loki), Seke | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism (70,23%), Hinduism (19.40%), Bon (2.32%), Christianity (2.12%) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Magar, Tamang, Thakali and Sherpa | |
They are also scattered across India in Sikkim, Assam, Delhi, West Bengal (Darjeeling area) and other regions with a predominant Nepali diaspora population. They speak the Sino-Tibetan Gurung language and most of them practice the Bon religion alongside Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism.
The origin of the Gurung people can be traced back to Qiang people located in Qinghai, China. As a result of foreign and Korean Christian missionary activities, some Gurung people have also converted to Christianity.