Jirel people

The Jirels (Nepali: जिरेल जातिlisten ) is an ethnic Nepali group. Jirel are one of the 59 indigenous peoples in Nepal. Jirel people are closely related with tibetan people. They love them call Jirpa which means people like leopard. Sherpa as by name Shyar-pa, are the people of the east. Jirpa believe that they migrated to Nepal, Jiri, Dolakha from the western part of Nepal Jiri, the name of the place came from Jirpa. They are the original inhabitants of Jiri and its adjoining villages in Dolkha district, the central region of Nepal. They have their own distinct language, culture, customs, rituals and lifestyles. They are mostly Buddhis but many of the Jirel follow other religion like Christianity, Islam and Hindu. They also worship Jhakri (shamans). Their main occupation is agriculture in recent days they have also been involved in business, government job and teaching jobs. Many of the Jirel are in British Gurkha Army, Indian Army and Nepal Army and in the police. They are primarily settled down in Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk Chitwan and Ilam districts, alongside of Likhu, Khimti, Jiri river and Jiri Shikri river. Jirels have their own mother tongue which is called ‘Jirpa Taam’ belongs to Tibetan language family.

Jirel people

Regions with significant populations
Nepal  India  Bhutan  China (Tibet Autonomous Region)
Religion
Hinduism, Buddhism and minorities of Bön , Christianity, Animism, Jainism, predominantly Kiratism, Muslim, Sikhism (by gurudwaras in Nepal)

Footnotes

References

• Maibaum, Anita and Esther Strahm. 2005. Jirel-Nepali-English. Kathmandu: Central Department of Linguistics. Tribhuvan University.