DANG, June 29: The Lumbini Provincial Government has introduced the Tharu Community Traditional Practices Protection and Promotion Bill, 2026, aimed at preserving and promoting the Tharu community's indigenous customs, traditions and cultural heritage.
The bill has been tabled in the Provincial Assembly. Former Lumbini Chief Minister Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary said the legislation seeks to provide legal recognition to the Tharu community's traditional social institutions, collective practices and cultural systems that have existed for generations. Lumbini is home to Nepal's largest Tharu population.
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The proposed law recognises Gaun Mauja, the community's basic traditional administrative unit, as well as Praganna and Tappu, structures formed by two or more villages to manage irrigation systems and other collective activities.
The bill also defines the roles and responsibilities of traditional community leaders, including the Mahatwa, Barghar and Bhalmansa, giving them formal legal recognition.
It further aims to document, preserve and pass on the Tharu community's traditional festivals, cuisine, dress, language, and intellectual and cultural heritage related to agriculture and irrigation skills.
Another key provision allows each Gaun Mauja and Praganna to establish its own fund and encourages community-based mediation to resolve minor disputes through traditional reconciliation mechanisms.
According to Minister for Social Development Janmajaya Timilsina, once enacted, the law will provide legal protection to the Tharu community's traditional practices while strengthening the community's sense of ownership and participation in the state.
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