Sunuwar

Sunuwar, Sunwar, Koinch

सुनुवार, कोइँच
Kirati Koinch Sunuwar
Total population
Nepal 78,910 (2021)[1]
Sikkim	3,795(2006)[2]
Languages
Sunuwar, Nepali
Religion
Predominantly: Kiratism • Hinduism 92.29% • Christianity 7.23% (2011)[3]
Related ethnic groups
Rai Limbu Yakkha Jirel Hayu Thami

The Sunuwar or Koinch are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group (Nepali:सुनुवार जाति|Sunuwār Jāti), a Kirati tribe native to Nepal, parts of India (West Bengal and Sikkim) and southern Bhutan. They speak the Sunuwar language. According to the 2001 census of Nepal, 17% of the tribe follow the Kirant religion and adopt the Mundhum (Kiranti) culture.^[4]

The Kõinchs (Sunuwar) number 82,705 in total.^[5][6] The term ‘Kõinchs’ is also the name of the mother tongue. Other terms like Mukhiya or Mukhia are exonyms of the tribe. Sunuwar have a distinct language, religion, culture and social customs.^[7]

Demographics

The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Sunuwar as a subgroup within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati.^[8] At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 55,712 people (0.2% of the population of Nepal) were Sunuwar. The frequency of Sunuwar by province was as follows:

• Bagmati Province (0.5%)
• Koshi Province (0.5%)
• Madhesh Province (0.1%)
• Gandaki Province (0.0%)
• Lumbini Province (0.0%)
• Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)
• Karnali Province (0.0%)

The frequency of Sunuwar was higher than the national average (0.2%) in the following districts:^[9]

• Ramechhap (4.2%)
• Okhaldhunga (3.0%)
• Sindhuli (2.7%)
• Ilam (1.3%)
• Taplejung (1.1%)
• Dolakha (1.0%)
• Panchthar (1.0%)
• Udayapur (0.9%)
• Jhapa (0.3%)
• Khotang (0.3%)
• Lalitpur (0.3%)
• Solukhumbu (0.3%)

Photos

• 
  Udhuali
• 
  Sunuwar girl
• 
  Sunuwar culture
• 
  Sunuwar Udhuali Sadhar
• 
  Sunuwar people
• 
  Sunuwar Koich Puki at Tudikhel
• 
  Sunuwar Koich Puki and Nakhipot

See also

• Phalate or Falate
• Khijee or Khiji
• Bhujee
• Prette or Priti
• Ragani

References

• "Central Bureau of Statistics". Cbs.gov.np. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
• "Sunuwar.org". Sunuwar.org. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
• Archived 2013-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
• "Sunuwar Samaj Hong Kong". Sunuwarsamajhk.org. 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
• Archived 2013-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
• Archived 2013-09-08 at the Wayback Machine
• "Sunuwar Dress - Home". Facebook. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
• "Sunuwar: Sunuwar". Sunuwardurga.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.