Language and Culture
The Rungs communicate among themselves in the local language RungLo. The language still continues to exist despite the fact that it has no written script. It's probably one of the few languages that continues to thrive without a written script. However, analyzing the fact that nowadays most of the youth of the town are looking for employment opportunities in the outside world and thus using less of RungLo, the day is not far when RungLo too will fall in the category of moribund languages. Apart than RungLo, the local population is quite well versed in Hindi, Nepali and English.
The Rungs celebrate all of their festivals and important occasions with great zeal and enthusiasm. The celebrations are marked with the presence of dance, baira(songs) and sathani (a locally prepared wine).
Like most other ethnic groups, Rungs also have their traditional wear, which is addressed as Chungbala and Ranga. Byanthalo (the turban) is also a part of the men's wear. Big silver necklaces, nose and ear rings constitute the jewellery of women here. The use of the traditional wear is nowadays restricted to only important occasions and big celebrations. More about it can be found out at their site www.rungmung.net/NauksumV4. However, it is far from reality to simply assume that the people here are not fashion aware due to the geographical isolation. Everything from Ghagras to Lehngas and Levis Jeans to torn jeans can be seen in the streets here, thanks to the growing commercialization and the small Moti Bazaar (market) of Nepal.
The Rungs worship their local Deities Syangse and Gabla, the different forms of Hindu Gods.
Dharchula will soon have a well-stocked community library. A small sports stadium is already functional. The pride of Dharchula is going to be the Rung Cultural Museum which will house the living cultural symbols of the this extremely proud and culturally vibrant community.
Read more about this topic: Dharchula
Famous quotes containing the words language and, language and/or culture:
“Whether we regard the Women’s Liberation movement as a serious threat, a passing convulsion, or a fashionable idiocy, it is a movement that mounts an attack on practically everything that women value today and introduces the language and sentiments of political confrontation into the area of personal relationships.”
—Arianna Stassinopoulos (b. 1950)
“In a language known to us, we have substituted the opacity of the sounds with the transparence of the ideas. But a language we do not know is a closed place in which the one we love can deceive us, making us, locked outside and convulsed in our impotence, incapable of seeing or preventing anything.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)
“I’ve finally figured out why soap operas are, and logically should be, so popular with generations of housebound women. They are the only place in our culture where grown-up men take seriously all the things that grown-up women have to deal with all day long.”
—Gloria Steinem (b. 1934)