I think this question refers to Himalayanreview, Is newar Hindu or Buddhist? I was confused when I found out that in Kalimpong a Newar Monastery is being built, but traditionally Newars are Hindu??? also what's the difference between pradhan and newar?

well i do not know how far i am correct, i had done a five part series on Newars: its culture and traditions on my days at Weekend Review. I would like to add the introduction part from the first part of the series:

"Newars are the modern inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, are believed to be an intermixture of Aryan and Mongoloid Strains resulting from the union between the kiratas and the Aryan migrating from the plains of India, wrote Robert Heavy in his book “Mesocosm”.
Daniel Wright in his work in “History of Nepal” writes an introduction of Newar as army men to Nepal. He writes “At the time when Raja Jayadeva Malla was ruling over halit-Patan and Kantipur and Ananda malla over Blaktapur, in the Saka year 811, and Nepal Sambat 9 (889AD) on the 7th of Sravana Sudi, Nanyadevi Raja came from the South Karnataka Country and entered Nepal. He brought with him the Saka Sahkala era, and introduced it. Among the troops that were with him were Newaras, from a Country called Nayera, who were Brahman-putra Chetris and Achars.
But there is a Controversy in it, Indian history finding say during those days Raja Rampal reign had started and Nanyadeva Raja was independently the ruler of Tirhut province.
Today the Newar Community is associated with high culture and economic values and their trade practice are unmatched to other Communities. The Newars are an indigenous of Nepal and their history traces back to early 10th century, when Malla dynasty was at the peak
The Newars were the farmers, the Craftsmen and the Merchants that slowly migrated to other places in the Himalayan ranges including Sikkim, Darjeeling (then the British Sikkim) and North East India. Newar are rich in cultural traditions and rituals. Apart from following Hindu customs the Newar too follow Buddhism and mostly prevalent in the countryside of Nepal. Customs and culture are found from the time of birth to the death. Some of the astonishing culture followed by the Newar includes performing marriage with a fruit, its festivals, its language and food."

Coming to your query....here i say Newars are classified into two branch Buddhist following Sakyas community and the Hinduism following so-called Pradhans.

Hey! Daddy this applies to me too!! he he he ......anyways here it goes!!
Excerpts from Wikipedia..."Newars are a linguistic community with Tibeto-Burman ethnicity/race and faith, bound together by a common language[1]. The term Newar applies roughly to the descendants of citizens of Medieval Nepal (consisting of Kathmandu valley as the capital and the territory ever changing with farest extent being Gandaki river to west and Koshi river to the east, Tibet to north and Terai in south). Their common language being Nepal Bhasa ("Newari" according to Statistics Nepal) or the languages progenitor of Nepal Bhasa"

"The different divisions of Newars had different historical developments before their arrival in the Kathmandu valley. The common identity of Newar was formed after their arrival to the valley. Until the unification of Nepal, with the possible exception of the Muslims under Gayasuddin who attacked and destroyed many parts of the valley, all people who had inhabited the valley at any point of time were either Newar or were progenitors of Newar. So, the history of Newar correlates to a great magnitude to the history of Kathmandu valley prior to the Unification of Nepal"

But as mentioned by HR..Newar consists of Mongoloids and aryans too... and coming to your query..I slightly disagree with HR....Newars' have different clan (or thars or hierchy of social indulgment) in the begining they all were Hindus n shakya's are one of them... Shakyas are basically Goldsmith in hierchy of newar's clan....infact after the "Gautam Buddha" introduced Buddhism there was a change in following of religion. The term "Pradhan" is alias of "Newar" used in India and not community who practice Hinduism, you wont find pradhan being used in Nepal...there everyone uses their clan names as surname.... Like I belong to "Acharju" clan, I will be Nirmal Acharju.....Its same as Rai's community.... Bottomline is Newar practice both Hinduism and Buddhism.... and there is no difference between Pradhan & Newar!!!....its just an alias!!

Hey! HR hope I am right!!!....coz there's lotz of confusion, every history on Newars varies with each historians..............

I think we have to do our research on History of Newars!! wat say?!!! ha ha ...

BTW ...Jwa Jwa Lapa....means Namaste in Newar Bhasa(Newari)

well said Sir....i am too learning about it...

well!! HR... m no Sir.....until i get the knighthood!!! ha ha ha ha ...seriously no Sir please!!!... just nirmal will do!! BTW wat thar r u?!!

Hey thanks both of you for clearing my confusion... it's my honour to know little bit about your culture... !!

Hey! Daddy....dont mention it!!! after all this is for our forum!!

Bael Byah

The most peculiar ritual followed among newar girl is ihi. Also known as bael byah, it is a symbolic marriage with a bael (Aegle mermalous) fruit. This ritual is done among the girl between the ages of four to eleven before reaching the period of puberty, where they are married to lord Shiva that the fruit is kept in his place. Newar community has invaded outside Nepal where the traditions are somewhat lost but still it is found in every newar house that the Bael byah have been made. This customary marriage is thought to be the most holy rituals in this noble clan. With this marriage to the immortal lord the newar girl will not follow widowhood when their husband passes away. It is believed that even remarriage can be done.
At the day of ihi the place is cleaned and swabbed with cow dung and red soil to make it pure. The ihi girl is bathed and does fasting for whole daylong. The daughter of Brahmin is chosen to represent the fruit, she is called locantee. The ceremony starts in the morning with the bali (killing) of goat or a duck to lord Ganesha. Followers of Boudh newar never do the killing and the poor one can do it with fried egg. Eight different flags representing eight Devi are worshiped and immersed to the river. A pindah for a bael fruit is made where bamboo root and grass is placed. (A pindah is made of khir mixed with black teel and roundly molded) This is done to please the ancestors of both his father and mother family.
The girl is brought to the puja site where yellow thread is measured from head to feet for 108 times and thereafter a mala is made and given to the girl. Water from the thakali, a water vase is taken by the pundit and sprinkled over the ihi girl to make her pure. 84 different varieties of vegetables are placed before the girl that she needs to taste the five and remaining she will touch it and will be immersed in a holy place. This ends the end of the first day.
The next morning cutting of nails is done followed by the polishing of the nails. A piece of raw meat, little custard oil and some money are given to the nauni, the person who cuts the nail. Nini of the girl collects the nails in a copper plate; she too will be given money. Then the ihi girl is dressed in red sari or chaubandha choli as a bride.
Sicha fhangu is a custom where the Brahmin girl, the locantee act as a lord Shiva and with the stem of the bael fruit put the sindoor on the forehead of the ihi girl. The girl is offered milk, dahi, fruits and others. Kanyadaan, a hand of ihi girl is given to the hand of locantee to dedicate the girl to the lord. In return the ihi girl touches the feet of locantee and washes her feet. New clothes are offered to the ihi girl and three-fist ful rice. In some ceremony both the ihi girl and the locantee are carried by the brothers and made to move along the fire for three times. The pundit puts tika on the forehead of the ihi girl and thereafter other too joins to bless the bride girl. There is also tradition that the other family member and the relatives wash the feet of the ihi girl and drink the water of the feet. Food is offered to all the guests and the ihi ceremony end after this.
The bael fruit after the ceremony is kept safely or immersed to the river. It is considered bad luck if the fruit get damage. Since the girl have already wedded to the lord Shiva, after her marriage to another husband in her later years she shall remain unchanged even she becomes a widow. She shall always remain the wife of Lord Shiva at first instant.
An interesting tale has been found regarding the origin of the bael byah that says, it was during the time of Ranas, the dignity of the newari girls were under deep trouble. The Rana and his men used to follow the girls and look with lusty eyes. It was this reason for the newar to save their future generations they made a plan and married their children with the bael fruit. Since this fruit is considered holy and found single that they made the choice. The Ranas used to respect the married women so their inhuman attitude towards the newari girls also changed. Since marrying with a fruit saved the newari community for its existence the practice is still prevalent.

NB: I have tried my best to search more and more on the topics of Newars with relative source and stories. I know I have had some mistake. I would like my fellow reader to enlighten me with more knowledge, which shall remain a quest. – HR

1.Newars are the most progressive community in the Hills n valleys of Himalays
2.Poor Newars or pradhans are very rare.
3.I believe their Kingdom Kathmandu valley was the last to be conquered during Gorkha Conquest.
4.Medieval period township of Bhaktapur n Lalitpur are the examples of Newari Civilization

and myth : how did newar people evolved on earth?
saying goes like this: Once upon a time there was a big sea which later dried up n Kathmandu valley came into existence.There were many toads at that time which were undergoing metamorphosis to human-beings,,..Thence newar people evolved. Consequently To+ Tot bhasa became famed newari bhasa...which u can still hear wen u meet some Maharjans(Pradhans),etc from Kathmandu.

Hey! Arnav..I think the most accurate myth is here under.....excerpt from wikipedia....
"The earliest known history of Newar and Kathmandu valley were recorded in the form of mythical scriptures. One of such texts which even accounts the creation of the valley is Swayambhu Purana. According to Swayambhu Purana, the Kathmandu valley was a giant lake called Nāgdaha until the Bodhisattva Manjushree, with the aid of a holy sword called Chandrahrāsa, cut open a part of southern hill of Kachchhapāla[4] and then cut open Gokarna daha[5] and drained the giant lake, allowing humans to settle the valley land. This apocryphal legend is supported by some geological evidence of an ancient lakebed and it provides an explanation for the high fertility of Kathmandu valley soil. According to Swayambhu Purana, Manjushree then established a city called Manjupattan (Sanskrit: land established by Manjushree), now called Manjipā, where he coronated Dharmākara as the king of the land[6]. A shrine dedicated to Manjushree is still present in Majipā"

Ok guys.. here i've created newar wiki info page... http://www.sikkimonline.info/sikkim/Newar, if you guys so much about newar, why not contribute your views & knowledge here, and make it something like http://www.sikkimonline.info/sikkim/Lepcha . in the process you'll also learn how to create & edit wiki pages in sikkimonline wiki...its so much fun...just click at the end of page to auto insert your signature.. I just hope that will be useful to everyone!! just don't forget to login before you edit! best of luck!

i believe newar are from Bhuddha's generations i.e Sakya family.

wuz researching for the History of Newars and Pradhans \r\nvery informative. Got more then what I expexted. The bael biyah is something I have heard in my family but never knew why it was done what importance it holds in our history. I dont think if I have any roots in Nepal as past two generation are from India itself. \r\nI see that the last post is posted on 2007. If any one of you have any other information please post.

I have found a lot of interesting and useful stuff from here.