- Region: Himachal Pradesh
- Famous As: Kannaura
- Major Language: Hindi, Bhoti and English
- Majority Religion: Hindus and Buddhists
Kinara, Kinnaurese, Kannaura and Kinnauras etc are known as the colonist of the district Kinnaur. The Kinner word came from the 2 Sanskrit words Nara and Kim; it means what a strange people they are? If you see the Mahabharata, you will get the references of Kinners in that and also in the endless epic of Kalidas. There is a belief that the ex-Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Veerbhadra Singh, is the one hundred thirty first descendant of this tribe. Now the population of Kinner is recorded only in the district of Kinnaur. The residential people of district Kinnaur of Himachal Pradesh are traditionally known as the Kinners. They are also widely known as the Kinnauras.
These people live in very bad conditions, which have been made by the rough Climate and weather conditions. If you will see their physic, you will find similarity between the Aryan races by their tall and strong bodies, their broad foreheads, fair skin and big eyes. But by nature they are very soft spoken and elegant people, they are very familiar and adjust to live in the poor conditions. Their major occupations are raising wool and rearing the goats and sheep. Some of the Kinners tribe people are involved into horticulture and agriculture. They prefer to live in joint families. And males and females can have more than a single mate.
Kinners tribe contains Khosias, Berus and Khosias. The Khosias community consist of religions like Buddhists and Hindus. The Berus community is made by the 4 castes of Badhi, Nangalu, Lohar and Koli. Kinners tribe speaks the Kinnauri language, which is as the G.A. Grierson which came below the Group of Himalayan Tibet and Burman language of family. Kinners tribe’s second language is Hindi. They also speak in Bhoti language; but it is mostly practiced in the upper part of Kinnaur. Because of the new modern education pattern, the Kinners who are educated can speak and understand English.
The residents of Kinnaur are fair skinny people with good built and muscular. The marriage system of this Kinners tribe is very unique. All the brothers of one family share one single wife or they marry a single bride. This type of marriage, is called as a Pandava marriage. Because of this custom, there are many girls in their tribe, who are still unmarried. But still they practice this custom in these continuous changing social conditions. They say that they are the generation of the Mahabharata’s Kinners but other People say that Kinners are the generation of the Kirats, Kirats were the first, who was defeated by Aryan and after the war they were forced by the Khasa into Himalaya region’s remote areas.
Women are very popular because of their beauty; you will find many references of this in the olden books. As per the earlier scriptures, the females of Kinners were very popular by their beauty and they were used to be known as Visha Kanyas, through the royal and rich families. Through these Visha Kanyas, the kings used to tract the enemies by using their seductive beauty.
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