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The Beda people are a community of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. They live mostly in the Ladakh region, where they practise their traditional occupation of musicianship. They are predominantly followers of the Muslim faith, although some are Buddhists. According to some scholars, they are an untouchable group, although others think that the situation is more nuanced. == Social interactions == The Beda live mostly in villages of the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir state. They share these villages with communities that are considered to be socially superior, such as the Ladakhi, Gara and Mon peoples. The Beda have virtually no input in the socio-political decisions relating to their villages. Kim Gutschow, who is a professor of religion, says that they are considered to be untouchables by other communities in the region, but the anthropologist Rann Singh Mann notes that the practices of social exclusion, submission to superiors and suchlike are not as rigid as can be found in other caste societies; for example, they are permitted to share the same sources of drinking water as the other communities. Writing in 2002, Mann also said that "untouchability and some other caste prejudices are still missing" among the Buddhists in Ladakh society generally, although that might change as they become increasingly exposed to the caste ''mores'' found in other areas of India. The traditional occupation of the Beda is that of musicianship, with their preferred instrument being either the flute or the drum. In their role as musicians they are paid both with money and with food; the latter is often of a particular type for a given occasion, such as Sattu, grain or salt. Music at festivals and events celebrating such things as crop sowing, births and marriage are an important part of Ladakh culture but when not engaged in those, the Beda, who are mostly landless, work as agricultural labourers. A few, who are generally Buddhists and live in tents, make their living as itinerant beggars and are also known as Chankans. As with the other social groups with whom they share village life, the Beda are expected to be a endogamous community. Marriages outside of their own group are not usually recognised and connubial relationships of this sort are generally co-habitation arrangements, with the woman usually being from the higher-ranked group. If a Ladakhi man forms a marriage-like relationship with a Beda woman then he is ostracised by his own community until such time as the relationship is regularised through the performance of the Chhomo Gango ceremony. The ceremony requires the man to spend 15-20 days bathing in the holy waters of the Ganges river. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Beda people」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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