The Hela are a Hindu scheduled caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Mehtar and Mestar. The Hela are a sub-group within the larger Bhangi community of North India.[1]
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Origin [link]
The Hela are found mainly in the districts of Varanasi, Ghazipur and Mirzapur. They are divided into five sub-groups, the Supa Bhagat, Balmiki, Nourchinwa, Lalbegi and Shaikh-Hela. Traditionally the Hela were a community which incorporated elements of both Hinduism and Islam. They are now Hindu, and abandoned most Muslim practices. Traditionally, the community was hierarchical, with the Supa Bhagat considering themselves superior to the other sub-groups.[2]
Present circumstances [link]
The Hela are a community of agricultural labourers. Their traditional occupation was that of a village sweeper.[3]
See also [link]
References [link]
- ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 603 to 605 Manohar Publications
- ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 603 to 605 Manohar Publications
- ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 603 to 605 Manohar Publications
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Hela
Hela may refer to:
Hela (Blake)
In the mythological writings of William Blake, Hela is the youngest of the five daughters of Tiriel. She is the only survivor of his curse. She denounces her blind father for what he has done; he curses her once more, turning her hair to Medusa-style snakes. She guides him to the Vales of Har.
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese (Sinhala: සිංහල ජාතිය Sinhala Jathiya) are an Indo Aryan ethnic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. They constitute 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number greater than 15 million. The Sinhalese identity is based on language, historical heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language, and are predominantly Theravada Buddhists, although a small percentage of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity. The Sinhalese are mostly found in North central, Central, South, and West Sri Lanka. According to Mahavamsa, an ancient treatise written in Pali, The Sinhalese are the descendants of the exiled Prince Vijaya who arrived from East India (today's Orissa and Bengal) to Sri Lanka in 543 BCE and early settlers from that region.
In folklore, the Sinhalese people predate this event, being the descendants of earlier inhabitants and Vijaya and other Indo Aryans migrants from India.
Modern genetic investigations suggest that the Sinhalese are most closely related to the Bengali people. However, the original hunter - gatherer inhabitants of Sri Lanka, also called "Vedda" or "Vanniya-Laeto" predate them. They arrived in Sri Lanka around 16,000 BCE.
