Languages · Profile
राई
Rai (Kiranti languages)
Not one language but many: Bantawa, Chamling, Kulung, Thulung, Sampang and more, each spoken by Rai communities of the eastern hills and bound together by the Mundhum and the Sakela festival. The census figure shown counts only those who reported 'Rai'; most Kiranti languages are counted separately.
144,512
mother tongue speakers in Nepal (2021 census)
0.50%
of Nepal's population
Tibeto-Burman (Kiranti)
language family
Devanagari, Kiranti
script
In Nepal
Where it is spoken
A family of many languages
The eastern hills of Koshi Province, including Bhojpur, Khotang, Dhankuta, Udayapur, Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu.
Koshi
Beyond Nepal
Who else speaks it
- India: Communities in Sikkim and Darjeeling
- Bhutan: Smaller communities
The Dehat
Our work in Rai
Kirat musical heritage, Mundhum-rooted chanting and Sakela festival music.
Speak Rai, or know someone who does? We want to hear your stories.
ContributeSources: National Population and Housing Census 2021, Nepal (mother tongue); Census of India 2011. Figures for small and endangered languages are estimates.