The Tharu are a culturally and linguistically diverse ethnic group who live along the Indo-Nepal border, in the region known as the Tarai. According to the 2001 census of Nepal, there are 1,533,879 ethnic Tharu who account for 6.75 percent of Nepal’s total population, of whom 1,331,546 speak one of the seven Tharu languages as a mother tongue. Alongside Nepal, smaller numbers of Tharu live in the adjacent areas of India, mostly in Champaran district of Bihar and in Naini Tal district of Uttar Pradesh. The Naini Tal district in India and the Jhapa district in Nepal are, respectively, the westernmost and easternmost areas of Tharu habitation. (Mark Turin – June 01, 2004)