Draft:Masto (Nepal)
 | Review waiting, please be patient.
This may take 5 weeks or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 2,563 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Reviewer tools
|
Submission declined on 6 September 2026 by RangersRus (talk).
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
This draft has been resubmitted and is currently awaiting re-review. |  |
Masto (Nepali: मष्टो), sometimes spelled Mashta (Nepali: मष्ट), is the family deity of the Khas people.[1][2] The worship of Masto is known as Kulpuja or Devali which is common in the Karnali and other western regions of Nepal.[3][4][5]
| Masto | |
|---|---|
Ancestral deity of Khas families and clans | |
| Affiliation | Khas religion/Pre-Vedic |
| Abodes | House of the respective family or clan |
| Region | Nepal (Karnali Province, Bajhang, Uttarkhand and Kumaon |
| Ethnic group | Khas people |
Types of Masto
[edit]The worship of Masto varies by clan, family, surname, and locality.[6] The twelve brother Masto deities and 9 Bhawani sister goddesses are:[7]
- Adi Masto
- Khappar/Khapad Masto
- Babiro Masto
- Rumal Masto
- Kala Masto
- Dhadare Masto
- Tharpa Masto
- Bani Masto
- Kaba Masto
- Mandali Masto
- Dudhe Masto
- Darhe Masto
The nine sister Bhawanis are
- Malika/Kalika
- Tripurasundari/Bhawani
- Khesmalini/Sunnada
- Pungelni/Kanaka Sundari
- Kanaka Sundari/Malika
- Jalapa/Jalpa
- Thingyalni/Alanakannada
- Himalini/Tripurasundari
- Bindhyabasini/Ugratara
Etymology and Origin
[edit]The word ‘Masto’ is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word masta (lit. ‘head’).[2] A theory traces Masto to Maruttaa, a water god worshipped in Ancient Babylonia, with a theory that the name evolved through the forms Marut, Mautta, and Matt before becoming Mashta/Masto.[7]
According to local legends, Masto worship is traced to Dhandar, a shrine which is located in Masta Rural Municipality in Bajhang District and said to have been spread during the time of the Khasa Kingdom in the 11th–14th century.[2] The royal family of Bajhang is said to have adopted the Masto as their clan deity. The exact period and place of the deity’s origin is debated and is undocumented.[2][8]
Masto deity and Masto culture itself has been described as neither Vedic Hindu, Buddhist, nor Tibetan in origin, but rather a syncretic mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, Bon and other Tibetan religions. It is considered closer to Tantra and pre-Buddhist shamanism practices than to Vedic Hinduism, and is Masto is not mentioned in any Hindu scripture. Some believers consider Kalkimashta, to represent a combination of Kalki and Mastha, often associated with the Ardhanarishvara form of Hindu deity Shiva.[6]
References
[edit]- ↑ Adhikary, Surya Mani (1988). The Khaśa Kingdom: A Trans-Himalayan Empire of the Middle Age. Nirala Publications.
- 1 2 3 4 Khati, Rajendra Bahadur (2025-07-31). "Masto Knowledge System in Bajhang". Journal of Jayaprithvi Multiple Campus. 1: 114–120. doi:10.3126/jjmc2.v1i1.81443. ISSN 3059-9830.
- ↑ Bista, Rachana. "Introduction" (PDF). Dewali Through a Sociological Lens: Ancestor Worship among the Chettri. Central University of South Bihar.
- ↑ Kafle, Dol Raj (2023-03-07). "Indigenous Khasa People of Nepal in Crisis". Historical Journal. 14 (1): 38–48. doi:10.3126/hj.v14i1.52957. ISSN 2467-9216.
- ↑ "A Study On Kulpuja Traditions In Nepal". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
- 1 2 Badal, Bharat Prasad (2021-12-31). "Cultural Tourism: A Review of Karnali". Research Nepal Journal of Development Studies. 4 (2): 40–55. doi:10.3126/rnjds.v4i2.42682. ISSN 2631-2131.
- 1 2 Chhetri, Niten (2024-12-31). "Change and Continuity of the Chettri Community in Jumla, Nepal: An Emic Perspective". Osmania Journal of Social Sciences. 24.
- ↑ Adhikari, Krishna; Gellner, David (2016-09-23), Ancestor Worship and Sacrifice: Debates over Bahun-Chhetri Clan Rituals (Kul Puja) in Nepal., pp. 226–264, retrieved 2026-09-07
- provide significant coverage: discuss the subject in detail, not just brief mentions or routine announcements;
- are reliable: from reputable outlets with editorial oversight;
- are independent: not connected to the subject, such as interviews, press releases, the subject's own website, or sponsored content.
Please add references that meet all three of these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia.