Nepali caste and community guide
उराय (उदास)
Uray, also written Udas or Udhas in some sources, is a Newar Buddhist social category historically associated with merchant and artisan communities. It is not one surname or lineage.
The Newar Uray label covers families with varied local histories. Language, religion, surname use and custom can differ by place and household, so no surname alone proves community identity.
These pages follow the more specific Newar classifications present in HamroBansa's surname records. Names and social identities can vary by family, place and source.
Uray communities were important in Kathmandu Valley commerce, craft production and trade linking Nepal with Tibet and the plains. Different component groups maintained their own occupational histories, guthis and ritual roles.
Written records, oral histories and present-day identity do not always use the same categories. Family origin claims should be identified as tradition unless supported by dated evidence, and historical occupations should never be treated as descriptions of people today.
Kathmandu is a major historical center, with links to Lalitpur, other Newar towns and former trade routes across Nepal and the Himalaya.
These are surnames currently classified with this community in HamroBansa. A surname may be used by more than one community, and family traditions can vary.
These are historical associations, not assumptions about people today.
Newar Buddhist ritual, merchant and craft guthis, neighborhood festivals and Nepal Bhasa are important. Specific practices differ among Tuladhar, Tamrakar, Kansakar and other Uray groups. Practices vary across localities, families and generations, and contemporary community life is not limited to these traditions.
Uray, also written Udas or Udhas in some sources, is a Newar Buddhist social category historically associated with merchant and artisan communities. It is not one surname or lineage. The Newar Uray label covers families with varied local histories. Language, religion, surname use and custom can differ by place and ho…
Terms such as caste, ethnicity and community are used differently across Nepal and by different institutions. This page uses “community” as a respectful umbrella term and records more specific classifications where sources support them.
HamroBansa currently records 2 linked surnames on this page. Surname use can cross community boundaries, so a last name alone does not establish a person's identity.
No reviewed gotra links are currently available for this community.
Kathmandu is a major historical center, with links to Lalitpur, other Newar towns and former trade routes across Nepal and the Himalaya.
Languages recorded in the source material include Nepal Bhasa, Nepali. Language use varies by place, household and generation.
