"The separation of the Khas people from the main body of Indo-Aryan groups that descended into the Gangetic Plains was a gradual process rather than a single event.
Linguists, historians, and geneticists outline a timeline based on geographical routes, textual references, and linguistic divergence:
As Indo-Iranian tribes migrated from Central Asia into South Asia, they moved into the northwestern reaches of the Indian subcontinent (modern Afghanistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab).
At this stage, the proto-Khas shared a common linguistic and cultural ancestry with the early Vedic tribes.
The primary separation took place during the early Vedic period:
Gangetic Aryans: Moved eastward along the Punjab rivers into the fertile plains of the Yamuna and Ganges basins (Aryavarta), developing settled agriculture, urban centers, and the early Varna (caste) social structure.
Proto-Khas Groups: Took a northern trajectory into the Himalayan foothills (Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Western Nepal). Isolated by high mountains, they remained pastoral, tribal, and animistic.
By the later Vedic and Classical periods, the divergence was complete:
Texts like the Manusmriti, Mahabharata, and Puranas mention the Khasas as a distinct border tribe living in the northern mountains.
Because they did not follow Gangetic Vedic rites, Brahminical texts referred to them as Mlechchha (foreign/outsiders) or Vratya (Kshatriyas who had fallen from sacred rituals).
The Khas established prominent mountain settlements across Kumaon, Garhwal, and the Karnali region of Western Nepal.
During this era, they developed their unique spiritual system centered around Masto worship and local shamanism (Dhami).
During medieval invasions in Northern India, many High-caste Hindu groups fled the Gangetic Plains into the Western Himalayas.
Their contact with the local Khas people led to a historic re-synthesis: the Khas adopted the Sanskritized Hindu caste system, and the modern Khas-Arya identity emerged."
It was a story of separation & the re-union with their own community. Now what's the thing that catches my attention. Its the divergence from foothill or Gangetic group aroung 1500 to 1000 BC. This makes the thing pretty interesting, because that is the thing which makes Nepali Hinduism unique in itself. However, though because of Muluki Ain of Jung Bahadur with today's highly influential Indian media popularity is making the difference disappearing.
The other thing that catch my attention while reading is their pre-vedic (their own) diety called Masto. Masto is still being worshipped in many parts of Himalaya by indegenios Khas as I have got the information. While some information I have got on Masto is pretty interesting. Which is like this.
"Masto is the ancient, primordial guardian deity of the Khas people native to the Western Himalayan region, encompassing Western Nepal, Kumaon, Garhwal, and Himachal Pradesh. Rooted in pre-Vedic animism, shamanism, and ancestral veneration, Masto represents a distinct spiritual tradition that developed long before mainstream Puranic Hindu influence transformed the socio-religious landscape of the hills. Unlike classical Hindu deities depicted in scripture or carved into stone statues, Masto is traditionally a formless, aniconic deity. The god manifests collectively as twelve divine brothers, known as the Barah Masto, with prominent forms including Tharpu, Babiro, Daha, Kabhre, Lata, and Lura Masto, each guarding specific villages, mountain valleys, or ancestral lineages.
Instead of relying on Brahmin priests or sacred texts, Masto communicates with human communities through a local shamanic medium called a Dhami. During major communal gatherings, the Dhami enters an intense altered trance state, physically possessed by the spirit of Masto to deliver prophecies, settle social disputes, bestow blessings, and heal illnesses. As a primary Kuldevta, Masto forms the spiritual backbone of traditional Khas lineages, including the Bahun, Chhetri, Thakuri, and Khas occupational groups.
The physical worship grounds of Masto reflect this rustic, nature-centric worldview. A Masto temple, locally referred to as a Masto Than, Mandali, or Masto Mandir, stands in stark contrast to grand classical Hindu temples with towering spires and elaborate stone carvings. Built using local vernacular architecture, these shrines are small, rectangular, single-room structures constructed from dry fieldstones, heavy wooden beams, and roofs lined with slate or timber shingles. They are intentionally situated in high, animistically significant places such as ridge crests, hilltops, sacred water springs, or beneath old sacred trees, offering a commanding vantage point over the village territory Masto protects.
Because Masto is formless, the inner sanctum of a Masto Than contains no sculpted idols or figurative statues. Instead, the physical presence of the god is represented by symbolic, functional ritual objects. These include iron or brass tridents planted at the altar, sacred water pots, suspended brass bells, and ceremonial weapons alongside colorful flags used by the Dhami during possession rites. The primary object of veneration is often a naturally smooth, uncarved stone known as a Deora or Masto Pathar, which serves as the physical vessel through which the spirit is invoked. Directly outside the temple building lies a wide, open-air courtyard called a Patangana."
Masto functions primarily as a Kuldevta (hereditary family/lineage deity) for the traditional Khas lineages, including the Bahun (Khas Brahmins), Chhetri (Khas Kshatriyas), Thakuri, and Khas Dalits (Kami, Damai, Sarki).
Again, the thing that caught my attention is the temple structure. This type of same temple structure is found in Mid-western & Western part of Nepal. But many of this traditional temples are getting converted into other Gangetic style temple, which really saddens me. There is one more take away in this how pre-Rana (pre-Bahun - most probably before 12th century AD) Khas were more towards worshipping these formless local deities which makes the co-existing with Magars more smooth in Nepali Himalayan region.
Here, we need to understand that true Khas community in Nepal is the one whom we broadly known as Chhetris and artisan community of Damai, Pariyar & so on. According to me its the 12th Centuary AD is the turning point in Nepali society (to be precise the beginning) when the Muslims (Turks, Afghans & Mongols) started attacking Western India. that time a small waves of fleeing Hindu groups started entering Himalayas. This thing has started altering Nepali Himalayan landscape. Till that time Khas & Magars were living like equals & cultures were merging with each other. In Himachal its got intermingled with Tibetan tribe also. In Nepal they got in the contact with Magars, they exchange cultures. Even the common surnames like Thapa, Khadka & all are result of this. Actually more than surnames these were warrior titles which was given at that time & later continued the person irrespective of Chhetri or Magar.
Though brief was that co-existing period that, I consider that was the golden period of Nepal. that's the period that shaped the identity of Nepal to many extent.
