Katwal

Katwal is a chhetri surname used by Nepali and Indian Hindu community belonging to the Indo-Aryan race originally from Uttarakhand and Himachal State of current India migrated to Nepal during 18th to 19th Century and few afterwards. Currently many of the Katwal are found in Nepal and Indian States i.e. Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal, West Bengal, Assam, and Manipur as well as in Bhutan and Myanmar. Katwal has major history in Nepal and related to Nepal's Shah Royal families. The Katwals derive their ancestry from the legendary Hindu warrior Sant Katowal who was known to be a devotee of the Hindu deity Shiva. It is normally believed that the Katwals were first settled in Taluwa of Okhaldhunga District which lies in Sagarmatha Zone. Later, many of them retreated to different places of India and Nepal to pursue the opportunities for a better life . Today the Gotra( tribe)is Mandapi. Every Katwal has the same gotra and they behave as their own siblings. Therefore, marriage is banned within the siblings.