| Dhakal ढकाल | |
| Language: | Nepali, Doteli |
| Language origin: | Khas language |
| Origin: | Khasa kingdom |
| Derivative: | Jaisi Dhakal |
| See also: | Ghimire, Poudel, Pokharel, Khanal, Aryal, Subedi |
Dhakal (Nepali: ढकाल in Nepali pronounced as /ɖʱʌkal/) is a Bahun (बाहुन)/Kshetri(क्षेत्री) surname found in Nepal and in some parts of India (Uttarakhand, Sikkim). They are pahari people and of Indo-Aryan origin.
The Dhakals are believed to be the direct descendants of Rishi or sage Upamanyu, who is in turn believed to be descended from Rishi Vasishta. They are believed to have originated from a place called Dhapuk in the Achham District. The Sikkimese Dhakals were settled in lower parts of kingdom of Sikkim and later migrated towards the capital for the purpose of rearing cattle. Dhakals from mid-western Nepal migrated towards the east including Syanja, Gorkha, and all the way to eastern Nepal. Dhakals were engaged in priestly and astrological works done by Bahun priests in the Kingdom of Gorkha. Astrologer Kulananda Dhakal used to counsel King Prithvi Narayan Shah before war.[1] Yaku of Bhojpur is known as the Birta of Dhakal; Syanja, Terathum, Bhojpur, and Gorkha are famous places from which many Dhakals have emerged.
The culture is a part the traditional Nepali-Hinduism Brahmin caste.