Hajjam Explained

Group:	Hijama
Popplace:	India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan
Langs:	Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Rels:	Islam
Related:	Saifi, Shaikh
Native Name:	Salmani and Turkia

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kUUB2m_uKbI2GIzMqThrdWndQ2SiSRTW/view?usp=drivesdk Hijama, also known as cupping, are an ethnic group in India known for practicing cupping therapy. The word Hijama has been derived from the Arabic word Arabic: Al Hajm, means "sucking", referring to this therapy. A practitioner was called a Hijama in Arab countries, and the name was used in India as well.^[1]

The Hajjam in Nepal

The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Hajjam (called Hajam in the Nepal census) as a subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste.^[2] At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 117,758 people (0.4% of the population of Nepal) were Hajjam. The frequency of Hajjam by province was as follows:

• Madhesh Province (1.4%)
• Lumbini Province (0.5%)
• Koshi Province (0.3%)
• Bagmati Province (0.1%)
• Gandaki Province (0.0%)
• Karnali Province (0.0%)
• Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)

The frequency of Hajjam was higher than national average (0.4%) in the following districts:^[3]

• Saptari (1.5%)
• Dhanusha (1.4%)
• Parsa (1.4%)
• Rautahat (1.4%)
• Siraha (1.4%)
• Mahottari (1.3%)
• Sarlahi (1.3%)
• Bara (1.2%)
• Kapilvastu (1.1%)
• Banke (0.9%)
• Parasi (0.9%)
• Rupandehi (0.8%)
• Morang (0.6%)
• Sunsari (0.5%)

Notes and References

1. Qureshi. Naseem Akhtar. Ali. Gazzaffi Ibrahim. Abushanab. Tamer Shaban. El-Olemy. Ahmed Tawfik. Alqaed. Meshari Saleh. El-Subai. Ibrahim S.. Al-Bedah. Abdullah M.N.. May 2017. History of cupping (Hijama): a narrative review of literature. Journal of Integrative Medicine. 15. 3. 172–181. 10.1016/s2095-4964(17)60339-x. 28494847. 2095-4964.
2. https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II
3. Web site: 2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report . 13 April 2023 . 14 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230314170005/https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf . dead .