Nepal is well said as a country of great beauty &
visual varieties with the altitude of 70m above the
sea level in the south & about 8848m height of
Mt. Everest in the north. Nepal has, therefore, diversity
in altitude that has reflected to our unique culture.
Nepal is famous in the world for its natural beauty,
shining mountains, green valley & beautiful green
places with terraced farmlands & hilly foot trails
& the forests full of rare wild lives including
the lordly tiger, one- horn rhinoceros. The religious
homogeneity is next unique feature for Nepal. The
exquisite art & architecture of Nepal reflect
the artistic ingenuity & the religious tradition
of people as well. The beautiful lakes & springs
can be considered as the main remarkable point of
the country & plants like orchids & rhododendrons
is as scenic as you can imagine.
History
According to myth, once upon a time the Kathmandu
Valley was a great lake in the middle of which a brilliant
flame burned from a lotus flower. Manjushri, a Buddhist
from China, smote the lake with a magical sword and
the water was drained from it. It is said that Swayambhu
appeared in the flame when the Valley was formed.
But according to the Hindu religion, Krishna created
the valley, hurling a thunderbolt at the lake to create
the Chorbar gorge.
The rivers of the valley do indeed flow southward
through the narrow gorge and scientists agree that
the valley was once submerged.
The recorded history of Nepal began with the reign
of the Kiratis from the eastern part of the country.
Yalamar, the first of their kings, is mentioned in
the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata. During the Kirati
period, Buddhism was introduced to the country.
Krakuchhanda Buddha, Kanak Muni Buddha and Kashyapa
Buddha visited the Kathmandu valley to worship Swayambhunath.
After Kiratis, the Lichhavis ruled from the 4th to
the 7th century. The temple of Changunarayan was built
in Licchavi period, and can still be seen today.
The Malla period was a golden era in Kathmandu valley,
when great art, statues and temples were created.
During the 147th century, Malla ruled for a total
of 568 years. The country was divided into many small
principalities and kingdoms, and the Kathmandu valley
was divided into three states; Kantipur, Lalitpur
& Bhaktapur.
In the tiny Kingdom of Gorkha, halfway between Kathmandu
and Pokhara, the Shah dynasty gradually extended their
power. In 1768, King Prithivi Narayan Shah defeated
the Malla kings and Nepal has been ruled by Shah kings
ever since. Our present king, His Majesty King Gyanendra
Bir Bikram Shah Dev is the eleventh king in the shah
dynasty.
Geography
Nepal is a mountainous kingdom, located in Southern
of Asia. It is a land locked, situated between China
to the North and India to the South East and West.
The area of Nepal is 1, 47,181 sq. km - which covers
0.3 percent of Asia and 0.03 percent area of the world.
It lies between latitudes of 26’ 22’ and
30’ 27’ North and longitudes of 80’
4’ and 88’ 12’ East. The country
is only about 880 km. from East to West and its breadth
varies from 145 to 241 km.
The topography changes dramatically within a short
lateral distance. There is a narrow strip of low lands
in the south. Further north lie the Himalayan foot
hills and ranges which run roughly east-west across
the country and include eight of the highest peaks
in the world - each over 8000m. Geographically, Nepal
is divided into three main regions: The Himalayan
Region, the Hilly Region and the ' Terai' plain region.
The mountainous region covers 15 percent of the total
area of the northern side of the country, lying horizontally
at altitudes of 4700m and higher. In this region snow
falls every season and mountains such as Everest (8848m)
have attracted adventurers for many decades. Another
attraction of this region are the 'kundas' (big lakes)
and several national parks and wild life reserves,
including Sagarmatha National Park, which is a world
heritage site. In this region, you can see Sherpa
settlements and perhaps sightings of snow bears and
Yeti footprints.
The hilly region forms 68 percent of the country,
and is formed by the Mahabharat range that soars to
touch mountain region, with altitudes of 600 to 4,700
m. In winter, snow may fall in the higher areas. This
region is formed by beautiful valleys like Kathmandu
and Pokhara and famous for its lakes, in Pokhara Phewa,
Begnas, Rupa etc. and the Tilicho lake in Manang District,
which are wonderful for swimming and boating. There
are three major rivers, the Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali.
Additional attractions in this region are Nagarkot
and Dhulikhel, where the heart-stopping beauty of
a sunrise can be viewed as never before. Most of the
snow covered mountain ranges can be enjoyed from hill
tops of Nagarkot, Phulchoki and Pokhara.
The Terai region covers 17 percent of the total, with
an altitude of 70m to 600m above sea level. This is
the region of religious icons, national parks, and
wild life reserves. The most famous holy places are
Janakpur, Lumbini and Barahachhetra. Lumbini was the
birthplace of Lord Buddha, the champion of world peace.
There are four national parks and wild life reserves
in this region. Among them the Royal Chitwan National
park, with its rhinoceros. This region is also noted
as the place where most trekkers take the first steps
of their adventure.
Culture
and Customs
Nepal is host to two main religions - Hinduism and
Buddhism, two races, Caucasoid and Mongoloid and two
civilizations, Indic and Sinic. Each ethnic group
has its distinct identity. Although legislation banned
it in the sixties, Polygamy is stilled practiced in
some areas.
On entering a Nepalese home it is polite to remove
your shoes. Some westernized Nepalese might not do
it, but it is much appreciated. Many Hindu temples
do not admit westerners to enter. Always walk clockwise
around Buddhist stupas, chortens or mani walls. Shoes
and any other leather items such as belts and bags
must be removed before entering a Buddhist or Hindu
temple Public displays of affection are not considered
polite. Nor should you think of swimming naked in
our rivers and lakes. In the northern hill area, polyandry,
the custom of a wife having more than one husband,
was also practiced till recently. For a widow to re-marry
was not socially acceptable in some groups. An ethnic
group such as the Brahmins were prohibited from drinking
alcohol and sometimes practice vegetarianism. Brahmins
met their spouse for the first time on the day of
the wedding.
Religion
Hinduism and Buddhism share between them
some 86.5 and 7.8 percent of the total population
respectively. Their sense of fellow- feeling and bonhomie
is evident in their worship of common deities and
the joint celebration of many festivals. Buddhism
was introduced in Kathmandu valley by Emperor Ashoka
of India around 250 BC. Later, around 8th century
AD, the ancestors of the Sherpas emigrated from Tibet
bringing with them a form of Buddhism known as Ningmapa.
Gurungs, Tamangs, Serpas and Newars in the Kathmandu
valley also follow Mahayaa Buddhism and the famous
temple of Swayambhu in Kathmandu and the “Golden
Temple” or the Hiranya Varna Mahabihar in Patan
are visited mainly by Buddhist Newars.
A few people have adopted
a complex blend of both Hinduism and Buddhism known
as Bajrayana, which is mainly practiced in the Kathmandu
valley. Apart from the Hindus and Buddhists, Muslims
(3.5%) form the third largest religious group. There
has also been an increase in the number of Christians
in Nepal in recent years, now around 40,000 - about
1% of the population and 1.2 percent of other religions.
People
Nepal's population is made up of more than two crore
of tribes, living in different regions, wearing different
costumes and speaking different languages and dialects.
The Sherpas live mainly in the mountains of eastern
and central Nepal, in particular in the Solu Khumbu
region. The Sherpas are probably the best known Nepalese
ethnic group. Originally from Tibet, they first settled
about 500 years ago. The Sherpas - also known as “the
tigers of the snow” live in the Himalaya region
up to an average altitude of 4,570m.
Bahuns and Chhetris are the two highest castes; and
live throughout the Kingdom. The progeny of Bahun
men and hill women were considered Chhetri and a number
of high status families from other hill groups have
also adopted Chhetri status, though some have Mongoloid
ancestry. All Bahuns and Chhetris are Hindu. The Newars
constitute and important ethnic group in the capital.
The Newaris of the Kathmandu valley are a good example
of the result of our Himalayan melting pot. The Gurung
and Magars live mainly in the west and on the southern
slopes of the Annapurna, Himalchuli and Ganesh Himal
mountains. The Magars and Gurungs often find as soldiers
in the famous Gurkha regiments.
The Rais, Limbus, and Sunuwars inhabit the slops and
valleys of the eastern mid hills and many have migrated
to the eastern Terai. Tamangs are one of the largest
Tibet – Burman ethnic groups in Nepal. Around
half the Himalayan zone of Nepal is inhabited by Tamangs.
Many Tamangs have been influenced
in their dress by both western and Newari styles.
Traditionally, women wear a colorful wraparound skirt,
a blouse, jacket and scarf. On important occasions
they wear chunky gold or brass ear and nose rings
set with semiprecious stones. Men wear loincloths
or the traditional Newari pants, short–sleeved
jackets and topis. Both men and women wear several
meters of cloth wrapped around the waist.
The Thakalis live mainly
in the Kali Gandaki valley in central Nepal, and are
a Tibeto Burman people who have become the entrepreneurs
of Nepal. Originally Buddhist, many pragmatic Thakalis
have now adopted Hinduism. The actual number of Thakalis
is very small.
Tharus, Yadavs, Satar, Rajvanshis, and Dhimals are
spread generally in the Terai region. Tharus are one
of the largest ethic group in Nepal.
What our guest says ?
