The land of the Birthplace of Buddha
Free HTML codes

The 'Last Paradise' on Earth - NEPAL

         Draped along the greatest heights of the Himalaya, Nepal is a land of eternal fascination. It lies in the shades of the highest mountain range in the world and can truly be labelled as the 'last paradise' on earth. Even in such a small area of 1,47,181 sq. kilometers, Nepal presents a center of attraction to tourists as well as the locals – ranging from its scenic beauty, breath taking views and well preserved exotic culture to the adventure opportunities in every nook and cranny in the country. It is a place where one visit is rarely enough. Nepal is no doubt a land of ancienty history, colourful cultures and people and superb scenery. It is the land of Mount Everest( sagarmatha in Nepali), the highest mountain in the world, along with six of the ten tallest peaks in the entire world.

Mt. Everest, the world's highest peak 

Due to the diversity in topography, altogether different forms of life have developed in Nepal. These lifestyles have given rise to different customs and traditions. Various cultures have developed which differ with the part of the country you are in. Festivals like the Kumari Jatra, Macchindranath Jatra, Bisket Jatra cannot be seen in any other part of the world. Neither can one experience such hospitality anywhere else.

Nepalese believe in a traditional Sanskrit saying "Atithi Devo Bhava" (meaning guests and gods are alike). They never regard their guests with indifference and always wholeheartedly welcome them and try to help them as much as possible.

                The large-scale migrations of Mongolain groups from Tibet and Indo-Aryan group from northern India, which accompanied the early settlement of Nepal, have produced a diverse linguistic, ethnic, and religious pattern in Nepal. Nepalese of Indo-Aryan ancestry comprise the people of the Tarai, the Pahari, the Newar, and the Tharus--the great majority of the total population. Most of the Tibeto-Nepalese groups--the Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Bhutia (including the Sherpa), and Sunwar--live in the north and east, while the Magar and Gurung inhabit west-central Nepal. The bulk of the famous Gurkha contingents in the British army have come from the Magar, Gurung, and Rai groups.The principal and official language of Nepal is Nepali. The languages of the north and east include Magar, Gurung, Rai, Limbu, Sunwar, Tamang, Newari, Sherpa and Thakali. The majority in Nepal follow Hinduism. Shiva is regarded as the guardian deity of the country. Nepal is home to the largest Shiva temple in the world, the famous Pashupatinath Temple, where Hindus from all over the world come for pilgrimage. Buddhism is the dominant religion of the thinly populated northern areas. Nepal is the  melting pot of hindusm and buddhism.Islam is a minority religion in Nepal, with 4.2 % of the population being Muslim according to a 2006 Nepalese census. However, a more recent estimate indicates that Muslims constitute approximately 5-10% of the population.

                Culture is embedded in the high peaks of Nepal, tradition flows with its rivers, art travels through its valleys and religion lies in the heart of its people. Nepal, in short, is a country where art, culture and religion are a part of life of the inhabitants. Nepal is blessed with one of the richest cultures in the world.Here every aspect of life, food, clothing and even occupations are culturally guided. The culture of Nepal includes the codes of manners, dress, language, rituals, norms of behavior and systems of belief. Culture in Nepal is an assemblage of music, architecture, religion and literature. The mountain kingdom of Nepal is multi-ethic and multi-lingual.

                The cultural heritage of Nepal, particularly contributions made by the Newar of Kathmandu Valley to sculpture, painting, and architecture, is a source of great pride. In Kathmandu Valley alone some 2,500 temples and shrines display the skill and highly developed aesthetic sense of Newar artisans. Music and dance are favourite pastimes among the Nepalese. Religious ceremonies require the use of drums and wind instruments preserved from ancient times. Daura-Suruwal, typically termed as 'Labeda-Suruwal' is the traditional Nepali dress. The Nepali dress for women is a cotton sari (Guniu), that is gaining great popularity in the fashion world.

                The main rituals followed in Nepal are naming ceremony, rice-feeding ceremony, tonsure ceremony, ceremony of giving Nepali Sari (Guniu), marriage ceremony and funeral rite. Surprising enough, seven out of the ten world heritage sites in Nepal are termed cultural by UNESCO. Thus, the stupas, monasteries, temples and architecture are all representatives of the rich cultural heritage of Nepal. The following are the world cultural heritage sites of Nepal.

Bouddhanath Stupa

    » Kathmandu Durbar Square

    » Patan Durbar Square

    » Bhaktapur Durbar Square

    » Changu Narayan Temple

    » Bouddhanath Stupa

    » Swayambhunath Stupa

    » Pashupatinath Temple

    » Lumbini

 

Mayadevi Temple, Lumbini

Apart from these there are many splendid places to visit. Some of them are: 

Barah Chhetra, Janakpur, Pokhara, Manakamana, Gorkha, Nagarkot, Muktinath, Gosainkunda, Kathmandu Valley, Sworgadwari. The Royal Chitwan National Park and  Sagarmatha National Park are enlisted in the world natural heritage sites.

               

Pashupatinath Temple

      

Shree Kumari, The Living Goddess

  For enlightenment and spiritualism, people from all over visit the Buddhist monasteries and get blessed by the monks. Buddhism and Hinduism are the two main religions of Nepal. Lumbini, which is the birth place of Lord Buddha, is of prime importance for the Buddhists.

Festivity is synonym to the Nepalese Culture. For the Nepalese, festivals are not merely the annual spectacles, but also are a living part of their rich cultural heritage. Most Nepalese festivals are related to different Hindu and Buddhist deities. Nepal is the only country where there is existence of Kumari, world's only living goddess.

Month                   Festival

Yomari

Jan-Feb                Sweta Manchhendra Snan

                             Swasthani Puja

                             Maghe Sankranti

                             Basanta Panchmi

Feb-Marc             Maha Shivaratri

                             Losar

                             Fagu Purnima or Holi

March-April          Chaitra Dasain

                            Ghode Jatra

April-May             Biska Jatra

                             New Year's Day

Lakhe dance in Indra Jatra

                             Red Machhendranath Jatra

                             Buddha Jayanti

July-August           Krishna Astami

                             Janai Purnima

August-Sept          Gai Jatra

                             Teej

Sept-Oct               Indra Jatra

                             Dasain 

Oct-Nov               Tihar

Nov-Dec              Bibah Panchami

Dashain

                             Yomari Punhi

Panchakanya 

National Flag of Nepal

As a part of their culture, Nepalese do not shake their hands like westerners to greet each other,instead they place their palms together—with the fingers up—in front of their chest or chin and say “Namaste” to superiors.

                Regarding the food, many people are vegetarians or eat no meat other than goat whereas the others are non vegetarians and feed on buffaloes, goat, chicken, etc. Hindus do not eat beef, and Muslims do not eat pork. In most homes, men and guests are served first, followed by children, then women. Chopsticks are used in some northern districts, but elsewhere food is eaten with the hand. The Nepali year begins in mid-April and is divided into 12 months. Saturday is the official weekly holiday.

                Nepal's flag is the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular in shape. According to its official description, the red in the flag stands for victory in war or courage, and is also color of the rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal. Red also stands for aggression. The flag's blue border signifies peace. The curved moon on the flag is a symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of Nepalese, while the sun represents the aggressiveness of Nepalese warriors.

                Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal attracts more tourists as it is considered as city of temples and chimining bells, Patan the city of fine arts and Bhaktapur the city of devotees.

                The thing which makes Nepal really desirable to visit is its extreme natural beauty. The hills and mountains, the rivers , lakes and falls, the fascinating flora and fauna, all these factors, along with the local people;in their small, straw thatched mud houses, living a backward life in the villages, and their hospitality adds to the beautify of Nepal.

Rafting in Trishuli River

                Nepal is the right place of selection for adventure be it paragliding, balloon ride, bunggy jumping, safari in jungles, rock climbing, adventure treks, caving, mountaineering ,Golfing, canyon swings, Himalayan motorcycle tours and so on. Rafting in the Trisuli, the Kali Gandaki, and the Marsyangdi rivers is the biggest attraction for visiting Nepal.

                Nepal has it all, from riverside beaches and wildlife to people who value their traditions and present themselves with great hospitality to tourists. From adventure sports to sightseeing, anything can be done here.