Nepali people

While people have lived for centuries in what is now Nepal, Nepal has only been a country for about 300 years. Independent hill states ruled the area until the late 18th century, when Prince Prithvi Narayan Shah united the states to become what is now Nepal. The nation became a constitutional monarchy in 1950, before slipping into a dictatorship eight years later. Demonstrations in the late 1980s against oppressive rule resulted in multiparty elections in May 1991. During the sixteen years of democracy, Nepal suffered an ineffective bureaucracy, corruption and an ever-widening gap between rich and poor. In 1996, the Maoists started a war against the central government in Rolpa, a village in Western Nepal. The war grew rapidly and killed over 13000 people in 10 years. In June 2001, the popular King Birendra and much of the royal family was assassinated in the palace by a gunman, apparently then crown prince Dipendra, who is believed to have commited suicide afterwards. Public grief and conspiracy theories about the unknown motivation of the massacre paralyzed the country for several weeks. The late king's brother, Gyanendra, became the king after that. In October 2002, Gyanendra dismissed Sher Bahadur Deuba’s government and formed several under the leadership of people of his choice. In February 2005, he dissolved the third government that was formed under the leader of his choice, and formed a government under his own chairmanship. Gyanendra, was had been suspected of plotting the Royal Massacre in 2001, became more infamous after his government enforced strict laws and started treating citizen inhumanely. After three weeks of intense revolution in April 2006, Gyanendra was forced to retreat and reinstate the parliament that had been dissolved before he dismissed the Deuba government in 2002.
Immediately after democracy was reinstated in April, the Maoists announced a cease-fire. The government, under Girija Prasad Koirala, responded with their announcement of a cease-fire. After about 6 months of peace talks, the head of the government, Girija Prasad Koirala, and the chairperson of Maoist party, Puspa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, signed a peace agreement on 21 October 2006. The Polls for the Constituent Assembly is due to happen by mid-June, and this Assembly is to decide the future of Nepal’s monarchy.

Nepal Culture

There are many behaviours in the Nepalese culture which put western cultures to shame, so it’s important that you do not visit Nepal with a ‘developed versus non-developed’ attitude.
When visiting a Nepalese home always remove your shoes. You should also remove your shoes before entering a temple or Buddhist sanctuary. You may find however that westerners are not allowed entrance to the Hindu temples.
If you visit a home in Nepal then you should also be extremely careful not to throw rubbish of any sort into an open fire as fires are culturally held to be sacred. This observation should also extend to camp fires if you are out trekking with Nepalese individuals.
When eating, you should only use your right hand and ideally, you should try to drink without letting touching the drinking implement with your lips. You should also avoid ‘polluting’ food by ‘contaminating’ it with a used utensil.
You should dress modestly whilst in Nepal as the culture in Nepal is not one for exposing the body. Nudity is not acceptable anywhere under any circumstances. It is not acceptable for a male to take his shirt off and equally, women should not wear revealing clothes as both actions can be deemed offensive. Do not show affection in public, do not shout, and avoid making body contact unless this is essential. The lower parts of the body are the least revered and therefore it’s important not to point at anything with your feet and it is certainly not acceptable to touch anything with your feet. Since the head is spiritually the purest part of the body, then it’s equally important that you do not make any kind of physical contact with it. This means that it is unacceptable for you to pat a child on the head.

Buddha jaynti

The Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha in Lumbini of southern Nepal on full moon day over 2,500 years ago. It is the day when Buddha was born, when he was enlightened and when he attained Nirvana (Salvation). Prayers are sung and the Buddhists offer worship. In the Kathmandu valley, this festival is also known as "Swanya Punhi", or the full moon day of flowers.The main ceremonies take place around the massive stupa of Swayambhu situated atop a hillock to the west of the city. Swayambhu and Bodhnath are particularly popular centres and pilgrims gather at Swayambhu from early in the morning. From early in the morning, devotees can be seen thronging the shrine with musical bands. Offerings of butter, lamps, incense and rice are made to the many Buddha images there. Prayers ceremony are held and Bajracharya priest perform ancient rituals dances. Sacred "paubha "scroll paintings and Buddha images are put on display. Special flags fly from all Buddhist households. This day is observed as a public holiday.

Bisket jatra

The Nepalese follow their own calendar system known as the Bikram Era or Bikram Sambat, which is accredited to King Bikramaditya. He started the solar calender some two thousand years ago. This festival is celebrated in the first day of the first month of the New Year and is observed as an official holiday. On this day, devotees take a dip in the holy Bagmati River at Pashupatinath temple. Pilgrims also visit other religious spots. In Bhaktapur, which is 15 Kilometers east of Kathmandu, the New Year celebrations takes place with an added importance as the " Bisket Jatra or Festival of Bisket". During Bisket Jatra a tall wooden ceremonial poll called 'yosin' is erected in one of the main squares. This festival commemorates the great battle of Mahabharata and the wooden pole symbolizes victory. After two days, images of the god Bhairab and his female counterpart Bhadra are enshrined in two large greatly decorated chariots and pulled through crowds of cheering on-lookers. When the chariot reaches the city center, a tug-of-war between the inhabitants of the two neighborhoods takes place. The winners of a tug-of-war are considered blessed with good fortune for the coming year. This festival goes on for nine days. New Year is celebrated with added aroma in Sankhu, some 20 km east of Kathmandu. Both Hindus and Buddhist worship the Bajra Jogini godess. During New Year, the deity's image is put on palanquin and carried around the town with a huge colorful procession.

Festivals of nepal

Several of the festivals of Nepal last from one day to several days. Dashain is the longest and the most important festival of Nepal. Generally Dashain falls in late September to mid October, right after the end of the monsoon season in Nepal. It is "a day of Victory over Demons". Tihar is another important festival of Nepal.
Other important festivals include Buddha Jayanti (the celebration of the birth of Buddha); Maha Shivaratri, a festival of Lord Shiva, and during Maha Shivaratri festivities, some people consume excessive drinks and smoke charas. Sherpas, mostly located at higher altitudes and in the Everest region, celebrate Mani Rimdu, for the good of the world. Most festivals include dancing and music and eating all kinds of local delicacies. A variety of foods is consumed during festivals and on special occasions. If one has to taste Nepali food, Newa cuisine is a must have; a festive meal, like one served during a marriage, is a real treat, and include vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes.

Realigon

The 2001 census identified 80.6% of the population as Hindu and Buddhism was practiced by about 11% of the population (although many people labelled Hindu or Buddhist often practice a syncretic blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and/or animist traditions). About 4.2% of the population is Muslim and 3.6% of the population follows the indigenous Kirant religion. Christianity is practiced officially by less than 0.5% of the population.
Hindu and Buddhist traditions in Nepal go back to more than two millennia. In Lumbini, Buddha was born, and Pashupatinath temple, Kathamandu, is an old and famous Shiva temple of Hindus. Nepal has several other temples and Buddhist monasteries as well as places of worship of other religious groups. Traditionally, Nepalese philosophical thoughts are ingrained with the Hindu and Buddhist philosophical ethos and traditions, which include elements of Kashmir Shaivism, Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, works of Karmacharyas of Bhaktapur, and a variety of tantric traditions. Tantric traditions are deep rooted in Nepal, including the practice of animal sacrifices. Five types of animals, always male, are considered acceptable for sacrifice: water buffalo, goats, sheep, chickens, and ducks.
With a multiplicity of groups, Nepal has several cults, and gods and goddesses, which co-exist with the major religions. In its long cultural history, Nepal has always remained a land of religious harmony.

Nepali dress

Daura-Suruwal, typically termed as 'Labeda-Suruwal' is the traditional Nepali dress. The dress has several religious beliefs identifying its designs and has therefore remained the same from the years. The Daura has eight strings that serves to tie itself up around the body. Eight is the lucky number in Nepali mythology.Also, the Daura has five pleats or Kallis, signifying Pancha Buddha or Pancha Ratna. And the closed neck of the Daura signifies the snake around the Lord Shiva's neck. The Nepali dress for women is a cotton sari (Guniu), that is gaining great popularity in the fashion world.

Temple of nepal

Nepal has several ancient pilgrimage sites. Each temple is attached to a legend or belief that glorifies the miraculous powers of its deity. Kathmandu Valley is home to the famous Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhu Stupa and several other famous temples. Hundreds of famous temples are located in and around the Kathmandu Valley. Some well-known pilgramage sites are: Barah Chhetra, Halesi Mahadev, Janakpur, Pathibhara, Tengboche in East Nepal; Manakaman, Gorkha, Lumbini, Muktinath, Gosainkunda, Tansen, Kathmandu Valley in Central Nepal; and Swargadwari, Khaptad Ashram in West Nepal.
Nepal is also the Gateway to Kailash Mansarovar, the mythical abode of Lord Shiva. Devotees from various parts of Nepal and India throng the temples during special festivals. Even though weak infrastructure renders some places hard to reach, efforts are being made on national level to develop and promote some popular sites.
Pilgrimage sites of Nepal like Muktinath and Gosainkunda make popular trekking destinations. Tours to these sites are encouraged for the novelty they provide in terms of nature and culture.

Languages

As per 2001 census, at least 92 different living languages are spoken in Nepal, though other studies list 123 living languages[1]. Nepal’s linguistic heritage has evolved from three major language groups, namely, Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, and indigenous. The major languages of Nepal (percent spoken as mother tongue) are Nepali (49%), Maithili (12%), Bhojpuri (8%), Tharu (6%), Tamang (5%), Newari/Nepal Bhasa (4%), Magar (3%), Awadhi (2%), Bantawa (2%), Limbu (1%), and Bajjika (1%). The remaining languages are each spoken as mother tongue by less than one percent of the population, for example Dura. Nepali, written in Devanagari script, is the official, national language and serves as lingua franca among Nepalese of different ethno-linguistic groups. In the southern Terai Region, (5 to 10 mile wide stretch of flat plains, which is a northward continuation of Gangetic plains of India), Hindi is also spoken. Extinct languages of Nepal include Kusunda and Waling. Among notable Nepalese literary writers is Parijat.

Vailo

1 The culture of Nepal is truly unique. Nowhere on earth can you find a way of life like in Nepal. This is partly because of Nepal's geography and partly because of its age. Nepal has been an organized society for at least 1,500 years, and people have been living in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley for another 2,000 years. Nepal's location between northeast India and southwest China puts it in the middle of an important Asian trade route. Both of these reasons helped shape modern Nepalese culture. 2 A critical part of Nepalese life is religion, and most in Nepal practice Hinduism. Another big portion of the Nepalese are Buddhists. Hinduism is said to be the oldest religion on earth, and it's a fairly complex religion. Hinduism dates back to at least 1500 BC, where it found its beginning in the Indus River valley in northern India and nearby Pakistan. 3 Hinduism is different from many other religions for many reasons. One is because Hindu doesn't recognize one founder of their religion, as Christians do with Christ or Muslims do with Muhammad. Hindus also don't have one sacred book of teachings as other religions do. Hindus believe in the phrase "all rivers lead to one ocean," meaning that God accepts all worshipers, regardless of what religion they belong to. Because of this, Hindus don't try to convert others to Hinduism.

Mandala

Two large groups distributed in scattered patterns all over the country, which are considered the two highest castes in Nepal. They have sharp Indo-Aryan features and an olive complexion. Brahmins are believed to have migrated from India while Chhetris are from the present day Khasa people from Khasi. These people follow Hinduism as their main religion and socially they have many sects. They are divided into two major streams, the Purba and Umai. The Kumain people are of the origin of Kumo, Northern India, Uttar Pradesh. Their social practices depend upon Hindu religious epics. They speak Nepali, the national language of Nepal and use a script with basis in Sanskrit.

Loshar

The 2001 census identified 80.6% of the population as Hindu and Buddhism was practiced by about 11% of the population (although many people labelled Hindu or Buddhist often practice a syncretic blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and/or animist traditions). About 4.2% of the population is Muslim and 3.6% of the population follows the indigenous Kirant religion. Christianity is practiced officially by less than 0.5% of the population.
Hindu and Buddhist traditions in Nepal go back to more than two millennia. In Lumbini, Buddha was born, and Pashupatinath temple, Kathamandu, is an old and famous Shiva temple of Hindus. Nepal has several other temples and Buddhist monasteries as well as places of worship of other religious groups. Traditionally, Nepalese philosophical thoughts are ingrained with the Hindu and Buddhist philosophical ethos and traditions, which include elements of Kashmir Shaivism, Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, works of Karmacharyas of Bhaktapur, and a variety of tantric traditions. Tantric traditions are deep rooted in Nepal, including the practice of animal sacrifices. Five types of animals, always male, are considered acceptable for sacrifice: water buffalo, goats, sheep, chickens, and ducks.
With a multiplicity of groups, Nepal has several cults, and gods and goddesses, which co-exist with the major religions. In its long cultural history, Nepal has always remained a land of religious harmony.

Ead

The Indian culture is unique and varied. This section on culture of India contains information on various aspects of the great Indian culture.
The culture of India is one of the oldest and unique. In India, there is amazing cultural diversity throughout the country. The South, North, and Northeast have their own distinct cultures and almost every state has carved out its own cultural niche. There is hardly any culture in the world that is as varied and unique as India. India is a vast country, having variety of geographical features and climatic conditions. India is home to some of the most ancient civilizations, including four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.A combination of these factors has resulted into an exclusive culture- Indian culture. Indian culture is a composite mixture of varying styles and influences. In the matter of cuisine, for instance, the North and the South are totally different. Festivals in India are characterized by color, gaiety, enthusiasm, prayers and rituals. In the realm of music, there are varieties of folk, popular, pop, and classical music. The classical tradition of music in India includes the Carnatic and the Hindustani music.

Teej

Teej - 'the festival of swings' is celebrated with gusto and fervor in various parts of India and Nepal. The festival of Teej commemorates the reunion of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Married women and young girls celebrate the festival with earnest devotion. Teej falls in the month of Sawan and brings great relax from the scorching summers. Many religious activities takes place at the time of Teej. Such rituals and customs of Teej forces people to become part of grand Teej celebrations.

Ead

(Arabic, Persian/Urdu) is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr. The phrase translates into English as "blessed festival", and can be paraphrased as "may you enjoy a blessed festival". Muslims wish each other Eid Mubarak after performing the Eid prayer. This celebration continues until the end of the day, and continues a further three days. It is notable that saying these exact words is a cultural tradition influenced by deep roots of religion in it; however, it is not part of any religious obligations. Speakers of Arabic might also add "kul 'am wantum bikhair."

Tihar

Tihar, the festival of lights is one of the most dazzling of all Hindu festivals. In this festival we worship Goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth. During the festival all the houses in the city and villages are decorated with lit oil lamps. Thus during the night the entire village or city looks like a sparkling diamond. This festival is celebrated in five days starting from the thirteenth day of the waning moon in October. We also refer to tihar as 'Panchak Yama' which literally means 'the five days of the underworld lord'. We also worship 'yamaraj' in different forms in these five days. In other words this festival is meant for life and prosperity.

Dashin

During the month of Kartik in the Bikram Sambat calendar (late September and early October), the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood.

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The date of commemoration is not known to be Jesus' actual birthday, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either a historical Roman festival or the winter solstice. Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. Although nominally a Christian holiday, Christmas is widely celebrated by many non-Christians, and many of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, and the display of various decorations; including the Christmas tree, lights, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in North America and Ireland) is a popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts for children on Christmas Eve, and is usually incorporated into the celebrations of families with young children.
Because gift-giving and several other aspects of Christmas involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a major event for many retailers and businesses within the past few centuries.

Gaijatra

Gaijatra, the festival of cows, (gai means cow and jatra means festival in Nepali , and Newari) is celebrated in Nepal, mainly in Kathmandu valley by the Newar community The festival commemorates the death of people during the year. During the festival, cows are marched in the streets and generally celebrated in the Nepalese month of Bhadra (August-September). The festival of cows is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. The whole complex of Gai Jatra festival has its roots in the ancient ages when people feared and worshiped Yamaraj,"the god of death". However, the ironical sessions synonymous with the Gai Jatra festival came into tradition in the medieval period of Nepal during the reign of the Malla Kings. Hence, the present form of Gai Jatra is a happy blending of antiquity and medieval era. According to the traditions since time immemorial, every family who has lost one relative during the past year must participate in a procession through the streets of Kathmandu leading a cow. If a cow is unavailable then a young boy dressed as a cow is considered a fair substitute. In Hinduism, a cow is regarded as the most venerated among all the domestic animals. It is believed that the cow, revered as a holy animal by Hindus, will help the deceased relative's journey to heaven. In terms of historical evidence, once when King Pratap Malla lost his son, his wife, the queen remained dumbstruck. The king was very sad to see the condition of his beloved queen. The king, in spite of several efforts, could not lessen the grief of his wife. By all means he wanted to see a little smile on the lips of his sweetheart. He announced that anyone made the queen laugh would be rewarded adequately. During the festival of Gai Jatra, the cow procession was brought before the grief stricken queen. Then the participants began ridiculing and befooling the important people of the society. Finally, when the social injustice and other evils were highlighted and attacked mercilessly, the queen could not stop smiling. The queen laughed, and Pratap Malla, the king, instituted a tradition of including jokes, satire, mockery and lampoon in the Gai Jatra days. After the procession is over, in the afternoon, nearly everyone takes part in another age-old tradition in which the participants dress up and wear masks. The occasion is filled with songs and jokes. Mockery and humor of every kind become the order of the day until late evening. Hence, Gai Jatra is a healthy festival which enables the people to accept the reality of death and to prepare themselves for the life after death. According to Hinduism,"whatever a man does in his life is a preparation to lead a good life, after death".
See also

Tihar

Tihar is a five-day Nepalese festival celebrated in late autumn, which comes soon after Dashain. One of these days incorporates the Hindu festival Deepavali, although all ethnic groups celebrate the festival. The festival is celebrated from Trayodashi of Kartik Krishna to Katrik Shukla Dwitiya every year.The name Tihar means the festival of lights, explaining the many candles lighted.The five day festival is considered to be of great importance as it shows reverence to not just the humans and the Gods, but also to the animals like crow, cow and dog, who maintain an intense relationship with the humans.

Dashian

Dashian is the 15-day national festival of Nepaland a state festival of Indian states of Sikkim and the Darjeeling district of West BengalIt is also a national holiday in Bhutan.Now it is celebrated all around the world by the Nepalese diaspora. The festival falls around September-October, after the rice harvest. This festival is known for emphasis on family gatherings, as well as on a renewal of community tiesPeople will return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, to celebrate togetherThe festival is a blend of Hindu Tantrik and animistic harvest festival traditions.On the first day, called Ghatasthapana, the "Dashain Ghar", or special worship room, is set up—this room is used to worship the Astha-Matrikas (the 8 tantrik goddesses) as well as the Nava Durgas (the 9 durga goddesses), to whom the festival is consecratedMarried women will say the mantras for the next fifteen days, and guard the goddesses. Barley is sowed on big earthern pots which have a coating of cow dung. These seeds will sprout in ten days. The sprouts, which symbolize a good harvest, will be decoratively placed on the heads of family members later on in the festival as a blessing.
[edit] Dashain's Tika and Jamara

The Tika (In red color) and Jamara (green color) used in Dashain.
On the seventh day, Fulpaati, the town of Gorkha sends an offering of flowers to Kathmandu. A band associated with the army also plays its music and goes through the old core of Kathmandu.
The eighth day, Asthami, is the day of sacrifices. Goddess temples all over the Kathmandu Valley receive sacrifices, ranging from goats and buffaloes to ducks and chickens. Blood, symbolic for its fertility, is offered to the goddesses. This meat is taken home and cooked as "prasad", or food blest by divinity. This food is offered, in tiny leaf plates, to the household gods, then distributed amongst the family. Eating this food is thought to be auspicious.
Sacrifices continue on Navami, the ninth day. Families will visit various temples around the Kathmandu Valley. On the tenth day, "Dashami," a mixture of rice, yogurt and vermillion will be prepared by the women. This preparation is known as "tika". Elders put this on the forehead of younger relatives to bless them with fertility and abundance in the upcoming year. The red also symbolizes the blood that ties the family together. Elders will give "dakshina", or a small amount of money, to younger relatives at this time. The tika continues for five days, during which time people also gather to play cards around massive amounts of food and drink.
In several parts of Nepal, Dashain is the only time of the year when people receive a set of new clothing. Likewise, in poorer families, the animal sacrifice was eagerly anticipated since it might be the only animal protein the family would eat all year. This may be true in certain parts of Nepal where food is in low supply, but is less so in the cities. In general, the tradition of sacrifice is lessening with the easy availability of meat for daily consumption, and with the influences of Vaishnav Hindus (who are vegetarian).
In recent times, Dashain has become commercialized, with industries sponsoring events around the festival to sell goods.
Dashain this year falls on September 28, 2009.

Cultural

The rich cultural heritage of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, has evolved over centuries. This multi-dimensional cultural heritage encompasses within itself the cultural diversities of various ethnic, tribal, and social groups inhabiting different altitudes, and it manifests in various forms: music and dance; art and craft; folklores and folktales; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebrations; and foods and drinks