Nepal

Nepal is located between India and China in south Asia and is one of the most diverse countries in the world in terms of geography and climate. Home to many varied ethnic groups, steeped in Buddhism and Hinduism and where eight of the ten world’s highest mountains are located, Nepal is a land of extremes.

People

Nepal’s people are very diverse but in many ways culturally similar to the people of Tibet and India. Nepal’s mountain people belong to cultural groups such as Sherpa, Tamang, Rai and Limbu. The people of the lower laying hills are Bhramins, Chetris, Gurungs, Magars and the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley. The peoples of the southern region on the Indian border include Tharus, Maithilis and others. All these cultural groups have varied traditions, rituals and beliefs. While many families in Kathmandu have become westernized adopting western dress and tastes, the majority of the people in rural areas still maintain a traditional life of subsistence farming and respect long-established rites and rituals.

Family

Although family structure varies greatly according to cultural groups there are some commonalities in Nepali families. Generally marriages are arranged by the parents of the bride and groom, traditionally marriages must remain in the same caste but cannot be within the same extended family. Once a girl is married she leaves her family and joins her husband’s household. Extended families live together in large houses made from timer, cow dug, bamboo and mud. Nepali families are usually very large with an average of four to six children per family. Sadly sons and male members of the family are often favored. Marriage is an important cultural value in Nepal and marrying and producing children is considered extremely important.

Religion

Nepal is one of the few places in the world where Buddhism and Hinduism are intermingled and exist together in harmony. Most Nepalis consider themselves both Hindu and Buddhist and equally worship and respect both the Buddha and Hindu Gods. Most Nepali folklore which heavily influences art, music, stories and drama involve both Buddhist and Hindu stories. Beautiful and elaborate Buddhist and Hindu temples are scattered throughout Nepal and prayers, offerings and puja are performed daily by many Nepalis. Ringing bells, offering rice, colored sindoor powder, fruit and incense at temples, the lighting of butter lamps at dusk, spinning prayer wheels and the receiving and wearing of a “tikka” the mark of Hindu religious observance are all rituals that Nepalis practice in their worship. There is also a significant Muslim population in Nepal and Mosques can be found in various regions of Nepal. Animistic religious practices can be found among Nepal’s cultural groups as well.

Food

The typical Nepali diet consists of rice and lentils (dal bhaat). This meal is eaten twice a day and often accompanied by curries, spicy pickles, raw carrot, cucumber or radish and sometimes meat although the majority of Nepali cuisine is vegetarian. The eating of beef is strictly forbidden in Hindu culture. Milk tea is drunk throughout the day and snacks of fresh fruit, vegetables, sweets and ghee, dried cheese and yogurt are frequently eaten. Locally produced liquor such as rakshi, (millet wine) and thumba (liquor made from millet and barley) are consumed. Nepali cuisine is heavily spiced with turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds and oil, bay leaves, coriander, garlic, chilis, ginger and spice mixes called masala.

Geography and Climate

Nepal varies from the highest mountains in the world, including Mt. Everest to the jungles and low lying Terai region in the south. Nepal is divided into three geographic and climatic regions; the mountain region, the hill region and the terai region. The mountain region sees cooler temperatures and snow all year in high elevations. The hill region has pleasant mild weather year round and the terai remains hot and humid throughout the entire year. Nepal has a monsoon season that lasts from June to early September with heavy rains often blanketing the country and sometimes causing flooding in the lowlands. Eight of the ten highest mountains in the world are located in Nepal and the Annapurna, Kanchenjunga, Dhauligiri and Everest ranges of the Himalaya each contain hundreds of peaks.

Wildlife

Nepal is home to wild elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, various species of deer, Bengal tigers, many species of mammals, snow leopards, red pandas, snakes and thousands of species of birds. There are protected areas in Nepal to preserve wildlife including Chitwan National Park and Sagarmatha National Park, both UNESCO world heritage sites. There are numerous other national parks and conservation sites throughout the country. Domestic animals such as water buffalo, goats, cows, sheep, yaks, donkeys, horses and mules are widely found throughout Nepal.

Art, Architecture and Music

Nepali art and architecture is distinguished by styles originating from the varied cultural groups. In the Kathmandu valley the Newar people’s distinctive styles and intricate wood carvings can been seen throughout the valley’s three Durbar Squares in Patan, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur and in many buildings and temples. Mountain people have been heavily influenced by Tibetan architectural styles and art. Nepali art often depicts pastoral and mountain scenes or portraits of people. Kathmandu is a haven for art and artists and many foreign and Nepali artists are living and working in Kathmandu and there are numerous galleries and exhibitions. Nepali folk songs and dances are extremely popular for young and old generations a like. Traditional instruments such as the sarangi, flute, tabla and madal (a two headed drum) are kept in most Nepali communities and at both formal and informal family gatherings group song and dance is usually performed by men, women and children.

Nepali Dress

Nepali women traditionally wear a sari, many colorful bangles on their wrists, golden earrings, a beaded necklace (malla) the symbol for married women and a bindi on their forehead. Many Nepali women also wear a kuta surwal, a Punjabi style of dress that consists of a long tunic over loose pants with a neck scarf in colorful patterns and textures. Tibetan women wear a long skirt with a colorful apron, a blouse and plaited hair. Saris and kurta surwals come in a variety of colors and textures from simple cotton to raw silk and heavily jeweled saris. On her wedding day a Nepali Hindu bride will wear an elaborate red sari and it’s preferable for married women to wear red in Nepal. In rural areas women wear sarongs and saris that cover their legs a brightly colored cummerbund to support their back while working with a traditional blouse called a chura. Churas are often colorful and have plaid, checked and traditional patterns. In many areas of Nepal, women also wear western clothing. Nepali men usually wear western style pants and shirts. Some men wear a hat, called a topi printed in traditional Nepali patterns. Generally Nepalese dress conservatively. Nepalese dress according to their cultural group and each has subtle traditions in their dress.

Language

The national language of Nepal is Nepali and is spoken as a native language by about 17 million people in the country and many others residing abroad. Nepali comes from the Indo-European language family and uses the Devanagari script, similar to Hindi. Many Nepalese can speak Hindi due to the fact that many Hindi movies and programs are broadcast from India. There is a significant portion of the population in Nepal that speaks another language besides Nepali as their mother language. Other languages spoken in Nepal include Maithili, spoken in the eastern Terai, Limbu, spoken in northeastern Nepal, Newar, spoken in the Kathmandu Valley, Tamang and Gurung, spoke in central-western northern regions and Tharu, spoken widely in Nepal’s southern Terai. There are hundreds of languages in Nepal, some spoken by only a handful of people. Some common greetings in Nepali include: