Saturday, August 10, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley comprises the three ancient cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, which were once independent states ruled by the Malla kings from the 12th to the 18th centuries. The three cities house seven UNESCO World Heritage shrines which are together listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Culture). The valley is also home to hundreds of other exquisite monuments, sculptures, artistic temples and magnificent art – reminders of the golden era in Nepal’s architecture.
Legend has it that the valley was was once a primordial lake ringed by verdant mountains. In this pristine lake lived giant serpents until one fine day, saint Manjushree, the Bodhisatva, raised a mighty sword and in one fell swoop, cut open the side of a mountain at a place now known as Chobar. The voluminous waters of the lake gushed out, leaving behind a fertile valley capable of supporting large urban settlements over the millennia. The Gopala and Kirati dynasties were the earliest rulers here followed by the Licchavi (300-879 A.D.), under whom flourished trade and crafts.
But the valley’s remarkable cities with their ornate palaces, the superbly crafted pagodas and the monumental stupas are testimony of the artistic genius of the Newar craftsmen, the original inhabitants of the valley, whose skills were championed by the Malla kings and appreciated even by the Mongol rulers of 18th century China.
source http://welcomenepal.com/promotional/tourist-destination/around-kathmandu/
Monday, July 15, 2013
nepali Culture
Customs and traditions differ from one part
of Nepal to another. A conglomeration lies in capital city Kathmandu
where cultures are blending to form a national identity. Kathmandu
Valley has served as the country’s cultural metropolis since the
unification of Nepal in the 18th Century.A prominent factor
in a Nepali’s everyday life is religion. Adding color to the lives of
Nepalis are festivals the year round which they celebrate with much pomp
and joy. Food plays an important role in the celebration of these
festivals.
Religion:
Nepal was declared a secular country by the Parliament on May
18, 2006. Religions practiced in Nepal are: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam,
Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism, Bon, ancestor worship and animism. The
majority of Nepalis are either Hindus or Buddhism. The two have
co-existed in harmony through centuries.
Buddha is widely worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus of Nepal. The
five Dhyani Buddhas; Vairochana, Akshobhaya, Rathasambhava, Amitabha and
Amoghasiddhi, represent the five basic elements: earth, fire, water,
air and ether. Buddhist philosophy conceives these deities to be the
manifestations of Sunya or absolute void. Mahakaala and Bajrayogini are
Vajrayana Buddhist deities worshipped by Hindus as well.
Hindu Nepalis worship the ancient Vedic gods. Bramha the Creator, Vishnu
the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer, are worshipped as the Supreme
Hindu Trinity. People pray to the Shiva Linga or the phallic symbol of
Lord Shiva in most Shiva temples. Shakti, the dynamic element in the
female counterpart of Shiva, is highly revered and feared. Mahadevi,
Mahakali, Bhagabati, Ishwari are some of the names given. Kumari, the
Virgin Goddess, also represents Shakti.Other popular deities are Ganesh
for luck, Saraswati for knowledge, Lakshmi for wealth and Hanuman for
protection. Krishna, believed to be the human incarnation of Lord Vishnu
is also worshipped widely. Hindu holy scripts Bhagawat Gita, Ramayan
and Mahabharat are widely read in Nepal. Vedas, Upanishads and other
holy scriptures are read by well learned Brahmin Pundits during special
occasions.
Customs:
The diversity in Nepal in terms of ethnicity again makes room for
various sets of customs. Most of these customs go back to the Hindu,
Buddhist or other religious traditions. Among them, the rules of
marriage are particularly interesting. Traditional marriages call for
deals arranged by parents after the boy or girl come of age.
Nepalis do not eat beef. There are several reasons for this, one being
that the Hindus worship cow. Cow is also the national animal of Nepal.
Another interesting concept among Nepalis is division of pure and
impure. “Jutho” referring to food or material touched by another’s mouth
directly or indirectly, is considered impure by Nepalis. Nepalis
consider cow dung to be pure for cleansing purposes. During menstruation
women are considered impure and hence, are kept in seclusion until
their fourth day purification bath.Nepal is a patriarchal society. Men
usually go out to work while women are homemakers. However, in cities,
roles can differ. Most Nepalis abide by the caste system in living
habits and marriage. Rural Nepal is mostly agrarian, while some aspects
of urban life carry glitz and glamour of the ultra-modern world.
Food:
Nepal does not have a distinct cooking style. However, food
habits differ depending on the region. Nepali food has been influenced
by Indian and Tibetan styles of cooking. Authentic Nepali taste is found
in Newari and Thakai cuisines. Most Nepalis do not use cutlery but eat
with their right hand.The regular Nepali meal is dal (lentil soup), bhat
(boiled rice) and tarkari (curried vegetables), often accompanied by
achar (pickle). Curried meat is very popular, but is saved for special
occasions, as it is relatively more expensive. Momos (steamed or fried
dumplings) deserve a mention as one of the most popular snack among
Nepalis. Rotis (flat bread) and dhedo (boiled flour) also make meals in
some homes.
Source http://welcomenepal.com/promotional/know-nepal/culture/
Plants in Nepal
Of the total number of species found globally, Nepal possesses 2.80
percent plants. Record from 2006 shows that Nepal has 6,391 flowering
plant species, representing 1,590 genera and 231 families. Nepal’s share
of flowering plant species is 2.76 percent of the global total compared
to earlier records of 2.36 percent. Nepal’s share of pteriodophytes is
5.15 percent compared to earlier records of 4.45 percent.
There are 2,532 species of vascular plants represented by 1,034 genera
and 199 families in the protected sites. Some 130 endemic species are
found in the protected sites.
For ecology and vegetation purpose Nepal could be divided into four floristic regions i.e.
(a) western
(b) north-western
(c) central, and
(d) eastern, and bio-climatically these are broken down into twenty
regions from humid tropical climate to the arid, alpine regions.
There are 399 endemic flowering plants in Nepal of which about 63
percent are from the high mountains, 38 percent from the mid hills, and
only 5 percent from the Terai and Siwaliks. Similarly, the central
region contains 66 percent of the total endemic species followed by 32
percent in the western and 29 percent in the eastern regions.
Medicinal Plants:
The Himalayas are famous for medicinal plants and have even been
mentioned in the Aurveda. Many of the herbs and plants found in the
Himlayas are used in traditional healing systems like Ayurvedic,
Homoeopathic, Amchi etc. Some of these plants are even used for
allopathic medicine. Medicinal plants are abundantly found in: the Terai
region of Nawalparasi, Chitwan, Bardia, Dhanusha, mid hill region of
Makhwanpur, Syangja, Kaski, Lamgjung, Dolakha, Parvat, Ilam, Ramechhap,
Nuwakot, and the Himalayan region of Dolpa, Mugu, Humla, Jumla, Manang,
Mustang and Solukhumbu.
Orchids:
In ancient Rome, Theophrastus, a student of Plato, was intrigued by the
sight of a plant with a pair of roots. Orchis was the name he gave them,
the Greek word for testicles. Worldwide, there are some 500 to 600
genera and some 20,000 to 35,000 names, the largest of all plant
families, and out of this, Nepal has 57 genera (27 Terrestrials and 30
Epiphytic) with a few Lithophytes.Nepal is endowed with an incredible
variety of orchids scattered across the country. Dedrobium is the
largest species, followed by Habenaria and Bulbophyllum. Anthogonium,
Hemipilia and Lusia are some of the other varieties amongst the nearly
two dozen single species families.
Source:-http://welcomenepal.com/promotional/know-nepal/plants/
Nepali Wildlife
Of the total number of species found globally, 3.96 percent mammals,
3.72 percent butterflies and 8.9 percent of birds. Wildlife of Nepal is
officially classified into two main categories: common and protected.
The common category lists such species as common leopard, spotted deer,
Himalayan tahr, blue sheep and others. These species are commonly seen
in the wild. The protected species include 26 mammals, nine birds and
three reptiles. These rare animals are confined to their prime habitats.
Please click Protected Species for details. The endemic fauna are: Himalayan field mouse, spiny babbler, Nepali kalij, 14 herpetofauna, and six types of fishes.
Mammals:
Nepal has 185 species of mammals found in various parts of the country.
Found in Nepal’s dense Terai jungles are exotic animals like the Asiatic
elephant, the one-horned rhinoceros, the Royal Bengal tiger among
others. Also found here are the leopard, monkey, langur, hyena, jackal,
wild boar, antelope, wild cat, wolf, sloth bear, chital or spotted deer
and barking deer. Wild buffalo locally called “Arna” is found in the
Koshi Tappu region. The western Terai jungles of Suklaphanta is home of
the of swamp deer, while the endangered blackbucks are found in the
Bardia region. Nepal Government has made an effort to preserve
blackbucks by declaring an area of 15.95 sq. km. in Bardia as Blackbuck
Conservation Area.
Nepal even has its own variety of dolphins found in the fresh waters of
Narayani and Karnali rivers. The Himalayan region is also home to the
elusive snow leopard and the red panda. Red panda, a rare sight because
of its shy nature, may be found from Langtang region to Kanchenjunga
region. Other mammals that live in high altitude areas are yak, blue
sheep, Himalayan tahr and musk deer. While otters are found in the Rara
region north west, the Dhorpatan hunting grounds is home of the blue
sheep and Himalayan tahr.
Reptiles:
Nepal has two indigenous species of crocodile: the fish eating gharial
with the long narrow snout and the marsh mugger which is omnivorous,
eating anything it can catch. A very successful breeding project has
brought the gharial back from extinction. Some of the snakes found in
Nepal are: cobras, kraits, vipers and the Indian python. Other reptiles
found in the country are turtles and monitor lizards. Some of these
reptiles can be seen in the Chitwan National Park and Bardia National
Park.
Birds:
Nepal has more than 850 recorded species of birds. Amazingly, half of
these birds can be seen in and around the Kathmandu valley alone. The
hills around the valley especially Nagarjun, Godavari and Phulchowki are
popular birding areas. Phulchowki at 2,760 m boasts about 90 bird
species including the endemic spiny babbler, which was thought to be
extinct until it was spotted in Nepal. Another rare species of bird, the
red-headed trogan, was also sighted here in April 2000.
National parks like Chitwan and Bardia harbor a wide variety of birds
too. In Chitwan, endangered vultures are being protected from
contaminated food by establishing “Vulture Restaurant” which feeds them
safe carcasses. The Koshi Tappu region is home to a large species of
resident and migratory birds. It has about 26 varieties of ducks alone.
About 485 species have been sighted here, including black ibis, honey
kites, ospreys, black headed orioles, peregrine falcon, partridges,
ruddy shelduck, storks, vultures and eagles among others.In the higher
Himalayan region are found different species of the raptors and birds of
prey. Nepal’s national bird, the Danphe or impeyen pheasant, is also
found in the Himalayan region. A rare bird known as jerdon’s baza was
sighted in Nepal. Over the past few years a conservation group has
worked specifically in the Lumbini area to conserve the sarus crane.
For more information about Nepal’s wildlife,
Please visit: http://www.dnpwc.gov.np/
(official web site of the Department of National Parks &
Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Forests & Soil Conservation).
Source:- http://welcomenepal.com/promotional/know-nepal/wildlife/
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