55 Nepal Facts: Know More About Their Culture And Lifestyle

Nepal is a small Asian country landlocked by India and China.

Where all countries around the world have a national flag that is square, Nepal is a nation of south Asia with its unique design of the national flag. It is shaped in the form of two triangles one over the other almost like the peaks of Mount Everest.

As Buddhism is one of the prominent religions in Nepal after Hinduism, a lot of Buddhist monasteries are found in this country with eyes painted on the four sides of the main tower which are also referred to as the wisdom eyes portraying the fact that the lord is all-knowing.

Buddhist monks are trained from a very young age to study and live in these monasteries and lead peaceful lives.

History

Research shows that the advent of civilization in Nepal was around 30,000 years ago which is in line with the archaeological findings of human settlement in South Asia.

With the discovery of evidence of prehistoric origin in the Dang district of Nepal, it is believed people from the Indus Valley Civilisation were the first to shelter in Nepal before the introduction of Tibeto-Burmans and Indo-Aryans.

The mention of Nepal has been found in 'Upanishads' and other religious Hindu texts of the late Vedic period.

The Kirata dynasty who ruled Nepal after the Gopalas were mentioned in 'Mahabharata', and were thought to have actively taken part in the battle of Kurukshetra.

From the Shakya clan around the 6th century BC, prince Siddharta renounced his worldly life and founded Buddhism in Nepal, and spread it throughout the belts of East Asia.

The Maurya dynasty with Emperor Ashoka spread its influence around 250 BC in Nepal by erecting a pillar in Lumbini and building monuments in the Kathmandu Valley. Later in the 4th century AD, the area came under the influence of the Guptas.

In the 11th century, the Khas forged a powerful empire in Nepal spreading its territories close to Uttarakhand in India.

By the 14th century, the Mallas wielded great power, and notable among them is Jayasthiti Malla who is known for his social and economic reforms and also was the first one to implement the varna or caste system.

In the mid 18th century under the tutelage of the Gorkha king Prithvi Narayan Shah, Nepal emerged as a great force.

Later feud with the Qing dynasty of China over the control of inner Tingri valleys and passes led to the Sino-Nepali War which humbled the Nepalis who were forced to retreat.

Anglo-Nepali war was fought between 1815-1816 between the East India Company and the Kingdom of Nepal which was later terminated with the treaty of Sugauli.

Rana dynasty with Jung Bahadur Rana as its leader became very powerful and seemed to have helped the British during the Indian Revolt of 1857.

Composed by Amber Gurung with lyrics by Byakul Maila, Nepal's national anthem is "Sayaun Thunga Phulka".

The speaker of the Parliament, Subhas Chandra Nembang, during August 3, 2007, when Nepal was under an interim government made this news official.

The calendar that is still primarily used in Nepal was introduced during the 9th century and was known as Bikram Sambhat.

The calendar not only has the New Year of Nepal in mid-April but is also ahead of the Gregorian calendar by sixty-seven years and eight and a half months.

Geography And Tourism

With its varied topography, Nepal is a land of contrasts with lofty mountains, lakes, and valleys.

With 8 of the 14 highest peaks that reach 26,246.7 ft (8000 m), the country is surrounded by towering mountain ranges.

The altitude ranges between 16000-29,028 ft (4877-8848 m), and peaks like Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu are some of the famous ones present.

Present in the inner Terai lowlands of the Nawalpur, Parasi, Chitwan, and Makwanpur districts, Chitwan National Park was founded in 1973 and is the home to several endangered species of flora and fauna.

Known as the Amazon of Asia with 2% of the world's orchids and 6% of the world's Rhododendron species along with the Bengal tiger, one-horned rhinoceros, and rare snow leopard, jungle safari is one of the main spectacles of Nepal.

Adventure sports like bungee jumping, rock climbing, paragliding, and exploring the waterways with a raft or kayak are some of the fun activities which can be categorized under wilderness tourism.

Though Nepal supports multiple religions the major and official religion is Hinduism with the cow as the national animal.

Pashupatinath Temple, located in Kathmandu is considered to be the largest temple of Shiva in the world.

Other pilgrimage sites of Hinduism include Janaki Mandir in Janakpurdham, Manakamana temple in the Gorkha district, the temple complex in Swargadari in the Puythan district, and many more.

Lumbini, the place of birth of Lord Buddha is a World Heritage Site and is a famous place for people of all religions to visit but especially close to the followers of Buddhism.

Other Buddhist pilgrimage sites include Swayambhunath and the Monkey temple.

The ancient palace of the King is in the Chillikot and the Hills are known for their sightseeing features which attract tourists to Nepal from all over the world.

Nepali citizens are very proud of their rich and varied cultural heritage with Baudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square and many more clubbed into the World Heritage Site of the Kathmandu Valley.

Museums that are primarily located in the Kathmandu Valley are packed with cultural and archaeological artifacts which shows the diversity that Nepal has to offer.

Locally named as "Rigmo" the deepest lake on the earth, Shey Phoksundo, is found in the Dolpa District of the Karnali Province.

The highest valley that is the Arun valley is also located in Nepal.

Politics And Government

From autocratic rule to a republic nation, Nepal has had a long history of conflictual politics.

From the period of 1950 onwards, the autocratic rule of the King in Nepal was in place who dissolved the Parliament in 1960 and banned all political parties.

Again in the 1980s Nepali Congress Party, the Communist Party of Nepal, and a few anti-monarchist parties came to the forefront and were allowed to operate freely.

In the 1990s the formation of these parties was legalized and nationwide protests were responsible for the partial removal of autocracy and the formation of multiparty democracy.

With the new Constitution, the power of the crown diminished. As of now the Prime Minister is considered to be the executive head but would be appointed by the crown.

The party with the majority in the lower house or one with the coalition majority would be appointed with a set of Councils of Ministers.

The crown was still responsible for giving assent to the bills and the House of Representatives consisted of 205 members elected for a term of five years.

Early in the 21st century, Maoist insurgencies were frequent in many parts of Nepal who demanded the abolition of the Crown and for the formation of a republic.

Violence erupted in many parts which forced the Government to form an interim constitution and administration in January 2007.

Though monarchy was abolished and free elections started from the year 2008 it took 7 years from that point of time to make it a secular state in 2015 with a bicameral legislature.

Economy

Due to several political upheavals and the disadvantageous landlocked country position, Nepal's economy is not potentially a strong one.

Agriculture acts as the major economic backbone of the country but with underdeveloped techniques of irrigation and usage of poor quality seeds.

Rice, wheat, and corn are mostly produced and exported.

In the fiscal year 2020 and 2021, the growth yield was 2.2% and 2.7% respectively which provided help to one-fifth of the nominal GDP of the country.

The tourism industry plays a very significant role and is concentrated mostly in the Kathmandu Valley with hotels, transport, and food supplies. But recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this industry has seen a dip in foreign exchanges.

The transport facility in Nepal is also not too developed, a fact that has also hindered its business with other major countries. It mostly trades with India, and neither has great roads nor a big network of railways.

Nepal boasts of only 36.6 mi (59 km) of railway network!

The only commercial airline company that operates in this country is the Royal Nepal Airline Corporation.

Mostly the industries are private and are categorized under cottage industries. Jute Industry in Biratnagar is worth a mention for its products which earn foreign currency.

Other manufacturing industries of sugar, sawmills, meat processing plants are mostly located in the Birganj-Hituara region.

Did You Know...

Some more interesting facts about Nepal are as follows:

Nepal's mountains are said to be home to the mythical snow monster Yeti or Bigfoot.

The Nepali Himalayas are home to the mouths of Brahmaputra, Yamuna, and Ganga- three major rivers of Asia.

Kumari puja is an integral part of Nepali culture. Here, a girl child is worshipped as the living incarnation of Goddess Durga.

Gurkha soldiers are world-famous for their courage and loyalty.

The national sport of Nepal is volleyball.

Rice and lentils are the staple food combination.

The Nepalese names for Mt Everest include Chomolungma and Sagarmatha.

FAQs

Q: What is Nepal's old name?

A: From Hindu mythology, it can be deduced that the name of Nepal has been derived from the sage Ne who was assigned the task of protecting this small country by Shiva. Earlier it was also known as Nepal Adhirajya.

Q: Where is Nepal located?

A: With India in the east, south, and west while Tibet is in the north, Nepal is a landlocked country in the southern slopes of the Himalayan range.

Q: What language is spoken in Nepal?

A: The predominant language of Nepal is Nepali with a variety of other local dialects which have been derived from the Tibeto-Burmese family.

Q: What is the capital of Nepal?

A: The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu which is also the largest urban center and the former capital city of the Kingdom of Nepal.

Q: What medium was used primarily for Buddhist art in Nepal?

A: Metal was the chief medium for art in Nepal, though other mediums like wood, stone, and terracotta were also used.

Q: What is Nepal known for?

A: Nepal is known for its several lofty peaks but magnificent among them is Mount Everest which is the highest point of the world.

Q: What do you call people from Nepal?

A: People who originate from Nepal are known as Nepalis.

Q: What is Nepal famous for?

A: With its varied landscape and culture, Nepal is considered to be the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

Q: What type of government does Nepal have?

A: Nepal has a federal type of government where the Prime Minister is the executive head. The three-level federal system in Nepal includes federal, provincial, and local bodies.

Q: What continent is Nepal in?

A: Nepal is located in the southern part of the Asian continent.

Q: What is the currency of Nepal?

A: The currency of Nepal is the Nepali rupee which was introduced in 1932 and replaced the silver mohar. With ISO as NPR, a single rupee is divided into 100 paisas and the currency is issued and distributed by the Central Bank of Nepal.