Culture of Nepal

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.

Society and customs

Nepal is a landlocked country of South Asia, situated in the Himalayas, and shares its borders with the Tibet Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China in the north and the Republic of India in other directions. Consequently, the population of Nepal now mainly consist of the descendants of Tibeto-Burman migrants from the north and Indo-Aryans from the south. Ethnic diversity and proximity to giant cultures have continued to influence the culture of Nepal. Although, Nepal has inherited several customs and cultural practices from China and Tibet as well as from India, all the same, based on its topography, available resources and climate, over a period of time, it has attuned these influences to its own indigenous requirements.

Dance and music

Legends state that dances in the Indian subcontinent originated in the abode of Lord Shiva - the Himalayas and the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal - where he performed the tandava dance. This indicates that dance traditions of Nepal are of very ancient origin. With altitudes and ethnicity, the dances of Nepal slightly change in style as well as in the dance costumes. Accompanying music and musical instruments also change in tune with the themes, which revolve around topics like harvesting of crops, marriage rites, war stories, a lonely girl’s yearning for her love, and several other themes and stories from everyday life in the villages.

Art & Craft

Nepalese art and craft reflect the religious themes of Hinduism and Buddhism and certain location-specific depictions. The cultural history of Nepalese art is traditionally divided into five major periods:*Pre-Licchavi, *Licchavi, *Transitional, *Early Malla (Newar) and *Late Malla (Newar) periods. There are many artists of canvas painting who are popular among the Nepalese people; artists like Kiran Manandhar, Krishna Raj Acharya and Sagar Timilscrewina are very popular. Also, many talented artists, like Samartha Bakjracharya, Yogesh Pokhrel, Arun Kakshapati etc, are establishing themselves in this field. The quality of art that these artists have produced is of a very high standard.
Nepalese sculptures are also of a very high quality. The workmanship in the royal durbars of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur palaces testify this fact.
The Nepalese handicraft industry is one of the major cottage industries of Nepal and it helps to generate good revenues. The handicraft of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur are popular among the tourists visiting Nepal. Most of the existing craftsmen are Newars.

Languages and literatures

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.

Religions and philosophy

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.

Festivals and celebrations

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.

Food and drink

Nepal being a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic nation, diversity is observed in eating and drinking habits as well. However, a typical hill-region staple food consist of Dal-Bhat [2] (lentil soup and cooked rice) with Tarkari, that is, vegetable curries. This is consumed twice daily, generally in the morning, and shortly after the sunset. Between these main meals, during mid-day, snacks like chura/Baji (beaten rice) and tea are consumed. Sometimes, meat, eggs, and fish preparations are also consumed. Most of the Nepalese prefer eating with their right hand, though some people have started using spoons, forks, and knives. While eating with hands, lentil soup is poured over cooked rice, a little amount of vegetable curries is added, and the chunk so prepared is taken in the right hand for eating. Millet, maize, wheat bread (roti) are also consumed as staple food in certain areas.