Culture and Religion of Nepal

The cultures of our country are various types. Our life is attached to various cultural aspects. Cultural heritage means the things of ancient civilization and social activities. Old temples, old tombs, Vihars, gumbas, statues, etc. are the item of our cultural heritage. Religious places well ponds; tanks, stone tapes, inns, houses etc. are also parts of the cultural heritages. Weighing measures, festivals dresses, customs, dances, and musical instruments depict our cultural heritages. Religion, literature, art, language, music etc. are the different aspects of our culture. They give support to the identification of our culture. We have also our own kind of ornaments and folk culture, the cultural heritage has accumulated old traditions, religious activities, various aspects of public life, festival, folk songs, dances, classical dances of different gods and goddesses, religion processions, fare and festivals, fooding and custom, clothing, means of entertainment, and cultural activities etc.

The Himalayan Kingdom has one of the richest and most diverse cultural landscapes anywhere in the world. Nepal is the holy land of Lord Pashupatinath and Gautam Buddha where the Hindus and Buddhists have lived together in harmony for centuries. The Temple of Pashupatinath is Nepal’s most sacred Hindu shrine and one of the four most important cities in the world for Shiva worshippers. Lord Buddha, the light of Asia, was born in Lumbini in Nepal’s southern plains, This fact makes Nepal a sacred pilgrimage destination for Buddhists as well.

The rich tapestry of the cultural heritage of Nepal is synthesised in the Kathmandu Valley. The three ancient cities of the Valley – Patan, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur represent an epitome of harmony in urban design, elegant architecture and refined culture. These cities pack a concentration of religious monuments unequalled in the world. Don’t miss the seven monument zones named as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO all situated within the small confines of the Valley.

Adding dazzling colour to Nepal’s myriad attractions are the many festivals that dot the calendar. Join in for the numerous annual festivals that are celebrated throughout the year in traditional style highlighting enduring customs and beliefs. Go for village tours and visit the multi-ethnic groups to get first hand experience of their customs and lifestyles.

As eating is a special affair in Nepal, there is food for each and every occasion and festival. Kathmandu offers an incredible selection of dining opportunities. There are many restaurants that serve only authentic Nepali food complete with ethnic ambience.

In Nepal, Hinduism and Buddhism are mingled in to a complex blend, which is often impossible to separate. Buddha was actually born in Nepal but the Buddhist religion first arrived in the country around 2500 BCE, introduced, so the great Indian Buddhist emperor Ashoka himself says it. Buddhism later gave way to Hinduism, but around the 8th century of CE, the tantric form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet also began to make its way across the Himalayans in to Nepal. Today the people of the high Himalayas, such as the sherpas, Tamangs, mainly practice Buddhism and also by the Tibetan who have settled in Nepal. Several ethnic groups including the Rais and Gurungs in the middle hills and the Newars in the Kathmandu Valley practice both Buddhism and Hinduism.

Officially Nepal is a Hindu country, but in practice the religion is a strange blend of Hindu and tantric Buddhist beliefs. A pantheon of Tantric deities is tagged on to the list of Hindu gods, or in many cases, inextricably blended with them. Thus Avalokitesvatra, the prime Bodhisattva of this Buddhist era, becomes Lokesvara, a manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva, and then appears as Machhendranath, one of the most popular gods of the Kathmandu valley. Is he Hindu or Buddhist? Nobody can tell.

The People:
Introduction:
The population of Nepal is estimated at around 20 million. Nepal has an assortment of races and tribes, of varying colors and contrasts; living in different geographic regions; wearing various costumes and speaking different dialects. The peaceful co-existence of all ethnic groups altogether represents unity in diversity. The people live under quite diverse geographic conditions, from low land in the south, northwards through the middle hills and valleys to the high Himalayan alpine patches.

Population of Major Ethnic Groups:

Eth. Group	Population
Tamang	1018252
Chhetri	2968082
Chepang	36656
Gurung	449189
Limbu	297186
Muslim	653055
Magar	1339308
Newar	1041090
Rai	525551
Raute	2878
Sherpa	110358
Tharu	1194224
Thakuri	299473
Thakali	13731
Brahman	2388455