Nepalese Students Association

People & Culture of Nepal

The culture of Nepal, the rich cultural heritage, has evolved over centuries. This multidimensional cultural heritage encompasses within itself cultural diversities of various ethnic, tribal, and social groups, located at different altitudes, and is also manifested in various other forms, including music and dance; art and craft; folklores and folktales; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebrations and foods and drinks.

Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia situated in the Himalayas, shares its borders with the People's Republic of China, (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India, and the population of Nepal mainly consist of Tibeto-Burmans, from the north, and Indo-Aryans from the south. This ethnic diversity, and proximity to neighboring giant cultures have also influenced the culture of Nepal, and Nepal has inheritated several customs and cultural practices.

Nepal is blessed with one of the richest cultures in the world. Culture has been called 'the way of life for an entire society'. The statement holds particularly true in case of Nepal where every aspect of life, food, clothing and even occupations are culturally guided. The culture of Nepal includes the codes of manners, dress, language, rituals, norms of behavior and systems of belief.

The culture of Nepal is a unique combination of tradition and novelty. The traditions are followed as they were and new customs are created to keep pace with the changing times. Culture in Nepal is an assemblage of music, architecture, religion and literature. The mountain of Nepal is multi-ethic and multi-lingual. The land is rich with unique cultural groups like Tharu, Yadav, Ahir, Newars and others.

Nepal is a melting pot of many races and tribes. She has population of around twenty-two million, made up of an assortment of races and tribes, living in different regions, wearing different costumes and speaking different languages and dialects. They live under quite diverse environmental conditions from the plains of Terai, northward through the middle hills and valleys and up to the flanks of the great Himalayan range where there are settlements at altitude of up to 4,800m. Farming practices are therefore equally diverse along with life styles and social customs.

The high Himalayan settlements of Tibetan speaking people are found perched precariously on mountain ledges and slopes. Life here is delicate balance of hard work and social merrymaking, tempered by a culture deeply steeped in ancient religious traditions. The best known of the high mountain peoples are the Sherpas who inhabit the central and eastern regions of Nepal. The Sherpas have easy access to Bhot (Tibet) for trade and social intercourse and therefore Tibetan influence on their culture and civilization remains distinct. The midlands are inhabited by various Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan speaking hill and valley people, for example the Brahmins, Chettris, and Newars. While the Brahmins and Chettris are widely distribute through out the country, the Newars are mainly concentrated in the Katmandu Valley and other towns.

The Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Magars, Sunwars, Jirels, Gurungs, Thakalis, and Chepangs are other Tibeto-Burman speaking Mongoloid people found living in the middle hills. They each have their own distinct social and cultural patterns. The Dun valleys and the lowland Terai are inhabited by people such as the Brahmins, Rajputs, Tharus, Danwars, Majhis, Darais, Rajbansis, Statars, dhimals and Dhangars. Though Nepal is a veritable mosaic of dozens of ethnic groups, they are bound together by their loyalty to the institution of Monarchy, and by the ideas of peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance to form one unified nation.

Nepal has a long-standing feudal tradition with the priestly class of Brahmins and the warrior class of Chhetris dominating the caste-based hierarchy. Nepalese also divide themselves into Paharis, Madeshis and Bhotias: hill people, plains folk and those from the northern border respectively. The sure-footed Sherpas and Tamangs live a largely nomadic life in the upper Himalayas. Madeshis are largely of Tibetan-Burmese origin including groups such as the Rais, Limbus, Jirels, Gurungs, Thapalis and Chepangs. The plains-settlers are mostly Indo-Aryan groups like the Tharus, Rajputs, Rajvashis, Dhimlas and Dhangars. Across communities males dominate and male life expectancy is, not surprisingly, higher.

The Newaris, who make up about 4% of the population, are thought to be among the earliest inhabitants of this mountain country. They practice a synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism and Tibetan influences can be seen in their language and art. Newari cuisine and art stands apart from the others. Strong flavours, heavy spice and buffalo meat figure prominently on the table. Newari wall hangings called Paubha paintings are simpler versions of the Tibetan Thanka.

For a long time the inhabitants of the terai, tribes such as the Tharus, Safars, Yadavs, Rajvanshis and Dhimlas and the resident fauna, were protected by marauding hordes of malarial mosquitoes. With the coming of the road (east-west highway), quinine and insect repellent, the terai is now accessible like never before. With the coming of airplanes and canned oxygen, so too are the great Himalayas. Consequently all of Nepal, people, animals, and the land alike, is dealing with the angst of 'development'. There is a sizeable population of Indians and Tibetans in Nepal too. In many cases, they settled generations ago and are now indistinguishable from the indigenous people