Nepal People, Culture and Lifestyle

Nepal People and Culture and Lifestyle.

Nepal is as diverse in her inhabitants as her geography and climate. It will not be an exaggeration to call Nepal a melting pot of races and tribes. Tibeto-Burmans, or Mongoloids from the north, and Indo-Aryans from the south are the two major groups who have inherited many customs from both the sides; and in the course of time have evolved in myriad forms by the influences of the land, climate and available resources. Sherpas are the major inhabitants of high mountains.

The Sherpas have easy access to Tibet for trade and social intercourse and therefore Tibetan influence on their culture and civilization remains distinct. They live by raising animals, and trading .The harsh climate and geography makes life a real challenge up on the mountains. Life here is a delicate balance of hard work and social merrymaking, tempered by a culture deeply steeped in ancient religious traditions. The mid-hills, valleys and river basins are home to various Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan people, for example the Brahmins, Chettris, and Newars. The Brahmins and Chettris inhabit through out the country mainly practicing numerous form of agriculture and animal husbandry. But the Newars, who are more in business, are mainly concentrated in the Katmandu Valley and othersmall and big towns across the country. The Tamangs live in the north central hills. The Rais, Limbus, Chepangs are mainly found in the eastern hills. The Magars, Gurungs, and Thakalis inhabit the central hilly region. They grow different crops and keep animals for their livelihood; and have their own distinct social and cultural patterns.

The Tharus, Kumhals, Brahmins, Rajputs, Danwars, Majhis, Darais, Rajbansis, Statars, Dhimals and Dhangarsare the chief ethnic groups living in the southern palins of Nepal. Most of these ethnics have roots in India. They speak different north Indian dialects - Maithili, Bhojpuri etc. Most of the inhabitants live on agriculture although there are some occupational castes like Majhi ( Fisherman), Kumhal (Potter) and Danuwar (Cart Driver).

As popularly stated by King Prithivi Narayan Shah Nepal is a common garden of four castes and 36 ethnic groups where people have lived in perfect harmony and peace for centuries. This respect for multi- linguality, multi- ethnicity and religious-diversity; among the people of various ethnic, tribal, and social groups living in astonishingly varying physical and social settings; has made Nepal tremendously rich and diverse in her culture despite her poverty, illiteracy and backwardness .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. Nepali culture manifests itself in various forms: religion, festivals, foods, drinks, language, music, dance, songs, folklore, literature and philosophy. Nepal, in short, is a country where art, culture and religion are a part of life of the inhabitants. Nepal has been a feudalistic society and distinctively stratified across class lines so codes of manners, dress, language, rituals, norms of behavior and faiths in various fields of life are the waystolivelife.

Although Nepali people practise different religions, there has never been any conflicts regarding religion. Religious respect and tolerance are very important values to Nepalese.The largest portion is Hindu accounting for about 80 % of the population, approximately 11 percent people are Buddhhists, 10 % Muslim, 4 % Kirat; and the rest are the other religion followers like Christians. Celebrations and festivities are core elemnets of Nepali culture. Nepal is a land of Festivals and rituals. Festivals in Nepal begin with religious significance and end as social events bringing families and friends together. There are more than 50 major festivals celebrated in Nepal throughout the year. Most festivals have religious hue and are related to different Hindu and Buddhist gods and goddesses. Festivals like Vijaya Dashami, Deepawali, Buddha Purnima, Lhosar have national sigificance. Howeve; there are some festivals which have historical significance and others are seasonalcelebrations.For the Nepalese, festivals are not merely the annual spectacles, but also are a living part of their rich cultural heritage. Festivals have brought unity in the evident diversity that exists in Nepal.

Lifestyle in Nepal.

Social life in the village revolves around the family, which is headed by the father. Extended families sometimes break apart as sons separate from parents and brothers from each other in search of additional land. Family property is divided equally among sons at the time of separation. Consequently, family land holdings are extremely fragmented. Villagers often pool resources and labor to implement village-level projects such as irrigation ditches or channels. Rice is the food staple in most parts of the country. Barley, millet, and potatoes are important food staples in the Himalayas. In Nepal women are generally subordinate to men and have less access to education, economic resources, and political power. Their plight, however, varies from one ethnic group to another. Among Tibeto-Nepalese community’s female status is relatively better than in Indo-Nepalese communities. Generally, women work harder and longer than men, taking care of household chores, fetching water and animal fodder, and farming. Women in upper-class families, however, have maids who do household work