Nepal

Nepal draws its sources from the ‘golden lights of its legends ‘. The valley of Kathmandu was an immense lake. A Wiseman stopped by to meditate by its banks. As he meditated he saw the flame of the Supreme Being on a lotus and decided to transform this lake into a city, the soon to be Kathmandu.

Nepal is a narrow piece of land of 150 Km in width and large of 800 Km situated between two strong countries, India and China.

Nepal holds 5 major regions from North to South.

• The Himalayas, with the highest peaks in the world; Everest, Annapurna, Dauhlagiri, Kanchenjunga , etc.

• The plain , heart of the country where are located the largest towns.

• The Mahabaratra a series of mountains reaching 3000m of height.

• The Siwalik, scarsely habitated mountains.

• The Terai, large and flat cultivated land with its well known jungle where one can observe, tigers, rhinoceros, deers, crocodiles birds and many more.

The Habitants. No other country in the world holds such a variety of ethnies in such a small area. This diversityof population is due to threeimportant waves of migration:

• Populations from Burma, Bhutan and Sikkim ( around 2000 years Before Christ)

• Populations from Tibet ( 200 years Before Christ)

• And populations coming from India when the Muslims had taken over India.

  These populations do not stop migrating : Indians, Tibetans…

 27 ethnies are represented in Nepal :

• The Newars, first citizens of the Kathmandu valley,

• The Gurungs, from the region of Pokhara, always welcoming and joyful,

• The Tharus, from the valley of Rapti, great hunters and experienced fishermen,

• The Tamangs, from the periphery of Kathmandu, they have managed to keep their own and ancient beliefs,

• The Sherpas , from the East of the country , a pleasant population living in high altitudes, and

• The Rais, the Thakalis, the Rautes, the Kumals, the Limbus, etc .

 The population is also divided by castes that have been  ‘officially’ abolished.

• The Bhramanes, the priests

• The Chetris, warriors

• The Vayshas peasants and craftsmen

• And so many more till the Untouchables.

The official language is Nepali but many talk Newari and other dialects derived mostly from Tibetan. The main religions are Hinduism and Buddhism that co-exist in perfect harmony. Each and every event is the occasion for a festival: the equinox, full moon , harvesting, monsoon… The festivals are very colourful and lively. The dominant activity in Nepal is the agriculture. Because of its narrow valleys the cultivations are disposed as terraces that slice the mountains up to high altitudes.
The Nepali art is inspired by both Tibetan and Indian art.
The valley of Kathmandu is very rich when it comes to its temples hindus or budhists thanks to the genious art of the Newaris. In the Himalayas the monasteries are decorated with magnificent colours and drawings of all sorts.

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