Nepal culture is marked for its rich diversity Because of Nepal’s vast diversity in altitude that has reflected to our unique culture. The culture of Nepal includes music, dance, art forms, literature, religion and architecture in varied forms. Nepal has numerous ethnic groups and clans, which have a separate and distinct culture of their own. There are many religions that are practiced in this exotic mountainous country. Nepal culture Also being sandwiched between both India and China people exist at different altitudes which also affects the way in which they live their lives and hence their culture. Many of ethnic groups have their own dramatic culture, language and dialects.
Music is an integral part of the cultural heritage of Nepal. Music in all forms is appreciated and adored in the country. Folk music is greatly loved by the Nepali people over modern forms of music. There are influences of Indian and Tibetan music on the music of Nepal.
Another fact of Nepal culture lies in its architecture. There are mainly three types of architectural features that are preferred in Nepal-the pagoda style, the stupa style and the shikhara style. There are several temples, churches, synagogues and Buddhist monasteries in Nepal that are built based on these architectural styles. The culture of Nepal is vividly depicted in these architectural wonders of Nepal.
Apart from music, dance is also a preferred mode of entertainment for the people of Nepal. The religious ceremonies that are celebrated in the country have music and dance as an integral part of their program. Religion is another important part of Nepal’s culture. Hinduism is the primary religion in Nepal, followed by Buddhism and Christianity. There are many festivals, which are celebrated in Nepal and are religious in origin. All these things amalgamated together make a rich cultural heritage of Nepal.
Religion:
Religion in Nepal is not only a system of social coherence based on certain rituals and beliefs. It is the binding force that ties this mountain kingdom together. Religion is an integral and deep-rooted part of Nepalese life. Nepal is only country constitutionally declared Hindu state in the world, but many religions are practice here. A remarkable feature of Nepal is thus the religious homogeneity that exists, particularly between the Buddhist and Hindu communities. The rich cultural heritage of Nepal can be seen in the diverse social customs and frequent socio-religious festivals, which spill into the streets and squares of the cities and villages. There is hardly a day or a place where one can not see the celebration of some sort of festival, however small. You can see that it has its root in distant history. Percentages of religious are in nepal as follows.
1. Hindu: 70%
2. Buddhist: 15%
3. Muslim 5%
4. Others: 10
In Nepal, Hinduism and Buddhism are the two main religions. The two have co-existed down the ages and many Hindu temples share the same complex as, Buddhist shrines. Hindu and Buddhist worshippers may regard the same god with different names while performing religious rites.
Nepal has been declared as a secular country by the Parliament on May 18, 2006. Religions like Hindusim Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Bon are practiced here. Some of the earliest inhabitants like the Kirats practice their own kind of religion based on ancestor worship and the Tharus practice animism. Over the years, Hinduism and Buddhism have been influenced by these practices which have been modified to form a synthesis of newer beliefs.
For centuries the Nepal remained divided into many principalities. Kirats ruled in the east, the Newars in the Kathmandu Valley, while Gurungs and Magars occupied the mid-west. The Kirats ruled from 300 BC and during their reign, emperor Ashoka arrived from India to build a pillar at Lumbini in memory of Lord Buddha. The Kirats were followed by the Lichchhavis whose descendants today are believed to be the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley. During this period, art thrived in Nepal and many of the beautiful woodcarvings and sculptures that are found in the country belong to this era. With the end of the Lichchhavi dynasty, Malla kings came to power in 1200 AD and they also contributed tremendously to Nepal's art and culture. However, after almost 600 years of rule, the kings were not united among themselves and during the late 18th century, Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Gorkha, conquered Kathmandu and united Nepal into one kingdom. Recognizing the threat of the British Raj in India, he dismissed European missionaries from the country and for more than a century, Nepal remained in isolation. During the mid-19th century Jung Bahadur Rana became Nepal's first prime minister to wield absolute power. He set up an oligarchy and the Shah kings remained figureheads. The Ranas were overthrown in a democracy movement of the early 1950s.
Nepalese Society & Religion
Religion occupies an integral position in Nepalese life and society. In the early 1990s, Nepal was the only constitutionally declared Hindu state in the world. There is, however, a great deal of intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Many of the people regarded as Hindus in the 1981 census could, with as much justification, be called Buddhists.
The fact that Hindus worshipped at Buddhist temples and Buddhists worshipped at Hindu temples has been one of the principal reasons adherents of the two dominant groups in Nepal have never engaged in any overt religious conflicts. Because of such dual faith practic,es and mutual respect the differences between Hindus and Buddhists have been in general very subtle in nature.so i love my country.
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