1.
Nepali language
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Nepali, originally known as Khas Kura, Parbate Bhasa or Gorkhali, is an Indo-Aryan language. It is the language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal. It is also spoken in parts of India, particularly by Indian Gorkha. In India, Nepali language is listed in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India having a status in the Indian state of Sikkim. Nepali developed in proximity to a number of Indo-Aryan languages, most notably the Pahari languages and Magahi, however, owing to Nepals geographical area, it has also been influenced by Tibeto-Burman languages. Nepali is mainly differentiated from Central Pahari, both in grammar and vocabulary, by Tibeto-Burman idioms owing to close contact with the language group. Nepali language shares 40% lexical similarity with the Bengali language, in the nineteenth century, the British resident at Kathmandu Brian Houghton Hodgson observed that it was, in eight-tenths of its vocabulary, substantially Hindi. Historically, the language was first called the Khas language, then Gorkhali or Gurkhali before the term Nepali was adopted, in 1920, during Rana regime in Nepal, the term Nepal which resembled the Nepal Mandala was taken from its people. Soon after that, Nepal Bhasa was renamed into Newari and Parbate/Khas language took over as Nepali language, other names include Parbatiya and Dzongkha Lhotshammikha. It is also known as the Khey language or Partya language among the Newar people and Pahari language among Madhesi, however, due to protests for identity, Newars have restored their languages name as Nepal Bhasa and voices have been raise to re-instate Parbate language in its original name. Nepali developed a significant literature within a period of a hundred years in the 19th century. This literary explosion was fueled by Adhyatma Ramayana, Sundarananda Bara, Birsikka, a collection of folk tales. The contribution of trio-laureates Lekhnath Paudyal, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, the contribution of expatriate writers outside Nepal, especially in Darjeeling and Varanasi in India, is also notable. In the past decade, there have been many contributions to Nepali literature from the Nepali diaspora in Asia, Europe, America, according to the 2011 national census,44.6 percent of the population of Nepal speaks Nepali as a first language. The Ethnologue website reports 12,300,000 speakers within Nepal, Nepali is traditionally spoken in the Hill Region of Nepal, especially in the western part of the country. Although the Newar language dominated the Kathmandu valley, Nepali is currently the most dominant, Nepali is used in government and as the everyday language of a growing portion of the local population. Nevertheless, the use of Nepali in the courts and government of Nepal is being challenged. Recognition of other languages in Nepal was one of the objectives of the Communist Party of Nepals long war
2.
Nepalis
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Nepalis, also referred to as Nepalese, are the Indo-Aryan and Sino-Tibetan citizens of Nepal under the provisions of Nepali nationality law. The country is home to people of different national origins. As a result, people of Nepal do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, although citizens make up the majority of Nepalese, non-citizen residents, dual citizen, and expatriates may also claim a Nepalese identity. Nepalese are descendants of migrants from parts of India, Tibet, and parts of Burma and Yunnan, Nepal is a multicultural and multiethnic country. Kathmandu Valley, in the hill region, constitutes a small fraction of the nations area but is the most densely populated. Local legends say that a Hindu sage named Ne established himself in the valley of Kathmandu in prehistoric times and it is mentioned in Vedic texts that this region was called Nepal centuries ago. According to the Skanda Purana, a rishi called Ne or Nemuni used to live in the Himalayas, in the Pashupati Purana, he is mentioned as a saint and a protector. He is said to have practised meditation at the Bagmati and Kesavati rivers, the name of the country is also identical in origin to the name of the Newar people. The terms Nepāl, Newār, Newāl and Nepār are phonetically different forms of the same word, Nepal is the learned Sanskrit form and Newar is the colloquial Prakrit form. It has been suggested that Nepal may be a Sanskritization of Newar, according to another explanation, the words Newar and Newari are vulgarisms arising from the mutation of P to V, and L to R
3.
Maitighar
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Maitighar is a classic 1966 Nepali film directed by B. S. Thapa. It was the third Nepali film produced and the first under a private banner, the main story about the movie is love for homeland. It had many Indians contributing towards the making of the film - actors, the place where the office for film shooting was established in Kathmandu, Nepal has been named Maitighar after the movie. The music was scored by Jaidev, a veteran music maestro, lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar, Manna Dey and Geeta Dutt did the playback singing, along with Nepali singers Prem Dhoj Pradhan, C. P. Lata Mangeshkar sang a Nepali song that was penned by the late King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal, songs of Maitighar Maitighar Lyrics List of Nepalese films Cinema of Nepal
4.
Dhaka
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Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the worlds most populated cities, with a population of 17 million people in the Greater Dhaka Area and it is also the 3rd most densely populated city in the world. Located in a district and division, it lies along the east bank of the Buriganga River in the heart of the Bengal delta. The city is a microcosm of the country, with diverse religious. Dhaka is the economic, cultural and political center of Bangladesh and its name was romanized as Dacca until the current spelling was adopted in 1983. It is the largest city in the Bengal region and it is also a major city of South Asia and among the OIC states. The old city of Dhaka was the Mughal capital of Bengal, the citys name was Jahangir Nagar in the 17th century. It was a commercial center and the hub of the worldwide muslin. The city hosted two important caravansaries of the subcontinent, the Bara Katra and Choto Katra, located on the riverfront of the Buriganga, the Mughals decorated the city with well-laid out gardens, tombs, mosques, palaces and forts. Dhaka became known as the City of Mosques in Bengal and it was also described as the Venice of the East. The old city was home to various Eurasian merchant groups, at the height of its medieval glory, Dhaka was regarded as one of the wealthiest and most prosperous cities in the world. It was central to the economy of Mughal Bengal, which generated 50% of Mughal GDP, modern Dhaka developed from the late 20th century under the administration of East Pakistan. Between 1905 and 1912, it was the capital of British Eastern Bengal, in 1947, after the region became known as Pakistan, it became the administrative capital of the eastern wing of Pakistan. It was declared as the capital of Pakistan in 1962. In 1971, it became the capital of an independent Bangladesh, the city has endured periods of famine, war and natural calamities. It continues to confront challenges faced by growing metropolises in developing countries, including poverty, Dhaka is home to thousands of Bangladeshi businesses and the offices of many international corporations. The Dhaka Stock Exchange is one of the largest in South Asia in terms of trading volume and it hosts several major arts festivals, including the annual Ekushey Book Fair, the Dhaka Literature Festival and the biannual Dhaka Art Summit. The city has the largest number of cycle rickshaws and is known as the Rickshaw Capital of the World, Dhakas highly popular cuisine features distinctive biryanis, kebabs and bakarkhanis as a legacy of its rule by the Mughals and the Nawabs of Dhaka
5.
Bangladesh
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Bangladesh, officially the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It shares land borders with India and Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and China are located near Bangladesh but do not share a border with it. The countrys maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal is roughly equal to the size of its land area, Bangladesh is the worlds eighth most populous country. Dhaka is its capital and largest city, followed by Chittagong which has the countrys largest port, Bangladesh forms the largest and eastern part of the Bengal region. Bangladeshis include people of different ethnic groups and religions, Bengalis, who speak the official Bengali, make up 98% of the population. The politically dominant Bengali Muslims make the nation the worlds third largest Muslim-majority country, most of Bangladesh is covered by the Bengal delta, the largest delta on Earth. The country has 700 rivers and 8,046 km of inland waterways, highlands with evergreen forests are found in the northeastern and southeastern regions of the country. Bangladesh has many islands and a coral reef and it is home to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. The countrys biodiversity includes a vast array of plant and wildlife, including critically endangered Bengal tigers, the Greeks and Romans identified the region as Gangaridai, a powerful kingdom of the historical subcontinent, in the 3rd century BCE. Archaeological research has unearthed several ancient cities in Bangladesh, which had trade links for millennia. The Bengal Sultanate and Mughal Bengal transformed the region into a cosmopolitan Islamic imperial power between the 14th and 18th centuries, the region was home to many principalities which had inland naval prowess. It was also a center of the worldwide muslin and silk trade. As part of British India, the region was influenced by the Bengali renaissance, the Partition of British India made East Bengal a part of the Dominion of Pakistan, and was renamed as East Pakistan. The region witnessed the Bengali Language Movement in 1952 and the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, after independence, a parliamentary republic was established. A presidential government was in place between 1975 and 1990, followed by a return to parliamentary democracy, the country has also been affected by poverty, natural disasters, hunger, dominant party systems and military coups. Bangladesh is a power and a major developing nation. Listed as one of the Next Eleven, it has the 46th largest economy and it is one of the largest textile exporters in the world. Its major trading partners are the European Union, the United States, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, with its strategically vital location between Southern, Eastern and Southeast Asia, Bangladesh is an important promoter of regional connectivity and cooperation
6.
Mahendra of Nepal
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Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was King of Nepal from 1955 to 1972. Mahendra was born 11 June 1920 to King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal, although Tribhuvan was nominally king since 1911. Mahendra was captive in Narayanhity Royal Palace, virtually a gilded cage, in 1940 he married Indra Rajya Laxmi Devi, daughter of General Hari Shamsher Rana. They had three sons, Birendra, Gyanendra, Dhirendra and three daughters Shanti, Sharada, and Shobha, Crown Princess Indra died in 1950. In 1952, Mahendra married Indras younger sister, Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi, meanwhile, popular discontent and the British withdrawal from India in 1947 had made Rana rule increasingly untenable. In 1950 the political situation had deteriorated so far that the safety of the royals was in doubt. Tribhuvan and most of his family escaped to India, open revolt ensued and by the end of the year the Ranas agreed to a coalition government under Tribhuvan in which they shared power equally with the Nepali Congress Party. By the end of the year the Ranas were maneuvered out, tribhuvans health was poor and he died in 1955. Mahendra succeeded Tribhuvan as King of Nepal and he was crowned on 2 May 1956. Mahendra instituted a Panchayat hierarchical system of village, district and national councils and he pursued a foreign policy of neutrality between China and India. Political parties were outlawed and all prominent political figures, including the Prime Minister were put behind bars, civil liberties were curtailed and press freedom muzzled. King Mahendra, then, through an ‘exercise of the sovereign power, the political system was a party-less guided democracy in which the people could elect their representatives, while real power remained in the hands of the monarch. The Panchayat System was formulated by King Mahendra after overthrowing the first democratically elected government, on 26 December 1961, King Mahendra appointed a council of 5 ministers to help run the administration. Several weeks later, political parties were declared illegal, Mahendra implemented a land reform policy, which provided land to many landless people. The Mahendra Highway that runs along the entire Terai belt in southern Nepal was constructed during his reign and he launched the Back to the Village National Campaign in 1967 which was one of his largest rural development efforts. He also played a key role in making Nepal a member of the United Nations in 1955, King Mahendra was appointed as a British Field Marshal in 1960. King Mahendra and the Queen Ratna were greeted by the then President of USA, Lyndon B Johnson, the royal couple of Nepal was greeted with the guard of honor. His son Birendra assumed the throne on 24 February 1975 but perished in the Nepalese royal massacre on 1 June 2001, United Kingdom, Royal Victorian Chain,26 February 1961 Philippines, Collar of the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Raja,1971
7.
Dashain
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It is the longest and most anticipated festival in Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and North Indian hills. People return from all parts of the world, as well as different parts of the country, among the fifteen days on which it is celebrated, the most important days are the first, seventh, eighth, ninth and the tenth. It is celebrated with only slight differences and interpretations, where each nine days Navaratri leading up to the 10th day called Dashami carry special importance, the goddess Durga and her various manifestations are especially worshiped by Hindu Newars throughout the Shaktipeeths of Kathmandu Valley. Dashain symbolizes the victory of good over evil, for followers of Shaktism, it represents the victory of the goddess Parvati. In Hindu mythology, the demon Mahishasura had created terror in the devaloka, the first nine days of Dashain symbolize the battle which took place between the different manifestations of Durga and Mahishasura. The tenth day is the day when Durga finally defeated him, for other Hindus, this festival symbolizes the victory of Ram over Ravan as recounted in the Ramayana. Ghaṭasthāpanā marks the beginning of Dashain, literally, it means placing a kalasha or a pot, which symbolizes Durga. Ghaṭasthāpanā falls on the first day of the festival, on this day the kalasha is filled with holy water which is then covered with cow dung and sewn with barley seeds. Then the kalasha is put in the center of a rectangular sand block, the remaining bed of sand is also seeded with grains. The priest then starts the puja by asking Durga to bless the vessel with her presence and this ritual is performed at a certain auspicious time which is determined by the astrologers. The goddess is believed to reside in the vessel during navratri, the room where all this is done is known as the Dasain Ghar. Traditionally, outsiders and women are not allowed to enter it, a male family member worships the kalasha twice every day, once in the morning and then in the evening. But the coming of time has brought about women empowerment and the woman now are equally responsible for doing these rituals. The kalasha is kept away from sunlight and holy water is offered to it every day. This sacred grass is known as jamara and these rituals continue until the seventh day. Fulpati is a major celebration occurring on the day of Dashain. Hundreds of government officials gather together in the Tundikhel grounds in conventional formal dress to witness the event, the Fulpati is taken to the Hanuman Dhoka Royal palace by the time the occasion ends in Tundikhel, where a parade is held. Since 2008, when the family was overthrown, the two-century old tradition is changed so that the holy offering of Fulpati goes to the residence of the president
8.
Tihar (festival)
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Tihar, also known as Deepawali and Yamapanchak, is a five-day-long Hindu festival celebrated in Nepal and in the Indian states of Assam and Sikkim including in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is the festival of lights, as diyas are lit inside and outside the houses to make it illuminate at night and it is popularly known as Swanti among the Newars and as Deepawali among Madhesis. Set in the Vikram Samvat calendar, the festival begins with Kaag Tihar in Trayodashi of Kartik Krishna Paksha, Tihar is the second biggest Nepalese festival after Dashain. The first day of the festival is called Kaag Tihar, crows and ravens are worshiped by offerings of sweets and dishes placed on the roofs of houses. The cawing of crows and ravens symbolizes sadness and grief in Hinduism, so devotees offer crows and ravens food to avert grief, Tihar among Gorkhas represents the divine attachment between humans and other animals. The second day is called Kukur Tihar and it is called the Khicha Puja by the Newars. People offer garlands, tika and delicious food to dogs and acknowledge the relationship between humans and dogs. Dogs occupy a place in Hindu mythology. As mentioned in the Mahabharata, Bhairava, a manifestation of Lord Shiva, had a dog as a vahana. Yama, the god of death, is believed to own two guard dogs – each with four eyes, the dogs are said to watch over the gates of Naraka, the Hindu concept of Hell. Owing to this belief, this day is observed as Naraka Chaturdashi. The morning of day is Gai Tihar. In Hinduism, cow signifies prosperity and wealth, in ancient times people benefited a lot from the cow. Its milk, dung, even urine was used for purposes like purification, thus, on this day people show their gratefulness to the cow by garlanding and feeding them with the best grass. Houses are cleaned and the doorways and windows are decorated with garlands made of sayapatri, from the third day onward tihar is celebrated with Deusi and Bhailo with light and fireworks. Deusi is mostly sung by the boys while the Bhailo is sung by the girls, Deusi is balladic and tells the story of the festival, with one person narrating and the rest as the chorus. In return the home owners give them money, fruit and selroti, nowadays social workers, politician, and young people visit local homes, sing these songs, and collect funds for welfare and social activities. Coincidentally, Laxmi Puja also marks the birthday of Laxmi Prasad Devkota, on the fourth day of Tihar, there are three different known pujas, depending on the peoples cultural background
9.
Singha Durbar
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Singha Durbar is a palace in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The palace complex lies in the centre of Kathmandu, to the north of the Babar Mahal and Thapathali Durbar and this palace was built by Chandra Shumsher JBR in June 1908. It was built by Shumsher immediately after accession to the post of Prime Minister and it was initially a small private residence, but grew bigger during the construction. Immediately after construction Shumsher sold this property to the Government of Nepal for 20 million Nepali rupee as the residence of Prime minister. After his death in 1929, it was used as the residence of prime ministers of Rana dynasty except Padma Shumsher JBR. The last Rana Prime minister to occupy Singha Durbar was Mohan Shumsher JBR, even after the fall of Rana Dynasty in 1951, Mohan used this place, but in 1953 he was ordered by His Majestys Government to leave the palace which became a National Property. The structure was designed by Kumar Narsingh Rana, Kishor Narsingh Rana, the architecture of the palace is a unique example of merging building traditions, including Palladian, Corinthian, Neoclassical mansions along with Baroque architecture. Before the fire of 1973, Singha Durbar had 7 courtyards and 1700 rooms with marbled floor, painted ceilings, silver furniture, the State Hall is the largest and the most decorated room in this palace. Chandra Shumsher built a theater and named it Gallery Baithak. It is used as a parliament building, after the end of the hereditary Prime Minister system, the government of Nepal used this palace compound to house government offices. The palace compound is occupied by both chambers of the Parliament of Nepal and it holds 20 ministries and government offices. Singh Darbar is also the headquarters of Radio Nepal and Nepal Television, on Monday,9 July 1973, a huge fire broke out in Singha Durbar engulfing all three wings of the palace except the front facing wing. To prevent the front wing from catching fire, cannon destroyed three wings facing North, South and West, after the fire was put out, the whole area was rebuilt on the old foundation. Singha Durbar was seriously damaged during the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and it was designated unsafe and was condemned. Babar Mahal Thapathali Durbar Rana palaces of Nepal
10.
Kukri
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The kukri or khukuri is a Nepalese knife with an inwardly curved blade, similar to a machete, used as both a tool and as a weapon in Nepal. Traditionally it was, and in many cases still is, the utility knife of the Nepalese people. The khukuri often appears in Nepalese heraldry and is used in traditional rituals such as wedding ceremonies. In India, it has also hypothesized that the kukri was the origin of the kopis. Similar instruments have existed in several forms throughout South Asia and were used both as weapons and as tools, such as for sacrificial rituals, burton writes that the British Museum housed a large kukri-like ancient Nepal falchion inscribed with writing in Pali. Among the oldest existing kukri are those belonging to Drabya Shah, the kukri came to be known to the Western world when the East India Company came into conflict with the growing Gorkha Kingdom, culminating in the Gurkha War of 1814–1816. It gained literary attention in the 1897 novel Dracula by Irish author Bram Stoker, all Gurkha troops are issued with two kukri, a Service No.1 and a Service No.2, in modern times members of the Brigade of Gurkhas receive training in its use. The weapon gained fame in the Gurkha War and its use through both World War I and World War II enhanced its reputation among both Allied troops and enemy forces. Its acclaim was demonstrated in North Africa by one units situation report and it reads, Enemy losses, ten killed, ours nil. Elsewhere during the Second World War, the kukri was purchased and used by other British, Commonwealth and US troops training in India, including the Chindits, the notion of the Gurkha with his kukri carried on through to the Falklands War. On 2 September 2010, Bishnu Shrestha, a retired Indian Army Gurkha soldier, alone and armed only with a kukri and he was reported to have killed three of the bandits, wounded eight more and forced the rest of the band to flee. A contemporaneous report in the Times of India, that includes an interview with Shrestha, the kukri is designed primarily for chopping. The shape varies a great deal from being quite straight to highly curved with angled or smooth spines, there are substantial variations in dimensions and blade thickness depending on intended tasks as well as the region of origin and the smith that produced it. As a general guide the spines vary from 5–10 mm at the handle, a kukri designed for general purpose is commonly 40–45 cm in overall length and weighs approximately 450–900 grams. Larger examples are impractical for use and are rarely found except in collections or as ceremonial weapons. Smaller ones are of limited utility, but very easy to carry. Another factor that affects its weight and balance is the construction of the blade, to reduce weight while keeping strength the blade might be hollow forged, or a fuller is created. Kukris are made several different types of fuller including, tin chira, dui chira, angkhola
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