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Nepal has a typical monsoonal two - season a
year. There is a dry season from October to May and there is the
wet season, the monsoon, from June to September. September -
November, the start of the dry season, is in many ways the best
time of the year in Nepal. When monsoon just ends, the
countryside is green and lush. Nepal is at its most beautiful
and during this season there are plenty of colorful festivals to
enjoy.
People, Culture, Religion & Language Nepal's 21milion population
is comprised of diverse ethnic groups having their own languages
and cultures. The Newars, who are acclaimed for their unique
artistry and culture, dominate the Kathmandu Valley, whereas the
Sherpas, who are renowned more for their mountaineering skill,
inhabit in the northern mountains. Brahmins and Chhetris, two of
the nation's most dominant communities, are almost everywhere,
and the Tamangs, Rais, Limbus, Magars and Gurungs - the ethnic
groups known more as brave Gurkha soldiers - dwell mostly in
mid-hills. Maithili, Tharu, Bhojpuri and other ethnic
communities have their dwellings in the Terai plains.
Nepal has always been a dividing line between civilization and
cultures, and a cross roads for the flow of commerce and culture
between them, where the plains of the subcontinent climb up to
the high plateau of Tibet, the languages and people of India
give way to those of China and the Hindu religion blends into
Buddhism. Nepal, the land at the margin, is often a complex
blend of the two influences and this variation is further
complicated by the diversity of ethnic groups within the
country.
Religious practice is an important part of the Nepalese way of
life. Two main religions are dominant in Nepal: Hinduism and
Buddhism. Hinduism is made up of thousand of gods and goddesses.
Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva are three major Gods, but each has a
complex tapestry of manifestations and incarnations. Each deity
also has a vehicle, which is often seen kneeling faithfully
outside the shrine. Buddhism is the second major religion in
Nepal. Shakyamuni Buddha, who was born in Nepal around 6th
century BC, is the founder of Buddhism. The great Buddhist
Stupas of Swoyambhu and Bauddha in the Kathmandu Valley are
among the oldest and most beautiful worship sites in Nepal.
Nepali, like Hindi, is written in the Dev-nagari script. It is
Nepal's national language, apart from being the lingua franca of
the country's divergent communities that speak mutually
unintelligible language and dialects. English is also widely
spoken and understood in urban areas. In Tourism sector people
speaks English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and
other foreign languages. |