| Page Views: 2,126 Last Visit to Nepal: 2007 I Used To Live Here | Beautiful Nepal by urvashi123 - last update: May 8, 2008 |
History | Ex P M of Nepal Mathbar Singh Thapa |
Nepal’s early history is so intertwined with legend, that it is sometimes almost impossible to separate fact from myth. A good example of this mingling of fact and fiction is the legend about the origin of the Kathmandu Valley. Legend has it that the Kathmandu Valley was once a large lake surrounded by mountains. It was known as Nag Hrat – ‘Tank of Serpents’ – as nagas or magical snake-beings were said to guard treasure lying at the bottom of the lake. The Buddha dropped a lotus seed into this lake, and it bloomed into a thousand-petalled lotus of blazing light. Centuries later, the Boddhisatva Manjushri arrived from the north and with a single stroke of his Sword of Wisdom, cut a gorge in the mountainous ring around the lake. The waters of the lake rushed out, leaving a flat and fertile bowl that is Kathmandu today. Whether it was really Manjushri who created the valley is also a matter of controversy. The Hindu belief is that it was Krishna who created the valley by throwing a thunderbolt that created the Chobar Gorge. Legend aside, the scientific view is that the valley was actually under water once and that its rivers do flow southward through the Chobar Gorge.* |
|  | Dashain Festival of Nepal This festival is prevalent from ancient time
The Dashain festival , which is the most important festival of Nepal falls usually during the month of September and October,each year.This festival is consisting of ninedays is celeberated in various ways all over our country ,depending on the locality.for many castes and regions ,the "Dashain"ends on the ninth day (Nauratha)after keeping a fast and puja.There is a huge sacrificial ceremoney,all over the country in many different temples of goddess Durga.For the Nepalese after the ninth day ,on the tenth day of the festival known as "Dashami",we put tika from our elders ,as a blessing and booty of the goddess Durga.This tika ceremoney continues for days untill the full moon ("Purnima").During this ceremoney ,after putting tika at home from one's parents ,they go to their various maternal and paternal family members to receive tika and blessing .When an elder puts tika on your forehead he or she gives you his blessing and some money which is known as ("Dakshina ") . |
| Shree 3 Junga Bahadur Rana |
| | Rana Rulers of Nepal Nepal is proud of never having been colonized by a foreign power, but for 104 years, it was ruled by a dynasty considered more despotic than the British Empire ever was. The Rana dynasty, founded by the dashing Jung Bahadur Rana (nee Kunwar) took ambition to new heights. After assassinating his own uncle, Jung Bahadur ordered the notorious Kot Massacre of 1846, in which over a hundred courtiers were slaughtered. He deposed the weak Shah ruler and placed the young crown prince as a figurehead on the throne. He proclaimed himself Prime Minister, then maharaja, made the post hereditary, and adopted the name Rana, based on a claim to descent from Indian Rajput royalty. Having thus improved his caste, he proceeded to intermarry his many children with members of the Shah royalty, thereby increasing his personal and political connections. For the next century, the Shah kings were indulged but kept away from active politics. The Ranas, in the mean time, treated the country like their private estate. The people lived in poverty as national revenues went into supporting the luxurious lifestyles of the rulers. Living conditions were medieval. Progress was viewed with suspicion and a threat to the rulers. As a result, there was no public education, medical care or transportation beyond porters and foot-tracks. There was one hospital and one college. Both these institutions were viewed as personal gifts of the rulers. Until as recently as 1951, when Nepal finally opened its borders to the outside world, the national literacy rate was 2 per cent.
To their credit, however, the Ranas abolished sati (the practice of burning widows on their husband’s funeral pyres) and ended forced labor.
In 1850, Jung Bahadur defied Hindu caste laws by sailing to England to visit Queen Victoria. He was so impressed by the glory of Europe that he returned to construct the Thapathali palace that was destroyed in the 1934 earthquake. His infatuation with European baroque had a far-reaching impact on the Kathmandu landscape. Elaborate palaces were constructed from clay, brick and plaster. Carrera marble, Belgian chandeliers, gilded mirrors and furniture were imported from Europe and carried over the mountains by sweating teams of porters. Singha Durbar, built by Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher in 1901, was one of the greatest palaces, and once the largest in Southeast Asia. It had 17 interlocking courtyards containing 1,700 rooms, each glittering with marble, crystal and showy furniture.Hunting (shikar) in the private game reserve of Chitwan was a favorite pastime. The Ranas bagged incredible numbers of endangered species. Prime Minister Juddha Shamsher alone shot 433 tigers, 53 rhinos and 93 leopards over the course of seven seasons.The Ranas developed a close relationship with the British, based on the understanding that they would supply high-performance Gurkha mercenaries to the British in exchange for non-interference in their internal affairs. Dramatic changes began taking place in the region after the Second World War. India gained its independence and China annexed Tibet. This sent thousands of Tibetan refugees into Nepal, which became a buffer zone between the two Asian giants. Nepal could not stay oblivious to this upheaval for long. One Rana tried to move towards a more liberal political system. Another was in favor of giving the center greater control. Finally, the Nepali Congress Party was established under the charismatic B.P Koirala, with support from the ruling Indian Congress Party, many Nepalis, and even some members of the Rana family.The Rana era ended when King Tribhuvan re-established Shah dynastic rule in 1951. Now facing hard times, members of the Rana family sold off their old palaces, many of which have been converted into government offices or hotels. Others like Singha Durbar were demolished or devastated by fire. However, the Ranas have not lost their influence completely. Many of them are still active in the military and the present king and queen are both descendents of Jung Bahadur Rana.* |
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| Pros: | "Very peaceful people, indiffrent to the world ,and surrounded by many tribes and cultures,and completely gifted by nature." | | Cons: | "Right now politically insecure, economically downtrodden, and awaiting an outlet ." | | In A Nutshell: | "Very beautiful and natural ,one of the worlds top most tourist attraction ." |
urvashi123's Nepal Travel Tips
 Comments for urvashi123 about Nepal | | | | |
giampiero6 Fri May 23, 2008 17:15 UTC
Nepal has always been a dream destination for my dad and me. Loved reading this page! Thanks! | Ekahau Sat May 10, 2008 15:15 UTC
very nice and useful information I like the Tika ceremony | Jackiekg Sun Mar 30, 2008 09:30 UTC
Thanks for visiting my page. Your info on Nepal is very detailed and interesting, especially your local customs. | matt10gonzalez Wed Mar 26, 2008 03:12 UTC
Your country too Urvashi! It's also a beautiful place with many things to explore! I really have to go here before I die and see Pokhara, climb the mountains, wow!! I'm dreaming! :) |
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