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Birthday of Lord Buddha, Maha Shivaratri,
Nag Panchami (Festival of Serpent God), Gaijatra (Cow
festival) and Durga Puja are a few of the important
festivals.
The cultural scene here is a colourful blend of
traditions, festivals, faiths and doctrines. Although
Hinduism is the dominant religion here, the people have
absorbed influences from Hindusim, Buddhism and other
religions into their faith. Nepali is the national language
and is written in Devnagari script. Hindi and
English are also spoken. Shopping for artefacts in
Kathmandu is a fascinating experience. A journey through
crooked, timeworn streets flanked by irregular, multi-roofed
pagodas, stupas and stone sculptures takes you
into a number of small shops cluttered with horrific
masks, spinning prayer wheels, thangka scrolls and Tibetan
carpets and other handicrafts. Muttered chants,
esoteric Tantric hymns and Nepalese music, the twang of a
four-stringed Sarangi or the plaintive notes of a
flute, hang heavily in the air. Traditional folk musicians
or Gaines gather for an evening of singing and
socializing. Classical dancing and trance-like
masked dances enliven the Kathmandu Valley and Bhaktapur
regions. No wedding would be complete without the boisterous
damais - Nepal's modern ensembles. Officially Nepal is a
Hindu country but the majority of Nepalese practise the
principles of both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs with a
pantheon of Tantric deities tagged on |
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Culture
