 |
 |
 Visit our main website: http://www.volunteer-nepal.org Cultural Tips Namaste !!! The most common form of salutation is NAMASTE; among the Nepalese is to join the palms of both hands to say NAMASTE or NAMASKAR. Both are Sanskrit words and mean, “I bow to the god in you”. This is an appropriate form of greeting between all castes and ranks of people. Dhanyabaad Don’t be surprised or don’t feel offended when you do not hear the word “thank you” form Nepalese. They do not usually express the word “thank you”- dhanyabaad. But you should feel free to use it if you wish. Relationship Terms Nepali possesses a large number of relationship terms, eg. didi, bahini, daai, bhaai etc. These terms are commonly used even when addressing strangers. If we stopped a man of about our age, or a little older, in the street to enquire the way to the teashop, we might say. e daaju, chiyaa pasal kahaa: chha? - Excuse me (Older brother), where is the teashop? In the same way, a woman might be politely addressed as “didi”. If she is much older than oneself, she would be addressed as “aamaa” or if very much older as “bajyai”. Younger men may be addressed as “bhaai” and younger women as “bahini”. Children are frequently addressed as “naani” or “baabu”. A married woman does not address her husband by his name. She usually refers him by son’s/ daughter’s father or “he”. What to bargain for? In Nepal, it is common to bargain but not for everything. Fruits and vegetables are usually bargained for to a certain extent. Similarly, you can also bargain for clothing, materials, tourist goods, electric goods (thought you won’t get far) and wages for a one-time job. Bargaining should not be done in the common little grocery stores. The Concept of Time The concept of lateness (time) differs from culture to culture and we need to know the difference between the concept of lateness in the west and here in Nepal. In the west, if people are late, you can be quite hostile towards the person who has kept you waiting. In Nepal, if something starts 1-2 hours late, no one is too agitated. Even if it’s cancelled until the next day, no one is too concerned. Hence, often, Nepali may find your anger unacceptable and quite puzzling. Be aware of this! juTho Any food that has touched the lips or tongue is considered juTho (contaminated). It would humiliate a person if such food were offered to him. Nor should the dish containing such food be used again without its being property washed. Only the younger member in one’s family may eat the juTho food. A husband may never be given food contaminated by his wife. A cup or glass from which one has taken a drink must be rinsed with water before it is fit to be used by someone else. Many people pour water from a pot directly into their mouth without touching the pot to their lips. Some Cultural Do’s and Don’ts With its diverse ethnic groups and traditional beliefs, Nepal has numerous cultural practices that may appear unusual to a person one his/her first visit to the country. Therefore, it is important for any foreigner/ expatriate to take into consideration the different cultural aspects of the country to enjoy their stay in Nepal. Here is a list of things, which may be helpful to you. Before entering a Nepalese home, temple, and stupa remember to remove your shoes. Seek permission first before entering a Hindu temple. Many Hindu temples do not allow westerners to enter. Take photographs only after receiving permission for the object or person being photographed. Leather articles are prohibited to be taken inside the temple precinct. Walking around temples or stupa is traditionally done clockwise. While traveling, dress appropriately. Women should especially avoid dressing in skimpy outfits. Public displays of affection between man and woman are frowned upon. Do not do something that is totally alien to our environment. A man does not shake hands with a woman. It is common for a man to walk holding hands with another man. Remember when a person shakes his head from left to right, he may mean, “yes”. Never touch anything with your feet. This is considered an offence among Nepalese. Develop a genuine interest to meet and talk to Nepalese people and respect their local customs. Following things are commonly done in Nepal
The Nepali Calendar The Hindu Lunar Calendar is officially used in Nepal and is known as “Bikram sambat” (abbreviated in written to B.S.) It is named after King Bikramaditya of Ujjyan, who introduced the present era in the year corresponding to 56-57 B.C. Each Nepali month corresponds roughly to the last half and the first half of two Gregorian months. The year begins with the month of “baisaakh”- mid-April to mid-May. The “Bikram Sambat” year can be converted to the corresponding Christian year by subtracting 56 years and 8 ½ months from the former. Thus baisaakh 2056 corresponding to April-May 1999 A.D. When referring to the Vikram calendar, the word “gate” is used with the number indication the date: baisaakh dui gate- the second of Baisaakh. The Gregorian calendar is generally used by International Offices in Nepal. When the Gregorian calendar is used, the word “taarikh” is used with the number. -January ek taarikh – the first of January. The facts about Caste System There are four major castes in Hinduism. In the past Nepalese people were classified in to four major castes. Namely Brahman, Chhetri, Vaishya and Sudra. Brahmins or highest caste are priests and educators, Vaishyas are entrepreneurs, Chhetriyas are warriors and Sudras are the people who are entitled to do low level works (?) like collecting rubbish, serving higher caste people. They were also classified as untouchables. The history of caste system can be traced back to the history in the period of King Jayasthiti Malla in Kathmandu who brought this system in Nepal. Manusmriti in India originally coined the system in early centuries after Christ. The government of Nepal has condemned the caste system and there are official laws prohibiting caste discrimination. The caste discrimination is blurring in the recent time and society is becoming more homogenous. High caste- Brahman priestly caste, teachers Chhetri warriors, rulers, landowners Vaishya traders, businessmen, farmers Low- Sudra carpenters, smiths, washer men, barbers Untouchables- shoe makers, tanners, and tailors The Caste System has a strong connection with Hinduism. It is believed to have been divinely ordained. The hold of religious belief, with its supernatural explanations of caste itself is essential to continuance of the system. A person is born into a particular caste because of his previous actions (Karma) It is everybody’s religious duty to fulfill his caste duties in accordance with his “dharma.” Failure to act according to one’s caste duties meant birth in a lower caste and finally spiritual annihilation. Men of the lower castes are reborn in higher castes if they have fulfilled their duties. It is impossible to change one’s caste status. Once a man is born in a caste, he remains in it for his life and dies in it. So, caste is hereditary. No amount of wealth and no amount of penance or prayer can change his caste status. Status is determined not by vocation but by birth. The choice of mates in caste system is generally endogamous. Members have to marry within their own castes. A member marrying outside his caste is treated as outcaste. The other major groups of people are defined ethnically rather than by caste, such as Magar, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, Gurung, Thakali etc. They do not belong to the caste groups, but are treated as a middle caste. Due to a lack of historic sensitivity, some people treat Newars as a separate ethnic group. Pasni - The rice feeding ceremony: - This ceremony takes place on an auspicious day during the fifth month in case of a female child and the seventh month in case of a male child. On this special day, the child is fed rice pudding with a gold coin. Various kinds of food and other things are also prepared for the occasion. All the relatives of both the father and the mother of the baby are invited and they give food and other presents to the child. Dashain Dashain is the greatest Hindu festival in Nepal. It is celebrated country –wide by all castes with great excitement for fifteen days. This festival is commemorated for the great victory of the gods over the wicked demons and devils that harassed mankind in ancient times. Different forms of durga are worshipped during dashain. Durga is goddess of the supreme energy, the divine mother of the universe, who destroyed the demon king Mahisasur, Families are reunited; houses are kept clean and painted when the festival starts. A number of animals (only the male) are sacrificed in various shrines. Women in colourful dress visit different temples for puja. People enjoy delicious food, children look happy wearing new clothes, playing on the swings, flying kites and playing other fun games. On the tenth day of Dashain called Vijaya Dashamei, people receive tika and blessing from their senior members of the family and relatives. The king of Nepal receives the official tika blessing at the royal palace from the royal Brahman priest as Prasad or blessing from goddess Durga. The facts about Hindu marriage: Hindu marriage is exogamous; marriage is prohibited between individuals sharing certain degree of blood or affinal relationship. Hindus practice endogamy; some restrictions are imposed. The partner is to be selected from the same caste to which a person belongs. Even today, inter-caste marriages are not encouraged. Marriage constitutes the sole responsibility and major obligation of the parents of both the boy ad the girl. Marriage is mutually negotiated by two parties and arranged by parents with the help of a middleman. The horoscopes of both the boy and the girl are compared before marriage. The astrological prediction on the basis of the horoscope of both the boy and the girl can show whether the conjugal life will be happy and lasting. Hindu marriage satisfies not only a biological, social or economic need, but it is also a spiritual obligation, and has divine significance. It is believed that a man and a woman are destined to live together as husband and wife from their previous life. A married woman, whose husband is living, must always wear glass bangles, beads and tika. She must not break the bangles upon her wrist, because that is done only after her husband death. Vermilion “sindur” in a woman’s hair is a sign of marriage. She is theoretically required to apply it daily from powder mixed with some of the original powder presented at the wedding, for as long as her husband is alive. Dowries are given away to the daughter by her parents at the wedding. If they can afford it, they give valuable jewelry and all the expensive items. Although, there is a provision for divorce in Nepalese law, it is not common in the society. A divorced woman is not respected in the society and is often regarded the same as an immoral woman. Here are some common beliefs held by Nepalese people:
Political System in Nepal Nearly 250 years ago, Prithvi Narayan Shah, the king of Gorkha, conquered many small kingdoms and made Nepal one single nation. Following the revolution in 1990 a multi-party democracy was introduced with the king as a constitutional monarch. Nepal is now divided into 205 constituencies on the basis of population. All Nepalese over 18 years of age are eligible to vote. To form a government, a political party must have majority (at least 103) seats in the parliament. There are two houses in Parliament:
2. The Upper House is called the National Assembly and has 60 seats: 10 nominated by the king 5 elected from each of the 5 regions 35 elected from and by the lower house in proportion to the size of the parties. A member’s term is for 6 years and 1/3 are elected or nominated every two years. Summarizing the political situation: Politics in Nepal is still in practice phase. The country did attain multiparty democracy in 1990 and since then the government had been led by parties like Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist Party, UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party etc. But the country was facing many political problems including Maoists. From February 1st 2005, king Gyanendra is ruling over the country by sacking the Deuba’s government and announcing that he is assuming direct powers for three years until the Maoists problem will not be solved. King Gyanendra insists that he is still committed to democracy and multi-party rule. Nepal has always remained a kingdom from early centuries and there has always been impact of King on people of Nepal. Majority of population still has yet to figure out what true democracy has to offer to the country, in last several years general people are being more and more perplexed by the unpredictability and instability of the government. A party as the clear winner with strong motive to develop the country and uplift the life standard of Nepalese people has not been identified yet and it is expected to be so for more years to come. Nepal Communist Party, Maoist is a distinct party with fundamentally different approach to leading the government. It has strongly affected life of the people. Sporadic violence by Maoists has been noted in the country in past few years and there has been bitter fight between the government and the Maoists recently. In our view foreign travelers are not in any way connected to the politics of Nepal. They are respected and safeguarded by both the government and Maoists. However it cannot be denied that there may be some unforeseen incidents, which may cause travelers inconvenience. It strongly is advised to travelers to remain completely unattached to politics of Nepal, but be aware of happenings while they travel in Nepal. Unprejudiced and fair information about politics in Nepal and their impact on travelers will be provided by embassies so you can visit them at the beginning of your stay in Nepal. Some Major Festivals Tibetan New Year – Losar (Jan last week) Nepal though is a small country, is full of diverse ethnic groups and religious festivals. Among the minorities, Tibetans are getting more and more attention amidst the people around the world. Tibetan people tend to live separately and are rarely mixed other group of people. They are strict Buddhist in sense that they do not follow Hindu traditions and festivals. Losar is the Tibetan new year festival and the celebration of festival can be noticed around Boudhanath and Swayambhunath stupa.
Mahashivaratri, Shiva's night at Pashupati (March first week) Shiva is god of destruction, balancing the life cycle of people. Two others being Bramha, the creator, Vishnu, the fosterer. Shiva was imagined to live in deep corner of Himalayas in unknown past, and was active consumer of herbal drugs like Cannabis, Bhang (A drink that instigates and manipulates the state of mind). Though cannabis is not legal in Nepal, Yogis and some old people in Nepal consume them on regular basis as habit. Visitors are requested to stay alert and avoid from buying or consuming Cannabis. It however will not be an offense by visiting the Pashupatinath temple and seeing the festival. Holi, festival of colour and water balloon(March 2nd week) Holi celebrated in Nepal is exactly the same Holi festival in India. People put various colors to each other and enjoy the festival by singing, talking. Visitors are more than welcome to join the festival. However please keep in mind not to get colors in eyes or inhale them as they may have toxic effects.
Bisket Jatra, Nepali New Year, Bhaktapur(April 3rd week) It’s a traditional festival among Newar people in Bhaktapur. The festival is full crowd of people and visitors are suggested to stay aside from movement of crowd and find a vantage place to enjoy the festival.
Rato Machhendranath chariot festival (May 1st week) People in Kathmandu still pray various gods for different purposes. This festival is celebrated for paying tribute to God Machhendranath who saved the valley, when it was in critical drought, by bringing much needed rain. People always expect drop of rain in the day of this festival. A painstaking work of pulling giant cart of god Machhendranath all around the city and people singing and dancing might be interesting to watch.This festival is celebrated mainly in Patan.
Dashain, Nepal's biggest and colorful festival (Oct. 3rd-4th week) Dashain is the greatest festival in Nepal and it is celebrated for 15 consecutive days in the month of October. It also lies in the most seasons in Nepal. Another significance of this festival is, it’s the time when relatives and all family members spend time together no matter where they are in rest of the time in a year. This festival is celebrated to commemorate and honour the victory of the goddess Durga over demons. In the first 10 days of 15, people go to all the temples and worship all gods and goddesses.10th-15th days are for visiting relatives and putting tika. People spend a lot of money for shopping, foods etc and spending time exchanging their experience of life during the whole year, which is very similar to Christmas celebration.
Tihar or Dipawali, festival lights (Nov. 2nd week ) Tihar and Dipawali are festivals celebrated together in Nepal. While Dipawali is exactly same as Diwali festival of light in India, Tihar is the authentic Nepalese festival. The festival is celebrated for 5 days. During these 5 days people burn lights, candles in the evenings. The 5 days are dedicated to various entities important to human society. In first day, crows are worshiped probably respecting their significance, which is not known much. Second day is the day of dogs,when dogs all over the country are worshipped and fed well. Normally dogs are not looked after well by Nepalese people, except for pet dogs. Third day is the day of Cows, which means worshipping Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi. Cows are sacred animals in Nepal, they are considered as the form of goddess Laxmi. Fourth and fifth days are for people themselves. On fourth day especially Newar people celebrate MhaPuja (Worshipping body). It’s the day they pay respect and worship to themselves. Finally fifth day (Kijapuja) is the day for brothers, when sisters respect and worship their brothers. Whole family takes part in the festival. Tihar is a very peculiar festival in Nepal and mainly Newar people around the country celebrate it.
|