The most talked interesting facts about Nepal we all have been aware of is, Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and Mt. Everest lies in Nepal. But there are so many things you need to know about this spectacular country. Not only foreigners, but even many Nepalese citizens aren’t aware of these facts. But no worries, we’re here to let you know about some of the exciting and amazing facts about Nepal.
Table of Contents
Most Interesting Facts about Nepal
Greeting
Saying Namaste by putting two palms together is the standard way of greeting someone in Nepal. Namaste is a traditional way of saying hello to older adults. As a growing child, we learned to say Namaste to the elderly, and elders used to greet us with the same thing. Here in Nepal, if we meet someone and don’t say Namaste, they would not consider us a good person. It is not true that we can say Namaste only to elders; we can do it with youngers as well, which means saying hello with an element of respect towards them. But wait, there is a difference between “Namaste” and “Namaskar.”
What’s the difference between Namaste and Namaskar?
Namaste is used by elders of the same age group or younger, and youngers use Namaskar for elders. But some people say Namaste is used to greet one person and Namaskar for multiple people. And some say the one who first greets say Namaste, and another one who replies saying “Namaskar” with an element of respect. Different forms are applied in other parts of Nepal.
Hinduism is the most practiced religion
Nepal is the country with “Hindu” as the most practiced religion in the world. According to the 2011 census, about 21,551,492, which means almost 81.34% of the total population in Nepal practice the Hindu religion, which is the highest percentage of Hindus of any country in the world. The most influenced ethnic groups in Nepal by Hindu religions are Bahun, Chhetri, Newari, Thakuri, Madhesi, etc. That is why Dashain, Tihar, Teej, Maghe Sakranti are regarded as the major festivals in Nepal.
A country with 8/10 Highest Mountain in the world
When it comes to adventure and amazeballs nature, no one can beat Nepal as the ideal destination for these wonders. One of the most interesting facts about Nepal is it is the home to 8 out of 10 highest mountains in the world. This is amazing, isn’t it?
Which are those 8/10 highest mountains in the world?
- Mount Everest – 8,848.86m
- Kangchenjunga – 8,586m
- Lhotse – 8,516m
- Makalu – 8,485m
- Cho Oyu – 8,188m
- Dhaulagiri I – 8,167m
- Manaslu – 8,163m
- Annapurna I – 8,091m
The deepest gorge on this earth
Only a few people know about these facts that Kali Gandaki Gorge is the deepest gorge in the world where its actual depth is still unknown, but the estimated depth is roughly about 6,000 meters deep. The gorge is surrounded by the spectacular Himalayas and lies in a sacred place. The gorge sits between two beautiful giant mountains, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.
Calendar and Time difference
Nepal Standard Time (NPT) is 5:41:16 ahead of UTC, which is the standard Time of Nepal. Nepali Time is 15 minutes ahead of Indian Time.
Nepal follows Bikram Samwat (BS), which is established by Indian Emperor Vikramaditya which is used in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. It is a lunar calendar based on Hindu tradition, which is 56.7 years ahead of the Georgian Solar Calendar. Nepal celebrates New Year in the first of Baishakh that falls in mid-April.
Everyday Meal in Nepal
Agree or not, the most famous thing in Nepal is Dal Bhat for sure because it’s a daily meal for all Nepalese people. You may live in any country in the world, maybe France or Brazil or Turkey or Japan; if you’re Nepali, you need Dal Bhat to satisfy your stomach. One of my friends used to tell me, “Whatever I eat outside, whether it is Pizza, Momo, Burger, or anything else, I need Dal Bhat at the end of the day to feel complete.” I’m sure almost every Nepalese feels the same. This is one of the craziest facts about Nepal many foreigners don’t know.
The uniqueness of the Nepali Flag
I think everyone in the world has to study other country’s capital and flag and’ve noticed the Nepali flag’s uniqueness. In case if you haven’t, you can google it and see. The uniqueness of the Nepali flag consists of two united triangular shapes. The crimson red color on the flag shows bravery, and blue represents peace and harmony. There are two emblems in it which are the sun and moon.
Over 80 Ethnic Groups and 123 Languages
Nepal is a secular state with more than 80 ethnic groups and 123 languages. As per 2011 census, Chhetri is the largest ethnic groups in Nepal having 16.6% (4,398,053) of the total population. Similarly Brahman(12.2% – 3,226,903), Tamang (5.8% – 1,539,830), Newar (5% – 1,321,933), Kami (4.8% – 1,258,554), Musalman (4.4% – 1,164,255), Yadav (4% – 1,054,458), Magar (7.1% – 1,887,733), Tharu (6.6% – 1,737,470), and Rai (2.3% – 620,004).
The official language of Nepal is Nepali. More than 44%(11,826,953) of people in Nepal speak Nepali as their first language followed by Maithili 11.67%, Bhojpuri 5.98%, Tharu 5.77%, Tamang 5.11%, Newari 3.20%, Bajjika 2.99%, Magar 2.98%, Doteli 2.97%, etc.
The Living Goddess “Kumari”
In Nepali, Kumari means living goddess, a girl chosen from the Newari Buddhist community’s Shakya caste. According to specific festivals such as Navaratri or Durga Puja, the Kumari is selected for one day and worshiped throughout a year. Kumari is selected as children, and they live in temples. During festivals, they are carried in chariots and worshipped by thousands of Hindus and Buddhists. One can not usually be a Kumari past the age of 16 because of menarche, and when her Time’s over, they find new Kumari using the same process.
Birthplace of Lord Buddha
If you ask any random Nepali to talk about Nepal, this is the one fact about Nepali every Nepali would tell. Lumbini happens to be the birthplace of Lord Budhha. Born in 623 BC, the Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha’s birthplace, is one of Nepal’s most visited pilgrimage sites. After a couple of centuries of his death, he came to be known as “Budhha,” which means “Awakened One” or “Enlightened One.”
Independent Country
Do you know why Nepal never celebrates Independence Day? Because Nepal has never been occupied. King Prithvi Narayan Shah unified the kingdom of Nepal in 1768. This is another fact you need to know about Nepal.
These are some of the most interesting facts about Nepal you need to know. Apart from these 11 facts, there are hundreds of things you need to know about Nepal. Stay tuned, be updated with our blog. We’ll bring you everything you need to know about this most spectacular country in the world. Which fact about Nepal do you find the most interesting? What are your thoughts on these interesting facts about Nepal?
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