Nepal in rise
Nepal in April 2015 followed by several powerful aftershocks causing loss of life, infrastructure and property in an unimaginable scale. Most mid hill districts of Nepal including Kathmandu valley saw massive devastation. This terrible experience created a sense of urgency among political parties to expedite the constitution writing so that a political process would come to a meaningful conclusion and country can divert all its focus on post disaster reconstruction.
After weeks of zeroing in on most contentious issues, political parties sorted them out paving the way to finalize the constitution. The new constitution of Nepal was promulgated through an overwhelming majority of the votes of CA members on September 20, 2015. With this historic achievement, the decades-long dream of Nepali people to have a constitution made through an elected representative body has now been realized. As per the provisions of the new constitution, elections of the new President, Prime Ministers and some other State positions have been successfully held.
Even though over 92% of energy comes from hydroelectric plants, much of Nepal still suffers power outages for up to 16 hours each day! Most companies and hotels rely on back up generators to run their operations. Take a good headtorch!
We all know that Everest is the highest mountain in the world, but did you know that the Nepali name for Everest is 'Sagarmartha', meaning 'forehead of the sky'?
44.6% of Nepali people speak the office language of Nepali. The more remote populations in Nepal speak a variety of regional languages. At the last census (2011), 123 spoken languages were listed as a mother tongue.
Linked to #8, there are a total of 125 different castes and ethnic groups in Nepal.
The Nepali greeting is not traditionally a handshake but rather put their hands together, bow their heads and say 'Namaste' which translates from the Hindu 'I bow to the divine in you'.
The Yeti – otherwise known as the 'abominable snowman', an ape-like creature, is said to roam Nepal but nobody has seen it!
Cows are the national animal of Nepal and are considered sacred. As we would have pet dogs in the West, many families in Nepal will treat their cow in the same way – taking it for exercise and making sure it has a comfortable room to live in, sometimes connected to the family home.
Given that the cow is sacred, Nepal is one of the only countries in the world to not have a McDonalds. One of the most popular fast foods in Nepal is the Momo which is a type of dumpling with various fillings and can be steamed or fried – delicious!
8 out of the 10 highest mountains in the world are found in Nepal.
The women in the Rana Tharu ethnic group are considered royal. The women still cook the food for their men folk, but serve it to them by pushing the plate with their feet.
The Tharus tribe is indigenous to the low-lands of Nepal. They are the only community in the world to have immunity to malaria. This area of Nepal, close to Chitwan National Park, is one of the only areas of the country to have an issue with malaria carrying mosquitoes.
Most of the artwork found in the traditional Buddhist structures around the country is designed and made by Hindu artisans from the Kathmandu Valley.
Nepal is the oldest independent sovereign country in South Asia.
The glass bead necklaces that Bharmin and Chhetri women wear after marriage are made by Muslim beaders, with glass beads that come from the Czech Republic.
Nepal is country that should be on everyone's travel bucket list. It has so much to offer, from the awe inspiring landscapes, the culture and some of the most friendly people on the planet. I challenge you to visit Nepal and come up with your own list of things people wouldn't know about Nepal. It is a still a country that is steeped in mystery, there is so much for you to discover and I hope that this list has whet your appetite for further exploration!
Oyster offers volunteer teaching programmes in the Kathmandu Valley, as well as being able to organise treks to Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna