Sunday, July 22, 2012

The Reason Behind Cultural Diversity In Nepal


We know that culture is the manmade part of environment and is ever going in its encounter with natural forces and human civilization. It may get changed due course of time. People, while tackling with nature and its phenomena, develop culture on their own. Cultural diversity has been an identity for Nepalese people to have international recognition.
Nepal, a developing country of South-Asia,, has diversity in multiple aspects. Having diverse landscape extending from 70m(Kechankelan) up to   8,848m(Mt. Everest) height from sea level, the climatic condition is also diverse. Being divided into three ecological zones viz. Himalayan, Hilly and Terai, people living here are of multi-caste from Mechi to Mahakali. People living here are directly affected by climatic condition, geographical situation, availability of natural resources, bordering countries and their access with outer world.
Cold climatic condition and difficult topography has determined the cultural practices of the people living in the Himalayan region. Not only this but also because of their interaction with Tibetan people, their culture has proximity with Chinese culture. Rituals performed from birth to death, the food they eat, the cloths they wear and many more practices differ from hilly and terai region. As Bhotiyas has nearness with Tibetans, cultural practices of Terai people contradicts Indian practices. In the same way, their usual behaviors are affected by temperature as well as topography.
Having been the common garden of more than 115 castes, Nepal is rich in culture, for cultural practices differ among castes, religious group and people of different region. But because of western influence, Nepali cultures are in the verge of extinction: hybridization of culture has started nowadays. Nepal has become the destination of billions of people for its cultural and natural richness.

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