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Friday 26 August 2016

Nepal

The name Nepal is first recorded in texts from the Vedic Age (c. 1500 – c. 500 BC), the era that founded Hinduism, the country's predominant religion. It was first mentioned in the late Vedic Atharvaveda Pariśiṣṭa as a place exporting blankets.

Prince Gautama Siddhartha (563BC- 483BC) known to us as Buddha was born in Lumbini, SW Nepal at the foot of the mountains. A sacred garden and shrine was established in Lumbini by the Nepalese government in 1970.

Lumbini, birthplace of Gautama Buddha By  Dharma from Penang, Malaysia

Nepal existed as a unified kingdom for 240 years, from its establishment by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768 to the abolition of the monarchy in 2008. During this period, the Shah dynasty ruled the country, although power dynamics shifted, with the Rana family holding significant influence for some time.

The Treaty of Sugauli was signed on March 4, 1816 between the East India Company and Guru Gajraj Mishra. This treaty marked the end of the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816) and resulted in the territorial demarcation between the two nations. The British gained control of territories in the Terai region, while Nepal retained its independence.

The Nepal-Britain Treaty of 1923, signed on December 21, 1923, was a pivotal moment in Nepal's history. It was indeed the first treaty to formally recognize Nepal as an independent and sovereign state in the international arena. This marked a significant shift from Nepal's previous relationship with the British, which had been more ambiguous and subject to interpretation.

Crown Prince Dipendra shot dead his father, King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishwarya and eight other members of the royal family on June 1, 2001. Dipendra then shot himself but was crowned king while in a coma before he died three days later. Official reports state that the massacre was caused by Dipendra's anger at being denied his choice of bride.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed on November 21, 2006, between the government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), ending a decade-long civil war. 

On December 28, 2007, an interim constitution was promulgated in Nepal, marking the end of the monarchy and the beginning of the country's transition to a federal democratic republic. Subsequently, in April 2008, Nepal held its first Constituent Assembly election, and on May 28, 2008, the Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a federal democratic republic, officially ending the centuries-old monarchy. The Prime Minister does not serve as the head of state in Nepal; instead, the President holds that position.

The Narayanhiti Palace. By Suraj Belbase 

Until the abolition of the monarchy, Nepal was the world's only country to have Hinduism as its state religion; the country is now formally a secular state

12 of the world's 18 highest mountain peaks are in Nepal. including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth.

New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary and Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first persons to summit Mt Everest in Nepal in 1953.

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay 

After climbing Everest Edmund Hillary devoted his life to digging wells and building schools and hospitals for the Sherpas in Nepal.

The Nepalese call Mount Everest “Sagarmatha” which means “forehead of the sky”.

Nepal is the only country in the world to have non-quadrilateral flag – it has two triangular pennants, one on top of the other.

The flag has its dimensions specified by law. The rectangle circumscribing the flag has an irrational ratio that is the least root of a quartic polynomial. It is so complicated that the constitution of Nepal includes 24-step instructions on how to create it.

Flag of Nepal

The capital city of Nepal is Kathmandu which has a population of over two million people.

The Republic of Nepal has given no names to its seven provinces, only serial numbers.

Gurkhas are mercenary soldiers native of Nepalese nationality. The word derives from the Nepali word "Go Raksha " which means cow protection.

Nepal was the first country in Asia to introduce gay marriage.


In Nepal, there are trained birds that will fly with you as you go parahawking.

Source Daily Express

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