SPIRIT OF NEPAL : WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT

In footsteps of the mountains 

  

lies the land of Buddha where the stories of bravery, peace and harmony can clearly be witnessed. This is none other than the land of Nepal. A small yet beautiful nation which is situated between the two giant nations China and India.

This nation is a hidden gem of South East Asia. It is the nation with beautiful blend of tradition, culture, art, history and spirituality. It faces few identity issues due to its culture being misunderstood. Many people don't know much about it.

 

To make the situation worse, people misinterpreted our heritages. Let's try to fix this. Let's make others and ourselves aware about the qualities that make Nepal unique. 

Nature 

This  nation is a miracle of nature. This small country is full of beautiful natural landscapes that truly make feel like the heaven on earth. In such a small area of land nature has gifted us countless rivers, lakes, mountains, hills, waterfalls and so on that shape the landscape of incredible beauty. 

    . Our nation has eight of the worlds tallest mountains including the tallest of all Mount Everest (8848.86 meters). Mountains such as Mount Everest, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga and more are an aspect of the identity gifted to us by nature. 

 

 

  

 

Art and Architecture 

Did you know Nepal is the country where the famous Pagoda architecture originated ? 

 

 

Nepal is usually known by the tourists for its natural landscapes, Buddhist pilgrimage or bravery but there is more to it. This nation has remarkable art forms and beautiful traditional architecture.

 I am surprised to say that even many Nepalese people don't know about the art and architecture of their own nation.

 

           

    (Paubhā painting by artist Samundra Man Singh Shrestha ) (Thangka Mandala painting by artist Tashi Gurung)

Nepal has many intricate and amazing traditional fine art forms like Paubhā , Thangka, Maithili (Madhubani), Wood carving, stone sculpture and many more. Such historical art-forms can still be witnessed in the streets of Bhaktapur. 

Nepali art is the perfect blend of Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. These artworks  depict complex philosophical ideas, history and interesting mythological tales in every brush stroke and every carve has a story of its own .  These artworks seem to have a soul within them that makes them special.    

As an art enthusiast myself, I feel like artists of Nepal are underappreciated for their contribution in the preservation of traditional art forms.We, the new generation, should be aware of these art forms and contribute in their conservation.We should also develop a culture of going to museums more often. 

 I am reminded of a misconception that many tourists have about the architecture of Nepal is that Nepali pagoda is copied from Chinese architecture. While traveling through the streets of Bhaktapur I heard an Indian Tourist saying that the temples of Nepal seem to be copied from the Chinese pagoda architecture.  

 

Let me clarify this for all the readers, Nepali pagoda architecture is not copied from Chinese pagodas at all. In fact, the architect who is called the father of Asian pagoda, Araniko, himself was a Nepalese architect who led a team of 80 architects from Nepal working for the Chinese court of King Kublai Khan.  

 

   

(Portrait of Kublai Khan) (Sculpture of architect Arniko from his memorial at Beijing)

 Araniko made the White stupa at Miaoying Temple  which is considered to be his most notable work that he did in China. So, actually the Chinese architecture was influenced by Nepali architecture. 

Philosophy and Spirituality

Nepal is the birth place of Sakhyamuni Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama). This nation's culture has always been a unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist philosophy which is also prominent in the art-forms as I discussed earlier.

     

(Statue of Buddha from Afghanistan's Gandhara)    (Maya-Devi temple of Lumbini ) 

This nation is home to many pilgrimage sites considered, as spiritual hub for Hindus and Buddhists. This nations philosophy has always had an aspect of peace and bravery as it holds a place for the peaceful Buddhist chants to the fearless Gurkha war calls. It gives a message that this nation will try its best to maintain peace but when needed the Gurkha warriors won't think twice to erase the existence of their enemies.  

These special features bring a unique essence to Nepal that makes it feel more like a miracle. In my opinion, being the people of such heavenly nation; it's the duty of all Nepalese people to have concerns about the conservation of our national heritages as they are not just beautiful aspect of Nepal but also the identity of all Nepalese.