1. Home to the World’s Highest Peak and Other Highest Mountains
Most of us might already know that Nepal is home to the ceiling of the world, Mt. Everest, at 8848 m. Mt. Everest has been a great factor in tourism for a long time. Every year thousands of tourists come to Nepal to climb the highest peak, get to the base camp to get a spectacular view of the mountain, or even enjoy a great view of the highest peak through a mountain flight. Mt. Everest is also a dream for most adventure enthusiasts who want to experience the feeling of being at the top of the world.
2. Birthplace of Lord Buddha
Another interesting fact about Nepal is that it is also the Birthplace of Gautam Buddha, who was born in Lumbini, Kapilvastu in Nepal. Lord Gautam Buddha is widely known as the founder of Buddhism. Many Buddhists and people of other religions visit the sacred Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, which is the location where Gautam Buddha was born as Siddhartha Gautam. The ancient Buddhist temple is at the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lumbini. The Temple premise also has a sacred pool, Pushkarini, and a sacred garden.
3. Living Goddess-Kumari
Nepal also has the only living goddess in the World, Kumari. The country worships the Living Goddess, Kumari, as the incarnation of the Taleju Goddess, the Nepalese name for Durga. The literal meaning of Kumari translates to Virgin Girl. Kumaris are young girls from the Shakya family selected through a ritual and a group of people comprising Five senior Buddhist Bajracharya, a Chief Royal Priest, a Priest of Taleju, and a royal astrologer. They have a distinct selection process and basic requirements for selecting the Kumari, one being they should possess “Battiss Lakshan” 32- body perfections and should have no scar or marks. The girl remains a Living Goddess until she gets her first period which is when she is dethroned, and the search for a new Kumari begins.
4. Unique Triangular Flag
All the country flags we have seen of different countries are rectangular, and two other countries have square flags. But only Nepal has a rather unique Triangular flag consisting of two triangles. It might sound a bit confusing until you see the flag. It is a combination of two triangles or two pennants, a double pennon. The flag consists of crimson red as a symbol of bravery, and the blur color in the border symbolizes peace. Initially, it had two human faces instead of the sun and moon symbol, but they were replaced to modernize the flag. Since it is the only non-rectangular country flag in the world, it might be a fascinating fact for many.
5. Never Been Invaded
We all might have heard stories about Britain, Germany, or other states invading different countries worldwide. For example, the neighboring country of Nepal, India, known as the East India Company in the past, was under the British Kingdom’s rule. Although the nation is small in front of huge neighbors, it has always remained a sovereign nation, due to which it is also one of the oldest countries in South Asia.
6. Extraordinary Landscape
Nepal is famous for its extraordinary landscape. We all might know Nepal is famous due to Mt. Everest and other huge mountains, but the landscape is not just limited to the mountains. Other landscapes in the country rank on the top, including Tilicho Lake, the lake at the highest altitude of 4919m. There are also unofficial claims of another Kajin Sara Lake being the lake at the highest altitude in the World at 5020m. It also has another beautiful lake, Shey Phoksundo Lake, which is at the height of 3600m and a depth of 145m. Although the exact depth has not been measured, people also claim the Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal to be one of the deepest gorges in the World. Nepal comprises other different lakes and valleys, and with the Himalayas, Hilly Region, and Terai flatland Nepal has been blessed with truly extraordinary landscapes.
7. Over 120 Ethnic Groups and 123 Languages
It might be surprising to many, but Nepal has over 120 Ethnic groups, and 123 total languages are spoken in Nepal. Nepali is the most spoken language, followed by Maithili. Besides that, there are 121 other languages spoken in Nepal, including Bhojpuri and Tharu. Tamang, Newar, Bajjika, Magar, Doteli, Urju and even Hindi.
Nepal’s largest caste/ethnic group is Chhetri, followed by Brahman-Hill and other ethnic groups, including Magar, Tharu, Tamang, Newar, Kami, Muslim, Yadav, and Rai. There is a huge diversity among the people of Nepal, their ethnicity, the languages they speak, and even their religion; despite this diversity, there has been no Religious and Ethnic Riot in Nepal.
8. Calendar of Nepal
Some people might get confused while looking at the calendar of Nepal since it is around 75 years ahead of the English/Gregorian Calendar. While the year 2022 A.D. is about to end, Nepal is halfway through its year 2079B.S. Nepal followers its own Bikram Sambat calendar with different months instead of the Gregorian Calendar. Nepal’s new year is generally observed in mid-April of the English calendar. But Bikram Sambat is not the only calendar system in Nepal as it has Nepal Sambat and other calendars that are used unofficially in the country.
9. Most UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Nepal ranks at the top for having the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites worldwide. Nepal has a total of 10 world heritage sites in Nepal with seven alone in the Kathmandu valley. It is also called the living museum of the world.
The seven Heritages Sites in the Kathmandu Valley are Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Changu Narayan Temple. The other three sites are Lumbini, Chitwan National Park, and Sagarmatha National Park. Besides these Sites, Nepal has a ton of tourist attractions for tourists with cultural and religious significance and other sites that add to the country’s natural beauty.
10. Once a Weed Capital of the World
Although it is illegal to consume Marijuana in Nepal, with exceptions during some festivals, it was once the weed capital of the World. Nepal was once a place that attracted a lot of Marijuana lovers, mainly during the 1960s. The Basantapur Area, mainly Freak Street, was once full of weed shops that sold weed for retail and even wholesale. However, after 1973 all changes as Weed got illegalized in Nepal. Since, Nepal has a lot of weed growth in the wild, mainly higher up in the mountains due to the favorable climate.
Conclusion
We explained some of the most interesting facts about Nepal, but it isn’t just limited to just 10 facts. Nepal is a country full of rich culture and history and a country full of natural landscapes. You have to visit Nepal to know about the facts for yourself. You have to be here to enjoy the natural landscapes and learn more about the country’s rich culture and history.
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