INTRODUCTION AND INFORMATION OF NEPAL

Nepal is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People’s Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. With an area of 147,181 square kilometers (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 30 million, Nepal is the world’s 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. Kathmandu is the capital of nation and a treasure house of ancient art and culture. The population is 27 (2011).
The Garland of white snowcapped Himalaya in the North, calm blue Indian Ocean in the South, Burmese and Sulaiman arcs in the east and west respectively, flourishing the culture since the dawn of Civilisation through the elixir of Ganga-Brahmaputra-Indus water and encompassing six sovereign states (Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan , Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives) from the countries of South Asia. Geologically major part lies on the edge of Indian plate and minor part of the northern region on Euro-asian plate.
See Also : 50 Facts about Nepal
The Mechi river makes the eastern border between Darjeeling district of west Bengal of India and Nepal, while the Mahakali river (Sarda) is the western border between Garhwal of India and Nepal the southern border lies on northern edge of Indo-Gangetic plain i.e about 20 to 40 km south from the edge of the hill range.
Geometrically the country has roughly a rectangular outline located between Latitude 26°22′ and 30°27;’ and longitude between 80°4′ and 88° 12′, with average east-west axis is 885 km and north south 193 km. The total area of the country is 147181 sq km (83% of hill and 17% of the flat terrain of Terai).

Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitude variation. The elevation of the country ranges from 60 meters above sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters, all within a distance of 150 kilometers resulting in climatic conditions from sub-tropical to arctic. The mountainous north has eight of the world’s ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest called Sagarmatha in Nepali. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level.The country is a potpourri of ethnic groups and sub-groups who speak over 93 languages and dialects. Nepal offers an astonishing diversity of sightseeing attractions and adventure opportunities found nowhere else on earth. Nepal is the most beautiful and stunning Himalayan country in the world. Though small in size, it is known in the world as a nation of color and contrasts-a hidden Shangri-La of nature, culture and adventure. In the countryside the way of life is still traditional, nature is at its best, high mountains and lush valleys are ideal places for trekking and mountaineering, flora and fauna invites a nature lover for a rendezvous with them.Nepal and Himalayas-the two names go side by side. Nepal, in political maps, is one of the  smallest countries of the world  but has the amazingly diverse geography, landscapes, culture and traditions. Nepal, situated in the lapse of might Himalayas, is regarded as Dev Bhumi the land of gods and world’s two major religions Hinduism and Buddhism co-exist in perfect religious tolerance. Nepal is rich with traditions of art and culture.

By some measures, Hinduism is practised by a larger majority of people in Nepal than in any other nation. Buddhism though a minority faith in the country, is linked historically with Nepal. Many Nepali do not distinguish between Hinduism and Buddhism and follow both religious traditions.

ZONES AND DISTRICTS OF NEPAL

NAMES OF 14 ZONES
1,Mechi
2, Koshi
3,Sagarmatha
4,Janakpur
5,Bagmati
6,Narayani
7,Gandaki
8,Dhawalagiri
9,Lumbini
10,Rapti
11,Bheri
12,Karnali
13,Seti
14,Mahakali1, BAGMATI ZONE
Bhaktapur District,
Dhading District,
Kathmandu District,
Kavrepalanchok District
,Lalitpur District
,Nuwakot District,
Rasuwa Distric,
Sindhupalchok District,
2,BHERI ZONE
Banke District
Bardiya District
Dailekh District
Jajarkot District
Surkhet District
3,DHAWALAGARI ZONE
Baglung District
Mustang District
Myagdi District
Parbat District
4,GANDAKI ZONE
 Gorkha District
Kaski District
Lamjung District
Manang District
Syangja District
Tanahu District
5,JANAKPUR ZONE
 Dhanusa District
Dholkha District
Mahottari District
Ramechhap District
Sarlahi District
Sindhuli District
6,KARNALI ZONE
 Dolpa District
Humla District
Jumla District
Kalikot District
Mugu District
7,KOSHI ZONE
 Bhojpur District
Dhankuta District
Morang District
Sankhuwasabha District
Sunsari District
Terhathum District
8,LUMBINI ZONE
 Arghakhanchi District
Gulmi District
Kapilvastu District
Nawalparasi District
Palpa District
Rupandehi District
9,MAHAKALI ZONE
 Baitadi District
Dadeldhura District
Darchula District
Kanchanpur District
10,MECHI ZONE
 Ilam District
Jhapa District
Panchthar District
Taplejung District
11,NARAYANI ZONE
 Bara District
Chitwan District
Makwanpur District
Parsa District
Rautahat District
12,RAPTI ZONE
 Dang Deokhuri District
Pyuthan District
Rolpa District
Rukum District
Salyan District
13,SAGARMATHA ZONE
 Khotang District
Okhaldhunga District
Saptari District
Siraha District
Solukhumbu District
Udayapur District
14,SETI ZONE
Achham District
Bajhang District
Bajura District
Doti District
Kailali District

KIRANT MUNDHUM

The Limbu people have their own distinct form of Kirat Mundhum, known as Yuma Samyo or Yumaism; they venerate supreme goddess called Tagera Ningwaphuma.
Mundhum  is the religious scripture and folk literature of the Kirat people of Nepal, central to Kirat Mundhum. All four Kirats (Limbu, Rai, Sunuwar and Yakkha) have slightly different Mundhum. Mundhum means "the power of great strength" in the Kirati language. The Mundhum covers many aspects of the Kirat culture, customs and traditions that existed before Vedic civilisation in South Asia.

The Mundhum for each tribe consists of customs, habits, rituals, traditions, and myths passed down from the Kirati tribe's ancestors. Mundhums serve, in a way, as customary laws which guide Kirats in their daily lives. The Mundhum also distinguishes each Kiranti tribe from other Kiranti and non-Kirantis as well.
Kirats practice shamanism and their rituals are mostly related to the worship of mother nature, ancestors, sun, moon, wind, fire and main pillar of house. Almost all sacred rituals, in Rai, are performed by nakchong, the kirat tribal priest. Similarly Limbus have phɛdɑŋmɑ/bɑ, yɛbɑ/mɑ, sɑmbɑ/mɑ to perform rituals accordingly.

Their supreme deity Tagera Ningwaphuma: tɑgerɑ niŋwɑphumɑ is personified as yumɑ(not Lord Shiva) according to some scholars.Many followers wear a tilak on the forehead, as in Hinduism, when they recite their sacred text, the Kiranti Veda i.e

Mythology of Kirati

Kirātas (Sanskrit: किरात) are mentioned in early Sanskrit literature as hunter tribes from the Himalayas. They are first mentioned in the Yajurveda, and in the Atharvaveda, which dates back to 16th century BC. They are often mentioned along with the Cinas "Chinese".

The Sanskrit kavya titled Kiratarjuniya (Of Arjuna and the Kirata) mentions that Arjuna adopted the name, nationality, and guise of a Kirata for a certain period to learn archery and the use of other arms from Shiva, who was considered as the deity of the Kirata. Hindu myth also has many incidents where the god Shiva imitates a married Kirati girl who later become Parvati.In Yoga Vasistha , Rama speaks of kirāteneva vāgurā "a trap  by Kiratas", so about 10th century BCE, they were thought of as jungle trappers, the ones who dug pits to capture roving deer. The same text also speaks of King Suraghu, the head of the Kiratas who is a friend of the Persian King, Parigha.
The Himalayan Kirat people practice Kiratism, calling it "Kirat religion". The Kiratis follow Kirat Mundhum. Their holy text is the Mundhum, also known as the Kirat Veda. Kirat Rai worship nature and their ancestors. Animism and shamanism and belief in their primeval ancestors, Sumnima and Paruhang are their cultural and religious practices. The names of some of their festivals are Sakela, Sakle, Tashi, Sakewa, Saleladi Bhunmidev, Chyabrung, Yokwa and Folsyandar. They have two main festivals: Sakela/Sakewa Ubhauli during planting season and Sakela/Sakewa Udhauli during the time of harvest. Khas Kiratis and Tibetan-Himalayan or Sikkimese follows Buddhism and the Kacharis of Northeast, India follows the Bathouism religion, named after Bathou which in Bodo means the five principles. The five principles are: bar (air), san (sun), ha (earth), or (fire) and okhrang (sky). The chief deity, called Bathoubwrai (bwarai: "the Elder")—omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent—is said to have created the five principles. Though there are other minor gods and goddesses, Bathoubwrai is considered the Supreme God. The second most important deity is Mainao, the consort of Bathoubwrai, who is considered as the "protector of the rice fields". Some ethnic groups also have adopted Christianity and Hinduism religion cause of mixing up with Indian nation.

Kirat Limbu people believe in a supreme god called Tagera Ningwaphuma, who is also known as the supreme knowledge. The Kirat ancestor Yuma Sammang and god of war Theba Sammang are the second most important deities.

Limbuwan had a distinct history and political establishment until its unification with the kingdom of Gorkha in 1774 AD. During King Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification of Nepal, the present-day Nepal east of Arun and Koshi rivers was known as Pallo Kirat Limbuwan. It was divided into 10 Limbu kingdoms of which Morang kingdom was the most powerful and had a central government. The capital of Morang kingdom was Bijaypur (present-day Dharan). After the Limbuwan Gorkha War and seeing the threat of the rising power of the British East India Company, the kings and ministers of all the 10 Limbu kingdoms of Limbuwan gathered in Bijaypur to agree upon the Limbuwan-Gorkha Treaty. This treaty formally merged the 10 Limbu kingdoms into the Gorkha kingdom but it also had a provision for autonomy of Limbuwan under the "kipat" system.

After the completion of the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, the Gorkhali army marched east towards the Kirat territory. The Sen rulers of eastern Nepal, known as Hindupati, had established a weak rule in the Kirat region by adopting a policy of mutual understanding with the local Kirat leaders. The topless bamboo tree of BuddhaSubba Temple of Dharan, Nepal is believed to be grown from bows and arrows left by Buddhikarna Raya (Tumbapo) when he was unable to kill an elephant with a single strike of arrow from his bow. After the end of Rana Regime in 2007 BS(1961 AD), when shah dynasty again ruled Nepal at that time onwards the autonomous power given to Limbu was reduced. King Tribhuwan demolished tile of Hang "King in Limbu" to Subba. When King Mahendra(Tribhuwan Son at that time only Prince) ascended the throne he banished the law which probhits other tribe right to buy land without permission of Subba (Head of Limbu) of particular area as well as levy and taxes to Subba in 1979. His successor elder son King Birendra and his family was Massacred, His youngest son who replace his elder brother in the throne was ovethrown by people Movement thus ending shah dynasty also in Nepal.

Kirat Kings who ruled in Kathmandu Valley

(According to Gopalavamsavali, p. 26) 1. King Shree Yelamba - 90 years/१। राजा श्री एलाम्बा - ९० वर्ष, 2. King Shree Palamba - 81 years/राजा श्री पलाम्बा- ८१ वर्ष, 3. King Shree Melam - 89 years/राजा श्री मेलं - ८९ वर्ष, 4. King Shree Changming - 42 years/राजा श्री चंमिं - ४२ वर्ष, 5. King Shree Dhakang - 37 years/राजा श्री धस्कं - ३७ वर्ष, 6. King Shree Walangcha - 31 years 6 months/राजा श्री वलंच - ३१ वर्ष ६ महिना, 7. King Shree Jite Dasti - 40 years 8 months/राजा श्री जिते दस्ति - ४० वर्ष ८ महिना, 8. King Shree Hoorma - 50 years/राजा श्री हुरमा - ५० वर्ष, 9. King Shree Tooske - 41 years 8 months/राजा श्री तुस्के - ४१ वर्ष ८ महिना, 10. King Shree Prasaphung - 38 years 6 months/राजा श्री प्रसफुं - ३८ वर्ष ६ महिना, 11. King Shree Pawa: - 46 years/राजा श्री पवः - ४६ वर्ष, 12. King Shree Daasti - 40 years/राजा श्री दास्ती - ४० वर्ष, 13. King Shree Chamba - 71 years/राजा श्री चम्ब - ७१ वर्ष, 14. King Shree Stungko - 54 years/राजा श्री स्तुङको - ५४ वर्ष, 15. King Shree Swananda - 40 years 6 months/राजा श्री स्वनन्द - ४० वर्ष ६ महिना, 16. King Shree Phukong - 58 years/राजा श्री फुकों - ५८ वर्ष, 17. King Shree Singhu - 49 years 6 months/राजा श्री शिंघु - ४९ वर्ष ६ महिना, 18. King Shree Joolam - 73 years 3 months/राजा श्री जुलम् - ७३ वर्ष ३ महिना, 19. King Shree Lookang - 40 years/राजा श्री लुकं - ४० वर्ष, 20. King Shree Thoram - 71 years/राजा श्री थोरम् - ७१ वर्ष, 21. King Shree Angsu Barmma - 73 years 6 months/राजा श्री अंशु वर्म्म - ७३ वर्ष ६ महिना, 22. King Shree Thuko - 83 years/राजा श्री थुको - ८३ वर्ष, 23. King Shree Gunjong - 72 years 7 months/राजा श्री गुंजं ७२ वर्ष ७ महिना, 24. King Shree Pushka - 81 years/राजा श्री पुस्क - ८१ वर्ष, 25. King Shree Tyapamee - 54 years/राजा श्री त्यपमि - ५४ वर्ष, 26. King Shree Moogmam - 58 years/राजा श्री मुगमम् - ५८ वर्ष, 27. King Shree Shasaru - 63 years/राजा श्री शसरू - ६३ वर्ष, 28. King Shree Goongoong - 74 years/राजा श्री गंणं - ७४ वर्ष, 29. King Shree Khimbung - 76 years/राजा श्री खिम्बुं - ७६ वर्ष, 30. King Shree Girijung - 81 years/राजा श्री गिरीजं - ८१ वर्ष, 31.King Shree Khurangja - 78 years/राजा श्री खुरांज - ७८ वर्ष, 32. King Shree khigu - 58 years/राजा श्री खिगु - ८५ वर्ष

KIRATI PEOPLE

The Kirat or Kirati or Kiranti or Kirant people are indigenous ethnic groups of the Himalayas extending eastward from Nepal into India, Bangladesh, Burma and beyond.

 They migrated to their present locations via Assam, Burma, Tibet and Yunnan in ancient times. Broadly speaking, the Kirat people include the Sunwar, Yakkha, Rai and Limbu, few segments of the Dewan, Bahing, Kulung and speakers of Khaling, Bantawa, Chamling, Thulung, and Jerung; and other related ethnic groups.

In Nepal the Kirati people and languages between the rivers Likhu and Arun, including some small groups east of the Arun, are usually referred to as the Rai people, which is a geographic grouping rather than a genetic grouping.

Although only the Sunwar, who inhabit the region westward of River Sun Koshi, the Khumbu (also known as Rai), the Limbu (also known as Yakthumba or Subba) and the Yakkha (also known as Dewan or Zimdar) are generally called Kirati, the vast majority of ethnic people of the region eastward of Nepal also call themselves Kirati. Their languages belong to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages.

The original inhabitants of the Dooars region of India, the Koch Rajbongshi and Mech, also claim to be Kiratis as do the Bodo-Kachari people tribes of Assam. They derive their titles from the original place of their dwelling, "Koch" from the Koshi river, "Mech" from the Mechi River and "Kachari" is derived from Kachar, which means "river basin".[citation needed] The basis of these claims relies on the fact that they are Mongoloids.

TERAI PEOPLE

The word "Madhesh" is also referred  as Terai basai nepali and from the Sanskrit term Madhyadesh which means "middle country" between India and Nepal, referring to the ancient kingdoms such as Videha and Shakya whose main capital regions are now a part of Nepal and remaining in India. Middle country including Awadh is now in India and partially in Nepalgunj and Tulsipur Dang region of Nepal.Makwanpur was a part of Madhesh which served as trade route between India and Tibet of China in ancient times as it was between them. The word Madhesh is also believed to be derived from the Pahari term referring to the entire flat Terai region within Nepalese territory.The term Madhesi is a modern Nepalese term for Madhyadesi, the adjective Madhyadesh. The terms Madhyadesh and Madhyadesi started to be called Madhesh and Madhesi respectively by Pahari people after the unification of Madhesh into Kingdom of Nepal in 1769 by King Prithivi Narayan Shah and is now a part of Modern Nepal. Teraibasi Nepali is used as a synonym of the Madhesi people since they are Nepali citizens who inhabits Madhesh which is a part of Terai that lie in Nepal.
The total land area of the Madhesh is less than 34,109 square kilometres (13,170 sq mi) and comprises 20 districts which account for 23.1% of Nepal's total area. According to the population census in 2011, the Madhesi people made up about 35.9% of the total Nepalese population.[30] In 2001, 47.79% of Nepal's total population of 23.2 million lived in Madhesh districts with a density of 329 persons/km.

In 1854, Jung Bahadur Rana, the then Prime Minister of Nepal, enforced the Muluki Ain, Nepal's first legal system. It comprised applications of traditional Hindu Law and clauses to accommodate ethnic practices. In the Muluki Ain both Hindus and non-Hindus were classified as castes based on their habits of food and drink.Ancient Madhesi people were considered "enslavable alcohol drinkers" together with several other ethnic minorities.

In the 1950s, the World Health Organisation supported the Nepalese government in eradicating malaria in the forests of Madhesh. People from the hills migrated to the Madhesh and claimed the fertile land. Tharus and many other Madhesi people lost their traditional land and became slaves of the new landowners. This resulted in the development of the Kamaiya system of bonding generations of Madhesi people, mainly Tharu families to labour.

When the first protected areas were established in Chitwan, Madhesi people, particularly Tharus and Maithil communities, were forced to relocate from their traditional lands. They were denied any right to own land and thus forced into a situation of landlessness and poverty. When the Chitwan National Park was designated, Nepalese soldiers destroyed the villages located inside the boundary of the park, burned down houses, and beat the people who tried to plough their fields. Some threatened Tharu people at gunpoint to leave.
The government of Nepal outlawed the practice of bonded labour prevalent under the Kamaiya system on July 17, 2000, which prohibits anyone from employing any person as a bonded labourer, and declared that the act of making one work as a bonded labourer is illegal. Although democracy has been reinstated in the country, the Madhesi community has called for a more inclusive democracy as they are fearful of remaining an underprivileged group.In 2007, Nepalese parliament passed a controversial Citizenship Act which allowed many Biharis and Uttar Pradesh origin Indian immigrants inhabiting Madhesh for a long time to acquire Nepalese citizenship and become Madhesi by naturalization. The indigenous Madhesi people criticized the Nepalese government for providing citizenship to non-Madhesi under their identity.

DEMOGRAPHICS OF NEPAL

The population of Nepal is estimated to be 26,494,504 people based on the 2011 census,[with a population growth rate of 1.35% and a median age of 21.6 years. Female median age is estimated to be 22.5 years, and male median age to be 20.7 years. Only 4.4% of the population is estimated to be more than 65 years old, comprising 681,252 females and 597,628 males. 61% of the population is between 15 and 64 years old, and 34.6% is younger than 14 years. Birth rate is estimated to be 22.17 births/1,000 population with an infant mortality rate of 44.54 deaths per 1000 live births. Life expectancy at birth is estimated to be 67.44 years for females and 64.94 years for males. The mortality rate is estimated to be 681 deaths per 100,000 people. Net migration rate is estimated to be 61 migrants per 100,000 people. According to the 2011 census, 65.9% of the total population is literate.
Nepalese or Nepali people are citizens of Nepal. The country is home to people of many different national origins. As a result, Nepalese do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance. Although citizens make up the majority of Nepalese, non-citizen residents, dual citizeners, and expatriates may also claim an Nepalese identity. Nepalese are descendants of migrants from parts of India, Kashmir, Tibet, and parts of Burma and Yunnan, and much further traces origin to Central Asia, along with indigenous peoples.

Nepal is multicultural and multiethnic country. Kathmandu Valley, in the middle hill region, constitutes a small fraction of the nation's area but is the most densely populated, with almost 5 percent of the nation's population.
As of the 2011 census, 81.3% of the Nepalese population was Hindu, 9.0% Buddhist, 4.4% Muslim, 3.0% Kirant/Yumaist, 1.42% Christian, and 0.9% followed other religions or no religion.



Religion is important in Nepal; the Kathmandu Valley alone has more than 2,700 religious shrines. The dissolved constitution of Nepal described the country as a "Hindu kingdom", although it did not establish Hinduism as the state religion. Nepal's constitution continues long-standing legal provisions prohibiting discrimination against other religions (but also proselytization). The king was deified as the earthly manifestation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Then on May 19, 2006, the government facing a constitutional crisis, the House of Representatives which had been just reformed, having been previously dissolved, declared Nepal a "secular state".

The 2001 census identified 80.6% of the population as Hindu and 10.7% as Buddhist (although many people labeled Hindu or Buddhist often practice a syncretic blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, or animist traditions), 4.2% of the population was Muslim, 3.6% of the population followed the indigenous Kirant Mundhum religion and Christianity was practiced by 0.45% of the population.

Buddhist and Hindu shrines and festivals are respected and celebrated by most Nepalese. Certain animist practices of old indigenous religions survive.

GEOGRAPHY OF NEPAL

Nepal is a small, landlocked country, situated between Tibet (China) to its north, and India to its east, west and south. At latitudes between 26 and 30 degrees north and longitudes between 80 and 88 degrees east, the country covers an area of 147,181sq.km and stretches approximately 145-241 km. north to south and 850 km. west to east.
However, in fact, although occupying just 0.1% of the earth s surface,  Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitudinal variation. The elevation of the country ranges from less than 100 metres above sea level in the Terai, to the highest point on earth, the summit of Mt. Everest, at 8,848 metres, all within a distance of about 150km, resulting in climatic conditions ranging from sub-tropical to Arctic.
Nepal is topographically divided into three regions: the Himalaya to the north, the middle hills consisting of the Mahabharat range and the Churia Hills, and the Terai to the south. The Himalaya and its foothills make up the northern border of the country and represent 16% of the total land area. This is the least inhabited region of Nepal, with less than 8% of the population living there. Most permanent settlements are at less than 4000m altitude, although there are summer settlements as high as 5000m.

The middle hills cover about 65% of the total land area and are home to around 45% of the population of the country. This area is the home of the ancient ethnic people of Nepal. The climate is very good and most of Nepal s lakes and beautiful valleys are located in the middle hills. Areas in the eastern hills receive most rainfall because of  the monsoon clouds, which come from the Bay of Bengal. The middle hills provide a very good habitat for wild life, such as leopard, deer, bear, monkeys, butterflies and over four hundred indigenous species of birds.

The Terai is the southern part of Nepal and is an extension of the Gangetic plains of India. It covers 17% of the total land area, providing excellent farming land as well as space for large industrial areas. Until 1950, the Terai was predominantly an area of heavily malarial sub-tropical forest, inhabited only by the Royal Bengal tiger, leopard, wild boar, several species of deer, one-horned rhino, wild elephant and gharial and mugger crocodiles. But after the eradication of malaria in the 1960s, many people from the middle hills migrated to the Terai in search of farming land. Today, about 48% of the population occupies this region.

So Nepal has a very interesting and exciting bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitudinal variation. Probably, Nepal is only country in the world, which could provide such opportunity: in a period of just two weeks it is possible to travel from sub-tropical lowlands to alpine glaciers, to experience altitudes from as low as 60m to the base of the highest mountain on the earth, temperatures from +40 degrees celsius to -40 degrees celsius and a climate ranging from monsoon and humid to dry rain shadow and frozen zone.

Nepal   occupying only 0.1% of the earth   is home to:
- 2% of all the flowering plant species in the world;
- 8% of the world's population of birds (more than 848 species);
- 4% of mammal species on earth;
- 11 of the world's 15 families of butterflies (more than 500 species);
- 600 indigenous plant families;
- 319 species of exotic orchids.