Culture

Nepal, the world's only Hindu kingdom, shares its borders with the People's Republic of China, (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India, and the population of Nepal mainly consist of Tibeto-Burmans, from the north, and Indo-Aryans from the south. This ethnic diversity and proximity to neighbouring giant cultures has influenced the culture of Nepal, manifested in forms, such as music and dance; art and craft; folklores and folktales; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebrations; and foods and drinks.

Music

Traditional Nepali folklore retains a strong influence in society and its stories are widely acted out in dance and music. The culture of different ethnic groups is rich in their own ways. The Newari culture is the original and most distinguished culture of Kathmandu. Most of the festivals observed in the country are Newari, and the community enjoys its own special cuisine. The Newar people are well known for masked dance that tell stories of the gods and heroes; the associated music is percussion-based, sometimes with flutes or shawm accompanying the intense, nasal vocal lines.

Folklore

Folklores and folktales have remained an integral part of Nepalese society, and they reveal different dimensions of social and cultural life of the people. Some tales tell of love and affection, others recount hatred and battles, including some which describe demons, ghosts and cannibalism. Nepalese folklores and folktales have various regional and ethnic colours, and some of them are variations of such tales of other areas which have travelled to Nepal, and being retold with changed names and places. There are other tales which are purely of Nepalese origin.

Like folklores and folktales across the world, such tales from Nepal are also rooted in the ground reality of day-to-day life, these folklores and folktales reflect local lifestyles, activities, beliefs, emotions, feelings, customs, superstitions, and inhibitions. They also celebrate the basic goodness of human nature, and sometimes reveal a deep faith in the supernatural.

Religion

The 2001 census identified 80.6% of the population as Hindu and Buddhism was practiced by about 11% of the population (although many people labelled Hindu or Buddhist often practice a syncretic blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and/or animist traditions). About 4.2% of the population is Muslim and 3.6% of the population follows the indigenous Kirant religion. Christianity is practiced officially by less than 0.5% of the population.