Nepal, the largest country in the Himalayan region, is a country full of uniqueness. Read on these amazing facts about the country at your own risk as it would be difficult to resist yourself from checking Delhi to Kathmandu flights booking status and plan a trip to this uniquely beautiful country.
- The Dense Concentration of World Heritage Sites
Nepal is a home to four of the major World Heritage Sites declared by the UNESCO. The Kathmandu Valley and the Lumbini are categorised under the World cultural heritage sites whereas Chitwan National Park and Sagarmatha National Park are the natural world heritage sites in Nepal. The Kathmandu Valley is itself a house to 7 world heritage sites namely – Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, and the Changu Narayan temple.
- Highest Concentration of World’s Highest Peaks
While talking about mountain peaks the first name that strikes our mind is Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world. Nepal not only houses the Mt. Everest, but it is also a home to eight out of the ten highest peaks in the world. Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Annapurna are the top highest peak in Nepal. In addition to these peaks, there are many other mountains in Nepal some of which are still not ascended. Mountains like Machapuchare and Dragmarpo Ri are considered too sacred to climb.
- The Tradition of Kumari, the Living Goddess
Nepal is the only country that follows the age-old tradition of worshipping living goddesses. Small girls are chosen after a process of tough test and trials to be coroneted as Kumari. The chosen Kumari is believed to be the incarnation of Taleju, the Goddess of power. Once the girl starts menstruating it is believed that the Goddess has vacated the body. You can find several Kumaris in Nepal, the best of which is known as the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu. This experience is exclusive to Nepal; you cannot see this practice anywhere else in the world.
- Multi-lingual and Multi-ethnicity
Nepal is a country with more than 80 ethnic groups and over 123 languages. It is quite interesting to witness numerous tribes and people of different ethnicity living together in harmony. Although half of the population speaks Nepali, there are speakers of various other languages sharing this small nation. This melting pot of varied cultures is the perfect example of unity in diversity. The peaceful environment of Nepal despite being multi-cultural is worth experiencing.
- The Geographical Diversity of Nepal
Nepal rises from as low as 59 m elevation in Terai region to 8,848 m, the highest point on earth. It is the house Tilicho, the highest lake in the world that is situated at an altitude of 4,919 m and the deepest canyon, Kali Gandaki Gorge that is 1200 m deep. It is also known for Arun, the highest valley and the tallest grassland at Chitwan National Park. Nepal is the only country with such a tremendous diversity over such a small geographical area of 1, 47, 181 sq Km.
- Your Watch and Calendar will not work in Nepal
Nepal follows the ancient Vedic Calendar, Bikram Sambat, according to which Sunday is the first day of a week while Saturday is considered the last day or the weekend. So, Saturday rather than Sunday is the weekly holiday in Nepal. When talking about the Vedic Calendar, it is worth noting that it is already 2074 in Nepal. The calendar is about 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian calendar used all over the world. And the Nepal Standard Time (NPT) is 5:41:16 ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time.
- Only Country with a non-quadrilateral National Flag
Unlike all other countries, Nepal has a non-quadrilateral flag; this uniqueness can be seen as the symbol of the pride of the sovereign country that never got ruled by any other nation. The brave Ghurkhas were always there to save their country with foreign invasion. As it never got colonised, it doesn’t have an independence day!
Isn’t Nepal unique and interesting!?!
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