Proverbs of Nepal

In all countries and languages, proverbs and sayings have been formed by societies to capture basic truths and perceptions based on the experiences of communities. This is true for Nepal's proverbs and sayings, which provide much insight into the culture, views and ideals of the people. Proverbs from Nepal are most often related to situation in life and general opinions. Well-known Nepalese proverbs can be heard in conversations and in the media, adding color to speech.

“A smart jackal is no match against an old tiger” (budo bagh ra syal tanneri) is a proverb which illustrates how Nepalese society feels about the older generation. Basically the proverb means that a clever young adult is no match for the experience of an older person. Another Nepalese proverb which presents a similar though is “enjoy the heat of a long, and heed the advice of the elders.” This proverb expresses the importance of looking to older people for good advice, much like you would seek the constant heat of the fire of a burning mature log. Some Nepalese proverbs and sayings provide a type of moral education. An example is “parents are like or equal to god” (pitri devo bhava, matri devo bhava). This expressions shows the importance of showing parents respect.

Certain Nepali proverbs demonstrate an unfortunate perception held by men in the country. Proverbs such as “a macho man has ten wives”, “daughter's birth, lost destiny” and “late birth but son necessary”, describe women a inferior human beings. Such proverbs sadly permeate the country even being found in certain text books. Efforts are being made to remove such sentiments and improve the status of women in Nepal through the eradication of such proverbs.

Below are some more well known Nepalese proverbs

“Wealth is both an enemy and a friend.”
"Like cumin in the mouth of an elephant."
“Opportunity comes but does not linger.”
“It is the mind that wins or loses.”
"One who doesn't know how to dance says the floor is crooked."
“The monkey's thigh is the shaman's meat.”
"Looking for fire while carrying a lamp."
"The god's name in the mouth, but in the pocket a knife."

Nepal's proverbs and sayings are frequently used by the people. Many of them may have an multinational meaning, but still they maintain the strong Nepalese cultural heritage from where they come

Nepali Cuisine

 Nepalis love spice and make some delicious achaars, relished or pickled vegetables such as tomatos, peas, radishes or cucumbers seasoned with lots of garlic, chilis, salt and spices. Sometimes ground roasted seeds or dried fish are added. Achaars come salty, sour, sweet or tangy, all big on flavor such that just a spoonful is needed with the meal. Daal bhaat is commonly eaten with the right hand rather than utensils even in the most elite circles.

What is Nepali food?” – Not an unusual question for a first-time visitor to Nepal, but, surprisingly, often heard from second or third time visitors as well. For this is a country where more than ninety percent of the people are engaged in agriculture, primarily food production, where food is a focus of nearly every festival, as offerings to elders or gods. In a small nation bordered by countries famed for their food since ancient times, one would expect Nepal to have developed an excellent characteristic cuisine.

 It has, but to be fair, perhaps the question should be rephrased: “What is Nepali?” Try it. Ask a Nepali and you’ll find therein lies the difficulty of defining Nepali food.

For in Nepal there are at least thirty-five different ethnic groups, with distinctive languages, dress, customs and, to a degree, cuisine. Admittedly, a daily diet is often determined by ingenuity and environment. In remote areas, there is little choice: you eat what you grow. The Sherpas eat potatoes two or three times a day, plain, boiled by the heaping plateful, in tasty stews (shakpa), as hefty pancakes (alu roti), as dumplings in soup (rhil doke) or just mashed and spiced. Considering that the potato was introduced to these high mountain dwellers just over a century ago, Sherpas and potatoes are now as inseparable as... well, rice and curry.

Nepal’s hill and lowland dwellers, particularly of the Kathmandu Valley, subsist on daal bhaat tarkaari: rice (bhaat) with daal (thick lentil soup), and tarkaari (vegetable curries). As Nepal’s most widely eaten food, it is closest to being the national dish. A day without daal bhaat is considered incomplete in many Kathmandu households. The common mid-day greeting among Valley neighbors after “Hello, how are you?” is “Bhaat khayo?” or “Have you eaten rice?”

As redundant as daal bhaat may seem to the trekker lunching and suppering on it for weeks on end, there is much variety in its ingredients and ample variation in its preparation. A typical family meal in a middle class Kathmandu home would include tarkaari – autumn season favors beans, green peas, carrots, squashes, etc. – each flavored with different combinations of ginger, garlic, onions, chilis, cumin, fenugreek, coriander, mustard seed, turmeric and masala, a mixed spice concoction, slightly sweetened with cloves, cinnamon and cardamon. Daal comes in more than a dozen varieties: black, green, yellow, red and as various small dried beans that are cooked into a thick soup with some of the above seasonings. Rice, commonly and preferably white (though red and brown are eaten in the hill areas), is steamed and served in gargantuan portions.

Nepalis love spice and make some delicious achaars, relished or pickled vegetables such as tomatos, peas, radishes or cucumbers seasoned with lots of garlic, chilis, salt and spices. Sometimes ground roasted seeds or dried fish are added. Achaars come salty, sour, sweet or tangy, all big on flavor such that just a spoonful is needed with the meal. Daal bhaat is commonly eaten with the right hand rather than utensils even in the most elite circles.

Meat is eaten widely, and in abundance on special occasions such as Dashain and Tihar festivals . It is usually cut into small pieces and cooked in a curry-flavored gravy, or fried with chilis. Chicken, buff (water buffalo), pork, mutton (goat) or fish are available fresh in Kathmandu, but are slaughtered on special occasion in hill communities. Because of the Hindu prohibition on killing cows, consumption of beef is strictly illegal.

A variation on daal bhaat tarkaari common among Newars, one of the oldest of Kathmandu inhabitants, is chiura: dried beaten rice, served with an array of meat and vegetable curries and achaars.

 Outside of the Kathmandu Valley where the variety of vegetables and ingredients is much less, diets are simpler. Chapatis, unleavened bread, is common in the Terai, with tarkaari and daal. Above 3000 meters, of altitudes, corn, millet, buckwheat, barley and wheat take over as staples. The everyday lunch and dinner of many hill villagers is dhindo, a thick mush of boiled ground grains, doctored up with a soupy vegetable sauce of the ubiquitous Nepali saag (spinach), gundruk (dried and fermented vegetable leaves) or sisnu (nettles). In the far west, hill dwellers subsist on heavy bread made from a crude brown wheat or buckwheat.

Barley, potatoes, dairy products and a few hardy vegetables fuel the highest Himalayan settlers of Nepal. Yes, and an occasional yak steak. Traders to Tibet cross 6000 meter passes carrying little more than dry tsampa (roasted fine-ground grains) to mix with butter tea, and perhaps some dried cheese (churpi) or meat. If you’re up in the Khumbu, Langtang or Manang/Jomsom areas, be sure to try some tsampa. You can also buy it in Kathmandu’s Asan bazaar. The delicious, nutty flavor and nutritious, high-energy content making it an ideal trekking food. You may have less success in downing a cup of Tibetan butter tea, known to put off most Westerners and even Nepali lowlanders.

Some Nepali foods

Daal bhaat: Once is not enough, as each cook makes it differently from day to day. Be sure to try some achaar to get the true flavor, Nepali style. Many Kathmandu restaurants and hotels prepare daal bhaat for their Nepali customers, so even if it’s not posted on the menu, it’s often available for the asking.

Chapatis: Wheat or rice flour flat-breads make a nice alternative or accompaniment to bhaat. At home or on the trail, they can be filled with daal, tarkaari, meat, cheese or even peanut butter and jelly.

Alu daam, kerau and chiura (spicy potato salad, dried peas in sauce and beaten rice) are popular afternoon snacks, taken with chiyaa (sweet milk tea).

Sukuti (fried dried meat), choila (boiled meat mixed with oil and spices), kukhurako masu (chicken pieces cooked in curry spices) or momos (Tibetan meat filled dough bundles steamed and served with chili-tomato sauce), are favorite hors d’oeuvres with rakshi (distilled liquor), chang (fermented rice or millet drink) or tongba (fermented are full of little “hotels” or cafes where these delicacies and drinks can be tried for just a few rupees. No signs are posted so best ask a Nepali acquaintance for directions. Health conditions may not be up to standard so take it slowly; let your stomach adjust to Nepal’s water and food before venturing into these smaller snack shops.

You needn’t risk contracting the travellers’ bug to try Nepali food, though. Of course the best way to sample the real local fare is to eat in a Nepali home. But if you don’t find yourself an invited guest, try asking your hotel chef to prepare an authentic home-style Nepali meal for you. Be sure to mention the degree of spiciness you can tolerate as Nepali cooking can be quite fiery. Then, dig in – with your right hand if you want the true effect – and enjoy at least one Nepali’s version of his or her homeland’s cooking.

Dal Bhat Recipe

The Nepalese national dish, dal bhat (lentils and rice), is an inexpensive and tasty meal to eat whilst trekking. If you order dal bhat at a lodge or tea house, any extra dal or bhat you need to satisfy your appetite is usually free. Porters sometimes refer to a hill climb as a '3 dhal-bhat' hill. You may hear a Nepalis joke about 'double dal-bhat' for real hunger or trekker greed.

Dal bhat is the safest thing to eat, because that's what the locals eat. Western trekkers may find that they enjoy it as much as the Nepalis, and wish to have the recipe to make it at home. So here it is, courtesy of Meg Sheffield and Siddhanta Shaha in Kailash magazine.

Dal

 Ingredients

• Half a cup of dal (black or yellow lentils)
• One and a half teaspoons of salt
• half a teaspoon of ghee
• Gound ginger
• 4 cups of water
• 1 pinch of jimbu (A special Nepali rice, see the folowing note)

Process

1. Boil water and a quarter of a tablespoon of ghee
2. Put the dal and the salt in the water and cook for an hour for black dal and half an hour for yellow dal.
3. Add ground ginger
4. Take oil off fire
5. Heat the rest of the ghee in a stirring spoon and fry the jimbu and put it in the dal.
6. Serve hot

Bhat

Well everyone has to learn how to boil rice sometime:

Wash two cups of rice. Do not pour the water directly onto the rice. Pour the water first on the hand held over the rice so as not to break the grains (Well that's what it says in Kailash!). Wash the rice about four times and drain off the water.

Add one and a quarter cups of water (sufficient to cover the rice) and a heaped tablespoon of ghee. Do not use poor ghee. If neccesary use butter instead.

Bring to the boil. Stir the rice only four times. Cook only for fifteen minutes. Each grain of rice must be separate and undamaged. (I always cover the pan and put a heavy weight on the lid. It also seems to cook better if you don't look at it)

Nutritional Information

The main source of protein in dal bhat is the dal or lentil sauce which is served with the rice. There are several kinds of dal. Black dal is grown in Kathmandu at the edge of the paddy. Yellow dal comes from the terai in southern Nepal. Dried peas and beans are also called dal and various types are often mixed. Dal is cooked in Nepal in a Kasauri, or round bottomed brass pot. Remember not to leave food standing in a brass container, or the food will be tainted with a metallic taste. With dal bhat, vegetables are also eaten, and it is these that provide minerals and vitamins. So eat your greens!

The jimbu spice mentioned in the dal recipe is a uniquely Nepalese spice. Jimbu looks like dried broken tarragon leaves. Jimbu can be bought in shops in Indrachowk in Kathmandu.

 Wedding customs in Nepal vary according to ethnic groups and castes. Traditionally Nepalese marriages are arranged, a deal between two sets of parent. In some cases the boy and his family will come to visit the girl and her family where they strike a deal. If they cannot agree then the boy's family will seek another girl for him to marry. However, in the modern age, this particular custom seems to be practiced less often. Wedding celebrations in Nepal mean great festivity with feasting and music. Nepalese wedding customs are very elaborate and the wedding may take up to 3 days.

Many marriage customs in Nepal are strongly based upon Buddhist and Hindu traditions. In the past child marriage along with polygamy was widely accepted and preferred. This attitude has changed especially with the instituting of governmental laws which state that girls have to be 18 before marriage is permissible. Divorce rates are low in Nepal as marriage is considered as a sacred and divine institution.

Let us consider the marriage and wedding customs of Nepal's Newar people. Traditionally the marriage arrangement in the Newar community is monogamous (only one partner) and patrilocal (the women lives with the husband's kin). As with other people in Nepal, the marriages are arranged. Interestingly, elopement is commonly practiced. Marriage customs do not permit Newars of the same decent to marry. Marriage mates must be of the same caste and grade. A rule of 'seven generations' descent is followed in certain areas. Newar marriage involves numerous formalities completed in phases. The father of a boy will find a suitable bride and consults an astrologer to find out if they are a good match. Negotiations take place through an appointed mediator between the two families. After the horoscope determines they are suited, the boy's family will present the other family with food, nuts, fruit and sweets.

The day before the wedding a ceremony called duradai takes place. A pathi (milk with molasses and cardamom) is delivered at the girl's house to repay the mother for the years she spent suckling her daughter. The next evening a feast is held at the girl's house where gifts are brought. At the same time a procession takes place at the boy's home. A large crowd joins in the eating and having a good time. The later proceed to the girl's home with a band leading the way, the groom is left behind. They celebrate together and then return home except the groom's father and some relatives. Past midnight they carry the girl in a hammock to a friend of the groom's father. The following morning the beautiful bride arrives at the boy's house. The boy's mother will bathe the girl's feet in holy water, presenting her with a key. Inside the house a priest engages the party in religious ritual. After this the bride must give areca nuts to everyone in the family. At the end of the day the groom and his bride will share a meal from the same plate. A large feast takes place in the evening. The next day the bride is given a formal reception into the kitchen where everyone eats together. On the third day she is taken to the deity the family worships and takes part in various religious rituals with the groom. They then return to the bride's house for observances of respect. The newly married couple return to the grooms home to begin their married life. 

Traditional Wedding

Wedding customs in Nepal vary according to ethnic groups and castes. Especially country like Nepal, have different kinds of wedding ceremonies because we have varieties of cast and creeds. Weddings in the metropolitans have parades or car for the wedding processions; full fledged band instruments such as trumpets and trombones, ferry lights all over the house which is naturally more expenses. These weddings are completely different from the traditional remote village weddings. They are very simple for very rich in culture.
 
Wedding in Nepal is a multi day event, which may engross an entire village. In its essence, it reveals the very strong social and communal values of the Nepali people. Few things in Nepali culture take precedence over a wedding and most people treat the time as the opportunity of a lifetime and a time to hold back and celebrate with varieties of foods, fun and dancing.
 
Weddings generally take place in tender age in Nepal. It is normal for boys and girls to be married during their teens but in few cases in very young ages. The wedding procedure usually begins with an arrangement of a boy and a girl with comparable backgrounds; often with the help of a priest who are well know as matchmaker. The meeting takes place between the parents of the two families. In an arranged marriage, it is the parents who choose their children's partners. One additional note concerning the arranged marriage: even though the parents choose the individuals, the children are commonly given a voice to accept or decline the match. There are instances, however, of a couple not seeing each other for the first time until the ceremony begins. In a love marriage, it is the boy and the girl who choose their mate. Today, both types can be found throughout the country but it is the arranged marriage that predominates.

However, the love marriage method has been gaining much acceptance over the years perhaps due to the influence of western culture and more over with the drastic develop in media. Eloping may occur between couples that are not thought to be a suitable match in case of different castes & tribes.

Castes are in many ways an extended family. And there are cultural rules that dictate that one must marry into the same caste, but not the same family. There are many small villages today that are predominantly one family. Therefore it is common that a one must look to neighboring villages to marry. This explains why most village marriages are a marriage between one person from one village and the other from another village sometimes days apart. It also explains why marriages last many days as logistics and travel prevent a single day event.

After the initial marriage arrangement takes place, the wedding begins with a gathering of the traveling party at the groom's house. Celebrations are made and rituals are performed with the local priest and the party then travels to the bride's village with the procession... This party particularly consists of males only. Once the procession reaches the bride's village, the groom's family gamble, drink while the priest performs the ceremony followed by a big feast.

One of the important events in our traditional wedding is that the groom puts a pinch of red-coloured powder on the bride's forehead. This symbolizes that they are now husband and wife. This red color on the woman's forehead differentiates whether she is married or not. The bride and groom by tradition are always carried either in a wooden casket or by horse (if financially feasible). The bride after being handed over to the groom by her parents will then travel to the groom's village to become a member of his family's household. 
 
The Nepali way of life is completely different in comparison to the West. The inheritance goes to son if one and will be divided in to equal part if there are more. The married couples almost always live with the groom's parents. Traditionally the couple will either inherit the parent's land and house or eventually build their own house when feasible.

The ceremony is a very serious affair for the two young people. The bride is dressed in red, which is the color for marriage. Often, she sheds tear as the time to leave approaches. This may be a true feeling of apprehension of leaving the home and family or it may be just a traditional requisite. But many young girls cannot wait to leave the boredom of their life and look forward to having a family of their own.

As we have seen the different way of wedding such as wedding in the air during sky diving, under water wedding in ocean during scuba diving, wedding in the highest peak of the world, Mt. Everest during expedition any many more unique ways to cherish the moment for lifetime. The traditional Nepali wedding is one of those experiences to gather.  As mentioned earlier, wedding customs in Nepal vary according to ethnic groups and castes we have tried to cover all most all different tradition as follows.

THAKURI Traditional Wedding Nepal

CHHETRI Traditional Wedding Nepal

BRAHMAN Traditional Wedding Nepal

MAGAR Traditional Wedding Nepal

THARU Traditional Wedding Nepal

SHERPA Traditional Wedding Nepal

NEWARI Traditional Wedding Nepal

TAMANG Traditional Wedding Nepal

RAI Traditional Wedding Nepal

GURUNG Traditional Wedding Nepal

LIMBU Traditional Wedding Nepal

CHEPANG Traditional Wedding Nepal

THAKALI Traditional Wedding Nepal

RAUTE Traditional Wedding Nepal

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