Lord Buddha

 Lord Buddha is the founder of the Buddhist religion (Buddhist). His religion is based on nonviolence, good conduct and benevolence. Buddha was born, more than twenty-nine hundred years ago, at Lumbini in Kapilvastu. He was named 'Siddhartha Gautam' means 'descendant of Gautama whose aims are achieved /who is efficacious in achieving aims', he later become the Buddha (literally enlighted one or Awakened one). He was a prince and could enjoy every kind of pleasure. But he was lonely and contemplative by nature. According to most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautam, the future Buddha lived many lives before coming to our present world era. In his may Einsteins during the along, long period of time and in the hundred thousand worlds, the future Buddha had fulfilled the ten paramitas, and in order to save this world to be born in our era and to become a fully enlightened Buddha.

Buddha was married and got a son. But he left his palace and become an ascetic. He wanted to free men from misery.  He went to Gaya and practised hard penance for six years in a forest. Then he began to meditate under a peepal tree sitting cross legged. At last,he attained Supreme knowledge and become Buddha. He went to Sarnath and preached his first sermon. Then he travelled to various place in India and preached his religion.

Dashain our festival

    We have many festivals in our country. Dashain is our greatest festival, it is a Hindu festival. It begins in the month of aswin and least for ten day. The first nine days are called Navaratri (Nine night). On these days people worship Durga, the Goddess of power. They worship her image at home or in temples. The first day is call ghatasthapana, which literally means pot establishing . On this day the kalash, symbolising goddess Durga often with her image embossed on the side in placed in the prayer room. The kalash is filled with holy water and covered with cowdung on which seeds are sown. A small rectangular sand block is made and the kalash is put in the centre. The surrounding bed of sand is also seeded with grains. The room where the kalash is established is call 'Dashain ghar'. The kalash and the sand are sprinkled with holy water everyday and it is shielded from direct sunlight. By the tenth day, the seed will have grown to five or six inches long yellow grass. The sacred yellow grass is called 'jamara'.

As days passes by regular rituals are observed till the seventh day. The seventh day is call 'Fulpati'. In this day we are worship Durga and another goddess. The eight day called 'Maha Asthami' and ninth day called 'Maha Nawami', the fervour of worship ad sacrifice Durga, and Kali increases . On this day many orthodox Hindus will be fasting. Temple of mother goddess are filled with people from down till dusk. Animal mostly black buffaloes are slaughtered to honour Durga the goddess of victory and might and to seek her blessing . Lastly the tenth day is called 'Vijaya dashami' or Tika. It commemorates the victory of Durga over Mahisasur, the demon. This signifies the triumph of Good over Evill. On this day people go to their superiors and seek blessing . We visit our elders in their home and get 'Tika' from them while our younger ones come to our home to receive blessing from us. During Dashain people spend their time in feasting and merrymaking . They put on fine clothes and eat rich foods. Many people like to eat meat. They kill birds and animals . The rich people have a happy time because they can spend a lot of money. The poor people are not so happy, they can not buy enough clothes and food from their children.

After Dashain everyone settles back to normal . After receiving the blessing of goddess Durga,people are ready to work and acquire virtue,power and wealth . Dashain thus is not only the longest festivals but also the most anticipated one among all the festivals of Nepal.

Nepal our country

Nepal

 Nepal is a  beautiful country of this world. It is a landlocked country the size of Arkansas, lying between India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, Nepal contains mount Everest (29,035ft;8848m.)the tallest Mountain n this world. Nepal is a land of Natural  beauty so it is a one most important tourism place in this world. Nepal is situated in the central part of Asia, on the Southern slope of the great Himalayas. It covers an area of 147,181sq.kms. it is spread over in a about 880km.from Mechi in the east to Mahakali in the west. But the width differs from 144km. in the east to 240km. in the west.

Nepal has a strip of level land that is partly forested, partly cultivated. North of that is the slope of the main section of the range, including Everest and many other peaks  higher than 8,000m.The country, full of great forests, was the chosen place for sages like  Kanwa, Biswamitra, Agastya, Valmiki and other. King Dushyanta of India married shakuntala, the adopted daughter of Kanwa Rishi of Nepal. Their son  Bharat ruled over here. Then Nepal was called Mahabharata, and the surrounding territories under the Suzerainty of king Bharat was called Bharat.

ETYMOLOGY OF NEPAL

The world 'Nepal' has significantly been used as the name of our country .There are various opinions about it:

1.  Long, long ago, the king of the Gopala dynasty ruled over it .They were called 'Nepa', so, after the name of the dynasty who ruled over it, the country was named as 'Nepal'.

2.  A sage called 'Ne' lived in penance on the confluence of the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers. He was the sole advisor of the King . So the word 'Nepal' was derived from the name of the sage 'Ne'.

3.  'Nepal' might also be derived from 'Newar', one of the ancient tribes living in Kathmandu valley.

4.  Inb the Gandaki Mahatma, it is mentioned that a king called 'Nepa' ruled over it. He conquered many kingdom and established Shanker as his deity. He founded a country and called it 'Nepal', after his own name.

5.  In the Tibetan language 'Ne' means 'home' and 'pal' means 'wool'. Sheep were reared in Kathmandu valley and much wool was produced .So, it was called the home of wool i.e.; Nepal.

6.  In the Newari language  'Ne' means 'centre' and 'pa' means 'country'. So 'Ne pa' means a country situated in between the two great countries, China and India. So, it was called a central country, i.e., Nepal.

7.  In the Limbu dialect 'Ne' means plain area. Kathmandu valley is a plain, so it was called 'Nepal'.

8.  In the dialect of the Lepchas , 'Ne' means 'holy' and 'pal' means 'cave' . As it is a holy place-the centre of pilgrimage of Hindus and Buddhists, it was called holy cave or Nepal.

9.  In the language of the Tibeto-Burman people, 'Ne' means 'cattle' and 'pa' means 'people' . Kathmandu valley had a good grassland for cattle and the main occupation of the people was to rear animals. So, it was called the land of the people who reared animals, i.e., Nepal.