Nepal Newars : Nepal  

Nepal Newars - Travel guide

Nepal

Newars

The natives of Kathmandu, the Newars, are mainly traders. With a purpose to trade, they are scattered across the country; with greater concentration in the Kathmandu Valley, Banepa, Dhulikhel, Bhojpur, Bandipur and Tansen. Despite the small percentage numerically, they contribute significantly in the history, art, architecture and business activities in the country.

Newars speak their own language, 'Newari' better known as Nepal Bhasa which belongs to Tibeto-Burman family of languages. It has its own scripts and has no linguistic connection to Nepali, Hindi or Sanskrit. The Newari script, the 'Ranjana lipi' is exceptional. The Newari literature is also very rich.

There are both Buddhist and Hindu Newars. Like elsewhere in the country, religious syncretism is blended into the culture and tradition. They celebrate numerous feasts and festivals throughout the year. Besides their rich cultural heritage, festivals, the Newars are impeccable artists and architects.

To put it in a nutshell, the Newars, though small in numbers, have a very strong and dominating influence in Nepal's economy, politics and society in general.