Which country is similar to Nepal? :- Nepal is a land-locked nation between China (in the north) and India (in the east, south, and west), the two neighboring nations.
It is a land of immense geological diversity divided into three distinct ecological zones to the east-west: the plains (Terai) to the south, the hills and mountains to the center, and the Himalayas to the north. Nepal is a mosaic of more than 61 ethnic groups who have their own distinct dialects, society’s ways of life.
In many ways, Nepal is similar to India, a neighboring country. They are similar in context of tradition, customs, religion, cultural value system, festivals, dress, trade and commerce. However, it is similar to Portugal in context of map and Bhutan in context of location and not colonized by British.
The country which is Similar to Nepal in the context of:
1) Map:
On the world map, Nepal and Portugal are twins. The map of Nepal looks precisely like that of Portugal’s whenever turned 90 degree the clockwise way.
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2) Location:
Nepal is a landlocked nation situated southwest of the Tibetan Plateau of China and encompassed to the east, south and west by India. Nepal is situated west of Bhutan, despite the fact that the two nations don’t fringe one another.
Bhutan is likewise sandwiched between the Tibetan Plateau of southern China and northern India, situated east of Nepal.
3) Not colonized by British:
Bhutan and Nepal are very similar since, when different nations were colonized, both nations were not colonized by the British and governed by kings. They are both small nations, autonomous from the British province, and furthermore have an open border with India.
4) Language:
Language is yet another part of the cultural affinity between Nepal and India. Many languages are spoken by citizens in both nations. These popular languages incorporate Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Avadhi, etc., among others.
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The roots of many of these languages are Sanskrit, which is viewed as the language of the gods and saints. In writing Nepali, Hindi, and many other traditional languages, Nepal and India both use the Devnagari script. Numerous religious texts are written in this language, incorporating the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and Tripitaka.
5) Religion
Religion is probably the most significant factor in defining the cultural ties between these two nations and plays a predominant role. Nepal is a Hindu nation and Indian has majority Hindu. This implies they’ve got the same kind of god to venerate.
This is manifested in the vast number of people visiting each other’s countries for pilgrimage from both nations. Every year in India, thousands of Nepalese nationals visit pilgrimage sites.
A lifetime aspiration of almost all Hindus is the Char Dham yatra (visit of four Dhams in India, i.e. Badrinath/Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Jagannath (Puri) in Orissa, Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu, and Dwarka in Gujrat).
There are numerous different spots in India which are viewed as sacrosanct destinations by Nepalese individuals. Haridwar, Rishikesh, Varanasi, Gaya, Vaishnodevi, and many more are amongst them.
Similarly, in Nepal, there are a variety of religious sites which are considered very sacred and significant and are attractions for Indian nationals as ‘must visit’ religious destinations. Such destinations incorporate Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath, Rupandehi district’s Lumbini (the birthplace of Buddha), Janakpur’s Ram-Janaki temple (the birthplace of Janak and Sita), and many more.
As both nations share similar religious values and philosophies, and respect and worship the same gods and incarnations, their cultural relations are very close and inseparable indeed.
6) Trade and Commerce
India and Nepal are economically related, in reality there is hardly a boundary to travel across between two nations and minimum formality.
7) Both Nepal and India are multilingual, multicultural, multireligious, nations. India is one of the world’s richest in ethnic and racial diversity. In spite of the fact that Nepal is geographically 22 times smaller than India, yet Nepal comprises 123 dialects and 125 castes.
8) Festivals
It is difficult to accept, however it’s a fact that both India and Nepal have hundreds of festivals throughout the year.
In Nepal and India, there are an enormous number of festivals celebrated. There are numerous festivals and festivities in India and Nepal that are totally identical and similar, for example, Makar Sakranti, Holi, Baisakhi, Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Dashain, Christmas, Diwali, Eid, Teej, Shivratri, Ram Navami, Basanta Panchami, Buddha Purnima, and so forth.
9) Dress
As the vast majority of the individuals of India and Nepal share the very religion and culture, their clothes are also similar because of this. Westernization is now influencing the dresses of vast majority of individuals living in Nepal and India, and most of the men wear trousers, t-shirts, jackets, and shirts, while women in both countries likewise wear pants, t-shirts, shirts, skirts, one-piece, and tops.
Now, because of the myths of modernization, impersonation and fascination of Western culture, individuals do not wear their traditional clothes. Customarily, the Hindu Brahmin of Nepal and India both were kurta, dhoti, and ladies wear a sari, kurta surwal.
10) Source of income
Tourism is Nepal’s principal source of revenue. It is the primary source of revenue and foreign exchange. Nepal, with eight of the ten highest mountains in the world, is a hot spot for mountaineers, plentiful flora and fauna, snowy landscapes, rich cultural and religious diversity, rock climbers, and adventure seekers. Nepal’s Hindu and Buddhist heritage and its mild weather are strong attractions as well.
Like Nepal, tourism is now Bhutan’s second main source of income. While Indian nationals are allowed to travel Bhutan solo, Bhutan has a tourist control system, however other than Indian tourists have to pay compulsory per day basis and travel via travel agent.
Bhutan is additionally prominently referred to as ‘Place of Thunder Dragon. It is famous for its marvelous mountain landscape, fluctuated widely varied vegetation and its special antiquated Buddhist cloisters. It is likewise designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
These are some of the contexts in which Nepal is similar to other countries like India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. There might be others too.
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