Sandwiched between China in the north and India in the south, Nepal is a Kingdom of high Himalayan Mountains, artistic monuments, exotic wildlife and diverse culture. Lord Buddha was born over 2,500 years ago in this land of Mount Everest. Recorded history of Nepal begins with the Lichhavis who came to power in 400 AD. With them the nation began to prosper in art, culture, painting, architecture and sculptures. The Mallas who succeeded them gave a new turn to this prosperity by transforming, the small Kingdoms of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur into "Open air museum of Art and Architecture". Nepal is blessed with an incredible diversity of natural beauty and a consequent opulence of cultural varieties and at the same time she can offer new heights in conference facilities and incentive opportunities with the Himalaya as a backdrop.

Nepal is the "Land of Paradise" for tourists, treks and mountaineering expeditions. The natural landscape of Nepal Mountains, rivers, glacial lakes, forests and wild animals are major resources for its tourism industry. The famous Himalayan range, favorable climate and the hospitality of the Nepalese people and their culture are also major attractions.

The most exhilarating titles with which Nepal has been admired and praised by various renowned travel writers in recognition of her cultural richness, viz., Living cultural Museum, Shangri-La, Roof of the World, Birth place of the Apostle of Peace, Country of Living Goddess, City of Golden Pagodas & Parasols, Pilgrimage, Natural amphitheatre, Melting pot of Hinduism & Buddhism, A tiny Kingdom of thirty six ethnic groups & seventy-five spoke languages, Birth place of Sita, Abode of Shiva, Land of Mysticism & Exoticism, Land of non-stop festivals etc. are explicit and self-explanatory. They tell the world about our incomparable & prosperous cultural heritage.

Culture
The diverse geography of Nepal ranging from Himalayas in the north to the flat southern Terai region renders it home to a wide range of culture. Customs and traditions differ from one part of Nepal to another. A conglomeration lies in capital city Kathmandu where cultures are blending to form a national identity.

Kathmandu Valley has served as the country's cultural capital too. Some parts of the three cities provide a peek into the ancient world of the Valley.

A prominent factor in a Nepali's everyday life is religion. The natives of Nepal still follow age-old customs of Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. Adding color to the lives of Nepalis are festivals the year round which they celebrate with much pomp and joy. It is said that Nepal has more number of festivals than the days in a year. Food plays an important role in the celebration of these festivals.

Nepal is a patriarchal society. Men usually go out to work while women are homemakers. However in cities, roles can differ. Most Nepalis abide by the caste system in living habits and marriage. Rural Nepal is mostly agrarian, while some aspects of urban life carry glitz and glamour of the ultra-modern world.

History
For centuries the Kingdom of Nepal remained divided into many principalities. Kirats ruled in the east, the Newars in the Kathmandu Valley, while Gurungs and Magars occupied the mid-west. The Kirats ruled from 300 BC and during their reign, emperor Ashoka arrived from India to build a pillar at Lumbini in memory of Lord Buddha. The Kirats were followed by the Lichchhavis. During this period, art thrived in Nepal and many of the beautiful woodcarvings and sculptures that are found in the country belong to this era. With the end of the Lichchhavi dynasty, Malla kings came to power in 1200 AD and they also contributed tremendously to Nepal's art and culture. However, after almost 600 years of rule, the kings were not united among themselves and during the late 18th century, Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Gorkha, conquered Kathmandu and united Nepal into one kingdom. Recognizing the threat of the British in India, he dismissed European missionaries from the country and for more than a century, Nepal remained in isolation. During the mid-19th century Jung Bahadur Rana became Nepal's first prime minister to wield absolute power. He set up an oligarchy and the Shah kings remained figureheads. The Ranas were overthrown in a democracy movement of the early 1950s.

Modern Nepal is an amalgamation of a number of principalities, which had independent entities in the past. From one of these small kingdoms, Gorkha, where the kings of the Shah dynasty ruled, King Prithvi Narayan Shah set out to unify Nepal. In 1768, he defeated Malla kings who ruled Kathmandu Valley. Nepal has been ruled by Shah kings ever since. King Birendra ascended the throne after his father's death in 1972, but his coronation took place on an auspicious date in February 1975. After the royal carnage in which King Birendra and his entire members of family were killed on June 1, 2002, his younger brother King Gyanendra succeeded his throne and become the king. His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev is the thirteenth King in the Shah dynasty. Today, Nepal enjoys a multiparty democratic system with a constitutional Monarch.

Attractions

Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley has served as the country's cultural metropolis since the unification of Nepal in the eighteenth century by Late King Prithvi Narayan Shah from Gorkha. The Valley comprises cities of Lalitpur, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. Some parts of the three cities provide a peek into the ancient world of the Valley. The capital city, Kathmandu is enriched with temples more than homes and festivals exceeding the number of days in a year. The whole valley with its seven heritage sites has been enlisted in cultural World Heritage Site list. The place, which blends cultural vigor with modern facilities possible on earth is place admired by tourists who have been in Nepal. The place has more to offer and it is not only administrative capital of the country but to the fullest extend capital of traditional culture and physical resources. Three Durbar Squares-Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath, Swoyambhunath and Changunarayan are the places most revered by the Kathmanduities and whole world.

Pokhara
The natural beauty of Pokhara in Midwestern Nepal is simply bewitching. Forming the backdrop are the spectacular Annapurna Mountains with the magnificent fish-tailed Machhapuchhre dominating the scene. Adding to Pokharas enchantment are the three serene lakes of Phewa, Rupa and Begnas. Other places of interest include the World Peace Stupa a top a hill that provides stunning views of the surroundings; the deep Seti Gorge below which spreads the Green Canyon; and Devi's Fall, an awe-inspiring waterfall that disappears into an underground passage.

Lumbini
Lumbini, in the southwest, is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and a World Heritage Site. An inscription on the Ashoka Pillar identifies the Sacred Garden as the place where the Buddha was born. Lumbini has a number of artistic temples and monasteries built through international support.

Chitwan
UNESCO recalls Chitwan as one of the few remaining undisturbed vestiges of the 'Terai' region, which formerly extended over the foothills of India and Nepal at the foot of the Himalayas. The Royal Chitwan National Park has been enlisted in natural World Heritage Site. It has a particularly rich flora and fauna. One of the last populations of single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros lives in the park, which is also one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.

Sagarmatha National Park
Unique among natural heritage sites worldwide is the Sagarmatha National Park, which includes Mt. Everest (8,848 m) and other high peaks such as Lhotse Shar, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Pumori, Kangtega, Gyachung Kang, Tharnserku and Kwangde. Located North-east of Kathmandu, Sagarmatha National Park is 1,148 sq km. in area and consists of the upper catchment areas of the Dudh Koshi, Bhote Koshi and the Imja Khola rivers. Much of the park lies above 3,000m. In 1979 the park was declared a World Heritage Site. Trees such as rhododendron, birch, blue pine, juniper and silver fir are found up to an altitude of 4,000 meters above which they give way to scrub and alpine plants. In late spring and summer, the hillsides around the villages of Namche Bazaar, Khumjung, Thyangboche and Thame are a riot of colours with several species of rhododendon in bloom. Wildlife most likely to be seen in Sagarmatha are the Himalaya tahr, ghoral, musk deer, pikka (mouse hare) weasel and occasionally jackal.