The Folksongs of Nepal

Abstract

Nepal, an independent kingdom, occupies a 500 mile stretch of the souther slopes of the Himalayas. Its fertile valleys are dominated in the north by the formidable Himalayan Main Range. In the south wooded mountainous terrain spreads at the Indian border into the dense malariainfested jungles of the Terai, a region of swamp and forest teeming with tigers, rhinoceros, snakes, leeches, the most beautiful orchids and every imaginable form of wild life. Chinese traveler Wang Hiuen Tsang (647 A.D.) referred Nepal as Ni Po Lo. He reported that the name was derived from Ne Muni, the patron saint of country, and from 'pala,' meaning to protect. Thus, Ne Pala, or, sinicized, Ni Po Lo, means The Land Protected by Ne. Nepal is inhabited by a large number of tribes, the two most important of which are the Newars and the Gurkhas. Newars, of Mongoloid stock, believe that they originated from the north. However, one section of the Newars, mainly the Hindus, insist that they came from South India, from the Nair country of the Malabar region and, as soldiers under the leadership of Nanya Deva, a Rajput, they settled in Nepal and formed a colony. They derived the name Newar from Nair. language and physical appearance of the Newars indicate traits of North-Himalayan origin. Therefore it can be readily assumed that the link with South India was only a religious one. Today, it is impossible clearly distinguish one group from another because of intermarriage between the Mongolian and Indian components. Newars are peace-loving, and would rather celebrate their unusually high number of yatras (religious holidays) than wage war. They are the creators of a typical Nepalese style in art, that is, rich ornamentation, especially in metal and wood, of things such as temple doors, idols, copper vessels, bronze ornaments and facades of fountains, wooden balconies, etc. Some of the precious and beautiful idols in Lhasa were created by Newari and not by Tibetan artists.