DRESS Nepal1 - RPCV Madison
we all dress
© 1995 Scott Faiia
Nepal
Boys Participate in Buddhist Ceremony
The Newars of the Kathmandu Valley have contributed to the artistic and cultural traditions of Nepal out of all proportion to their numbers. Six of the Valley’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites are enduring symbols of those contributions and traditions. Despite encroaching modernization and urbanization they vibrate with life. Early morning excursions to Patan’s Durbar Square are an ideal way to discover this life. Even after more than a hundred visits I find something new and exciting each time. Newari religions range from esoteric Tantric-Buddhism to strict Orthodox Hinduism with every shade in between. Patan, with hundreds of religious shrines, is predominately Buddhist. Chudakarma is a religious duty required of the Sakaya and Bajracharya Newars. It is usually performed during the period from November to May, at a time determined astrologically. Over a four-day period, boys who are 3,5,7,9, or 11 years old, fast, shave their heads, wear yellow robes and walk through the streets in procession. The exact procedures vary according to the child’s family monastery. Each child undergoes the ceremony only once and thereby gains recognition as a true Sakya or Bajracharya. The Buddha, Siddhartha Gaulama Sakyamuni, was a Sakya. Patan’s Newar have kept something important alive. I bow to them respectfully. -Scott Faiia, Peace Corps/Malaysia, 1973-75
Nepal (Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal) Capital Kathmandu Population 28,563,377 (2009 est.) Life Expectancy 65.46 years Literacy 48.6% (age 15 and over can read and write) Languages Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5% Religions Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6% Government federal democratic republic Source: The World Factbook, 2009
This photo appears on the we all dress International Poster, produced by the RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison, 2009. For more information and to order a complete set of full-size posters, see http://www.rpcvmadison.org/
© 1995 Scott Faiia
Nepal
Boys Participate in Buddhist Ceremony
The Newars of the Kathmandu Valley have contributed to the artistic and cultural traditions of Nepal out of all proportion to their numbers. Six of the Valley’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites are enduring symbols of those contributions and traditions. Despite encroaching modernization and urbanization they vibrate with life. Early morning excursions to Patan’s Durbar Square are an ideal way to discover this life. Even after more than a hundred visits I find something new and exciting each time. Newari religions range from esoteric Tantric-Buddhism to strict Orthodox Hinduism with every shade in between. Patan, with hundreds of religious shrines, is predominately Buddhist. Chudakarma is a religious duty required of the Sakaya and Bajracharya Newars. It is usually performed during the period from November to May, at a time determined astrologically. Over a four-day period, boys who are 3,5,7,9, or 11 years old, fast, shave their heads, wear yellow robes and walk through the streets in procession. The exact procedures vary according to the child’s family monastery. Each child undergoes the ceremony only once and thereby gains recognition as a true Sakya or Bajracharya. The Buddha, Siddhartha Gaulama Sakyamuni, was a Sakya. Patan’s Newar have kept something important alive. I bow to them respectfully. -Scott Faiia, Peace Corps/Malaysia, 1973-75
Nepal (Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal) Capital Kathmandu Population 28,563,377 (2009 est.) Life Expectancy 65.46 years Literacy 48.6% (age 15 and over can read and write) Languages Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu 5.8%, Tamang 5% Religions Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6% Government federal democratic republic Source: The World Factbook, 2009
This photo appears on the we all dress International Poster, produced by the RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison, 2009. For more information and to order a complete set of full-size posters, see http://www.rpcvmadison.org/
