CHEPANG (TSEPANG)

18,000 to 27,000 (1991). Inner Terai; Narayani Zone, Makwanpur, Chitwan, South Gorkha, and South Dhading districts. Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Bodic, Eastern Himalayan, Kiranti, Western, Marginal Western. Dialects: EASTERN CHEPANG, WESTERN CHEPANG. The 2 dialects are close; 98% lexical similarity. 5% to 15% literate. Agriculturalists. Traditional religion, Hindu overlay. NT 1993.
                     


  CHHINTANG (CHHINTANGE)
 
  100 or fewer (1991 W. Winter). Lower Arun region, Dhankuta District, Chhintang panchayat, Sambhung and Pokhare, and Ankhisalla panchayat, Dandagaon. Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Bodic, Eastern Himalayan, Kiranti, Eastern, Southwestern, Chilling. Speakers are mainly older; the ethnic group has largely shifted to Bantawa or Nepali.

    BHOJPURI (BHOJAPURI)

  1,370,000 in Nepal (1993 Johnstone), 8% of population (1985); 23,375,000 in India (1994); 25,000,000 in all countries. Birgunj area, just across Indian border from Raxaul. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Eastern zone, Bihari. Dialects: BHOJPURI THARU, TELI. The extent of dialect variation among speakers in India and Nepal has not been determined. Bhojpuri Tharu is a dialect of Bhojpuri spoken by the Tharu caste in Nepal. It is distinct from Chitwan and other Tharu. Bilingualism in Hindi and Maithili. 50% to 75% literate. Hindu, Muslim, Christian. Bible portions 1911-1982.

CAMLING (CHAMLING, CHAMLINGE RAI) 

10,000 or fewer (1995 Karen Ebert). Rawa Valley, Khotang District, Sagarmatha Zone. Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Bodic, Eastern Himalayan, Kiranti, Central, Southern. Many ethnic subgroups, but linguistically homogeneous. Closest to Bantawa and Puma linguistically. Many ethnic Camling are not fluent in Camling. Learned by children only in a remote area of Udaypur. Many people speak a variety mixed with Nepali. 'Rodong' means 'Kiranti', not 'Camling'. Some Bantawa call their language 'Camling'. Survey needed.

Languages of nepal

                

There are some 120 native languages of Nepal, belonging to the Indo-aryan, Sino -tibetan, Austro asiatic and dravidian languages families.

The official language of Nepal is Nepali, formerly called Khaskura then Gorkhali. The 2001 census counted 11 million native speakers in Nepal and it is spoken as a second language by millions more. It is also spoken in parts of India and Bhutan.In nepal, mostly in the city areas people use to speak Nepali language(national language of Nepal) but in village areas people use to spoke language according to their own castes and culture. There are altogether 126 languages spoken in Nepal. Each of the language have its own inportance and historical facts.

Jewelry
Jewelry of gold and silver reflects the preferences of ethnic groups. Gurung women often wear large disc earrings of bronze and copper, while Sherpa women often have turquoise and silver earrings. Other forms of jewelry include nose rings, pendants, engraved silver belts, anklets and bracelets

Pottery 

Pottery flourishes in Patan and Thimi, a locality near Bhaktapur. Common forms of pottery are terra cotta oil lamps used to light homes during the festival Dipawali, and flower pots decorated with peacocks and elephants.

Literature

Literature appeared in the valley during the 18th century. Poetry is the predominant form of writing from this period, but most authors are unknown. The following centuries brought more poets and writers inspired by religion as well as social problems. Musical lyrics celebrate the beauty of nature and life, or convey a legend.

Bronze figures

 
Bronze figures, sometimes alloyed with copper, appeared in the valley around 8th century AD. These images usually represented religious deities or legendary figures. The most frequently used production technique is that of cire perdue, a form of wax casting. Images often contain embedded semi-precious stones, usually coral or turquoise, or are gilded with gold.

 Painting

The earliest paintings appeared in 11th century AD. and consisted of illustrated manuscripts on palm leaf or rice paper. Thangkas, a more predominant form of painting, are popular among Buddhists in Nepal as well as in Tibet and date back to the late 14th century. These paintings on cotton are rectangular in shape and usually longer than they are wide.

 They are framed with three stripes of Chinese brocade of blue, yellow and red which represent the rainbow which separates sacred objects from the material world. Older Thangkas consisted of mineral-based colors, while current Thangkas are produced with vegetable-based or chemical colors. Frequent themes of Thangkas include images of Buddhist figures, mandala designs, the wheel of life design, or depiction of scenes or stories.

Architecture

People walking the streets of Kathmandu cannot fail to notice the abundance of religious buildings in the city. Temples exist near or around royal palaces, as well as at important geographical locations including the top of hills, river banks or near wells. Private temples were built anywhere and can be found in almost every neighbourhood.

The temples are sites of magnificent stone and wood carvings. Most of the stone carvings are from the eleventh and twelfth centuries and reflect the influence of Indian art from the Gupta (5 and 6th century A.D.) and the Palasena (10th to 12th century AD.) periods. Wood carvings are predominantly from the eighteenth century used to decorate pillars, door and window frames, cornices and supporting struts. Struts of Hindu temples usually contain an erotic scene which attracts speculation from visitors. The motivation for such motifs are natural; in countries where death is predominant, procreation is sacred in some respects as the embodiment of life-giving energies and fertility. Sexual union also represents the union of the individual with the universe in the Vedas which are Hindu texts.