7 Social Practices, Traditions, Culture and Customs in Nepal That Most Nepalese Don’t Know

Get here some information and facts about these 7 social practices, traditions, culture, and customs in Nepal that most Nepalese people may not know. We have posted here a post about social practices in Nepal, traditions in Nepal, culture in Nepal, and customs in Nepal.

7 Social Practices, Traditions, Culture, and Customs in Nepal That Most Nepalese Don’t Know

Tradition is a belief that existed for a long time among particular groups of people and custom is a way of behaving in a society or a community. Nepali culture and tradition, as well as whole lifestyles, are guided by social thinking. Similarly, values and norms are mainly guided by society. Nepali rituals and rites from birth to death are directly or indirectly guided by the religious faith.  The way of life simply means the typical pattern of behavior of a person or group or culture. It refers to a particular way in which a person or group of persons live or do something. It is related to culture, civilization, society, customs, traditions, heritage, habits, ways, and values.

Our Social Practices

Just like the diversity in geography, we have diversity in our ways of life, social practices, traditions, and cultures. It is mostly due to the influence of geography. Geography compels us to adopt certain lifestyles, cultures, and traditions. The ways people live, eat, dress up, and do things differ from place to place and region to region. The way people live and do things in a mountain is different from the hill and terai. Some of the typical cultures, customs, traditions, and practices we practice are Guthi, Bheja, Parma, Pancho Dhikuti, Badghar, Rodhi, Janku, Bel Bibaha, Senapati, etc. Since Nepal is a multi-religious, multi-racial, multi-lingual country, innumerable traditions and conventions are practiced.

There are so many malpractices in the name of social tradition in our society. Such traditions disturb social development. These are some examples of malpractices are mentioned below. Among many, some are discussed below briefly.

1. Guthi

The word ‘Guthi’ has been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Gosthf which means society or union. Later, the Gosthi started to be called ‘Gothi’ and in course of its use and development, it is pronounced as ‘Guthi’. Guthi is like a social trust established to help each other or to support some social, cultural, or religious works in time of need, emergency, or on special occasions like weddings, funerals, broadband, puja, etc. It refers to any organization which is established or made to perform religious and altruistic functions with income from existing land, building, and other properties. It’s established by an individual or by a group of people living in the same community or by the people of the same clan or following the same faith or even by the government.

The income is also used to worship gods and goddesses. The attraction towards Guthi practice is increasing because it is believed and heard that the aid a person conducting, religious and altruistic functions will have a prosperous and happy life. He/she also rests in heaven after death. As a result, nowadays we can see commoners tempted to donate money and land for establishing schools, hospitals, orphanages, etc.

2. Bheja

Veja is a typical practice of Nepali society It refers to the collection of money, goods, etc. from each house and organization for carrying out some sort of religious function. That is why Bheja is a social and cultural practice of collecting or offering contributions from each household in cash or kind as sida dakchhina for performing religious or social functions. It is mostly found among the people of the same community. Such a social practice, on one hand, brings the community closer and on the other makes it easier to perform certain rituals. For example, constructing temples, gumba, inns, orphanages, etc. This is an old practice of religion. Nowadays, the practice of Veja is accelerating. There are many temples, inns, etc, constructed and being established in different places in Nepal

3. Parma

Parma is a social practice of giving and taking help in labor or services turn by turn (alopalo) while carrying out major social, cultural, and agricultural activities. For example, at the time of planting or harvesting crops, building shelters, and roofing houses, people in the community lend labor to each other (Palo Palo) as parma to complete the work at hand. Such a parma is returned next time when the parma lender has to perform similar activities. The practice of parma is thus a culture of performing each other’s work turn by turn collectively. This is most prevalent in rural and agricultural societies.

Parma simply refers to the interchanging of help. More specially, it means doing other’s work turn-wise. For example, if Ram helps in the rice plantation with Hari, Hari also helps Ram with planting his rice. It is a two-way help to do similar work. This is mainly practiced by farmers in rural areas. Due to modernization in agriculture and other occupations, the practice of Parma is being less practiced these days.