Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical affects and intangible attributes of a group or civilization that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and preserved for the benefit of future generations (Wikipedia). Your cultural heritage influences the social values you adopt and the approach to the fashion that you sequence. Our cultural heritage reflects not only the close influences of family members and family traditions, but also the zeitgeist – the ‘spirit of the times’ – that fits our own place in history (Goddard, 2015). My cultural roots are from my country, Nepal. Nepal is a landlocked country in Asia that lies along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain range with world’s most striking mountains. Nepal is a small country with area of 147,181 square kilometers (56826 square miles). The dramatic peaks of the Himalayas occupy about 15 percent of its territory. Nepal has about 26 million inhabitants who belong to dozens of different ethnic groups. Hindu is the main religion which makes about 90 percent of the population and 5 to 7 percent of the population are Buddhist. The main language of Nepal is Nepali. Although Nepal does not have a distinct food culture, the food habits differ depending on the region and the community. Hindus are often known to eat more plain foods (low on salt and spices) where Tharu community prefers highly spiced (including a lot of chilies) in their food. The Nepali food has been significantly influenced by India and Tibetan styles of cooking due to open border and immigration.
Nepal is a sovereign state, which is rich in culture and tradition. Due to the landlocked location and historical invasions, Nepalese culture and customs are influenced by Indian and Chinese culture. Large-scale migrations from Northern India, Tibet and China has made a diverse ethnic, linguistic pattern in this country (A brief look at the fascinating Nepalis Culture and tradition, Web, April 22, 2018). Nepalese press their hands together and say Namaste with some of the largest most welcoming smiles in the world; which is the gesture indicating respect. It may seem cliché, but Nepal's people are some of the friendliest you will ever encounter. Namaste the common form of greeting each other in Nepal, means in Sanskrit "the divine in me bows to the divine in you” (Naturally Nepal, April 22, 2018).
Nepal is a diverse country and home to multiple religions, race, tribes, and cultures. The country with over 100 ethnic groups is latterly a melting pot of many (more then 90) languages and ethnicity. In the big cities of Nepal, modern lifestyle is mixed with ancient traditions mostly visible during festivals, but you will have to walk through the small alleys of Kathmandu or Patan where buyers and sellers of handicrafts, spices and clothes give life to a unique city experience you will only find in Nepal. It also feels like you are thrown back in history. There are only handful places in the world with such a harmonious blend of cultures as Nepal.
CULTURAL HERITAGE ITEM
Fashion is a reflection of the social, political, economic and artistic forces of any given time (Frings 2008). The cultural heritage item that I choose for this paper is daura-surwal. Daura-Suruval, also known as Labeda-Surwal, is the traditional dress worn by men. A woollen hat (Topi) is also an essential accessory. Women wear cotton or silk sari, a garment worn with blouse, which is similar to what Indian women wear. More traditional women also wear Gunieu Choli; which is a blouse and saree made of special clothing. According to Goddard (2015), dress among community members can affect the members’ well being, leading to harmony or conflict among the members.
Daura Suruwal has been national dress of Nepal for many years. Jang Bahadur Rana, the Prime minister of Nepal during the starting of the 19th Century, is known to have added the coat as the cherry on the top, The Queen of England gifted him the coat that later began the tradition. The tradition of wearing Daura with Suruwal alone became Daura Suruwal and Coat after that. Daura Suruwal has several religious beliefs. It’s design has remained the same for centuries. The Daura (the top) has eight strings denoted as Astamatrika-Singini, They represent the eight goddesses; Chamunda, Kaumari, Barahi, Brahmhi, Indrayani, Maheshowri, Byasnabin and Mahalaxmi. These eight strings serve to tie the Daura around the body. Eight is a number for good luck and fortune according to the Eastern mythology. The Daura has five pleats or kallis that signifies Pancha (five) Buddha or Pancha Ratna (Five Gems). The closed neck signifies the snake that is always around the Lord Shiva’s neck. In the present, Daura Surwal is no longer the everyday dress, however it is still noted as a national treasure and is often used as the groom’s wedding dress.
Families ties and tradition.
My family’s ties and tradition are very closely related to Nepali heritage. Like most Nepali families, my family has links to Hindu and Buddhist customs. No matter how far away we live now, we seem to embrace those cultures, specifically the festivals and religious norms and values. Greeting each other with Namaste; worshiping Gods before starting your day, loving the youngers and respecting the elders, not harming anyone, believing in Karma, etc. are few of the many cultural norms and values that has been passed from generation to generation. Our family has been living in USA for last 15 years and to this day our cultural celebrations have not changed a bit. We still follow our traditional calendar when it comes to festivals and celebrations. Although Nepal has many festivals, the two main festivals I would like to discuss today are Dashain and Tihar. Both of the festivals are celebrated with pride. These festivals range anywhere from fifteen to thirty days and are known to get family together; get blessings from elders and are often delighted by colors and lights. We worship animals like Cows for providing us milk, one of the purest form of food to dogs for guarding our property and keeping us safe.
As most of the traditional cultures, our culture is somewhat conservative too. Sexually provocative fashions are avoided and looked down upon. The dress code applies to all men and women who want to be socially accepted. Even with the globalization and Western influences on fashion, I wish to pass this tradition to my kids and future generation to come. Below are some of the dresses I have previously discussed.
Image 1: – My brothers and me in Nepali Attire. Image 2: – Nepali Wedding Attire
Cultural Patterns that Reflect My Lifestyle and Cultural Heritage Influences on My Family Today
My constructive attitude, polite manners, respecting elders and loving the younger are some cultural patterns that I have adopted from my parents. I tend to dress simple; within the norms of our culture and my parents and my elders appreciate me doing so. Components such as meditation, yoga, praying and worshipping Gods, not lying to others, doing no harm, etc. are some Hindu and Buddhist values that have passed down from generations. My family has been successful at passing these traditions to my brothers and me and we are planning to pass it to our children. Cultural heritage is not a shameful thing, although they may be different, they make us who we are, they shape our values and influence us to take the right step each time. At last, I am proud of my cultural heritage and I reflect it in my lifestyle each time I can.