The declaration issued by Nepal's reinstated House of Representatives this week on the future of the country is much more than a piece of paper.

He meant the removal of all political powers from King Gyanendra, whose Shah dynasty has ruled Nepal for the past 238 years.
Nor is this change in mood confined to Kathmandu. In the most far-flung districts, people were glued to their radios on Thursday, witnessing the dismantling of ancient, feudalistic ties.
Parliament's foremost target has been the monarchy. The institution has received a battering; the king reduced to a figurehead and placed, in many ways, on the level of ordinary Nepalis.
Most strikingly, parliament has taken on the right to make and change laws regarding the royal succession - if, indeed, there is still a monarchy under the new constitution to be drawn up in due course by an elected assembly.
Spending controlled
This is a clear sign of the unpopularity of the heir apparent, Crown Prince Paras, a playboy infamous for his reckless driving.
The king - an extraordinarily rich monarch in an exceptionally poor country - is to be taxed and his spending controlled, while his acts will be open to scrutiny in court or in parliament.
Then there is the symbolism. Already, the expressions "His Majesty's Government of Nepal" and "Royal Nepalese Army" have been consigned to history.
The national anthem, whose first line reads "May glory crown you, courageous Sovereign", is to be changed.

Maoist rebels have been fighting with government forces
Moves like this may slowly chip away at the deference usually accorded to the king, who hitherto has tended to commandeer Nepal's entire civil aviation fleet when travelling abroad and whose local visits in luxury limousines bring road traffic to a standstill for hours.
There is another kind of deference, too. Since before the Shah dynasty took power, kings here have been regarded as incarnations of the Hindu god, Vishnu. Many still believe this.
But factors such as the 2001 royal massacre have undermined the belief, and now parliament has abolished Nepal's status as a Hindu kingdom, making it secular.
Links severed
This move has long been wanted by many Nepalis in a country with a tradition of religious tolerance, where Hinduism and Buddhism coexist and freely mix.
The other institution being reined in is the army - now simply the Nepalese Army. Analysts point out that 15 months ago, the army went against the constitution by doing the bidding of the king, arresting the then prime minister and other leaders.
The military - the most powerful of the security force branches here - is now being placed more firmly under the cabinet and a newly constituted top body, and the monarch's link with it completely severed.

King Gyanendra's powers have been severely curtailed
Until Thursday, King Gyanendra - rather like the US president - was supreme commander of the army. That post no longer exists.
The signs are that, despite some consternation, the generals are going along with the change. Indeed, it was reportedly the army that told the king to make major concessions late last month.
But there's also a growing chorus demanding the dismissal of the current army chief, General Pyar Jung Thapa, given the military's role in suppressing last month's demonstrations and the fact that other security force chiefs have been sacked.
Another powerful organ of state, too, has been dissolved - the privy council, a powerful advisory body thought to have urged the king to take direct power last year.
'Inclusive' army
There are some small moves to address the concerns of Nepal's indigenous ethnic groups, who constitute some 40% of the population but have always been excluded from political power.
One is secularisation - a cause important to many indigenous people. It is also stated that the army - hitherto ruled by top Hindu castes - will now be "inclusive and national" in character.
Also marginalised in Nepal are two million stateless people living in areas bordering India: the new declaration says they will get citizenship.
The text mentions the "sacrifices" some people made during April's mass demonstrations against palace rule.
Indeed, underlying this whole proclamation is the sense that these are the changes the ordinary people want, and that the elected body - parliament - is sovereign.

Parliament must try and end Nepal's crushing poverty
It is being predicted that this sense - of the popular will - will prevent the king trying to challenge the new order. He has made no public pronouncement since retreating from direct rule on 24 April.
The politicians' next urgent move will be to address the question of peace. The Maoist rebels have already complained that the new declaration makes no mention of peace talks.
But, having moved quickly on the issue of royal powers, parliament is likely to return to the peace agenda soon.
Pressing problem
The monarchy's long-term future is unclear. There is a widespread sense here that - despite the growing republican sentiment in the streets - parliament has, for now, saved the institution from the man who seemed most likely to undermine it, namely King Gyanendra.
But all these new measures, radical as they are, may be superseded once a promised constituent assembly is elected.
And the fine words must be made into deeds. Apart from violence, Nepal has one most pressing problem: poverty.
As the Himalayan Times newspaper puts it: "Unless the [new] political power is exercised exclusively in the interest of the deprived and marginalised, the sacrifices of the martyrs will be in vain".
As Nepal's mainly peaceful revolution continues, plenty of Nepalis will keep reminding the politicians of that.

Administration and social conditions > Government

Although reforms in the 1950s began to move the kingdom toward a democratic political system, the crown dissolved Parliament in 1960 and subsequently banned political parties. Thereafter, Nepal became only nominally a constitutional monarchy, and the constitution of 1962 (amended 1967, 1976, and 1980) effectively gave the king autocratic control over a multitiered system of panchayats (local bodies, or councils). In the 1980s, political restrictions were eased, and organizations such as the Nepali Congress Party, the Communist Party of Nepal, numerous small left-leaning student groups, and several radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups were allowed to operate more or less openly. Political parties, however, were not again legalized until 1990, when nationwide unrest forced King Birendra to accept the formation of a multiparty parliamentary system.

A new constitution promulgated on Nov. 9, 1990, greatly reduced the power of the monarchy. The king remained the head of state, but effective executive power was given to the Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister. Appointed by the king, the prime minister is required to be either the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives (the lower house of Parliament) or, if there is no majority party, a representative who can form a coalition majority.
The king is constitutionally also a part of Parliament and is charged with giving assent to bills that have been passed by both legislative chambers—the House of Representatives and the National Council (the upper house). The House of Representatives consists of 205 members popularly elected to five-year terms. The 60 members of the National Council hold six-year terms; 10 are nominated by the king, 35 are elected by the House of Representatives (of which 3 must be women), and 15 are selected by an electoral college. The constitution gives the House of Representatives considerably more power than the National Council.
All Nepalese citizens 18 and older are eligible to vote. Because most voters in Nepal are illiterate, candidates are chosen by party symbol (e.g., a tree for the Nepali Congress Party and a sun for the United Marxist-Leninist Party of Nepal). Some voters, moreover, must travel long distances, in some cases for hours along mountain paths, in order to reach a polling station.
Prior to 1990 the country was divided for administrative purposes into 5 development regions, 14 zones, and 75 districts; in addition, there were corresponding regional, zonal, and district courts, as well as a Supreme Court. The 1990 constitution mandated the elimination of the regional and zonal courts, which were to be replaced by appellate courts. The administrative divisions themselves continued to exist as provisional units.

Himalayan Yak is Yakky!!!

I was recommended to this restaurant from a woman I know who has been to Nepal several times. She said the food was as good, if not BETTER, than in Nepal. So I was excited to go and try out this cuisine I had never tasted before. My friends also saw a woman reviewing this restaurant on TV last week.....so much hype! What for?
We ordered gundruk (which is a Nepali mixed dry vegetables of some sort of fermented green with various unknown things mixed inside). It seemed good the first few bites ...an interesting mix of soft and crunchy ...but after a few bites it gave me the strangest feeling so I stopped eating it. It was just fowl. Goat Dalbhat. A goat curry type thing served with rice, black eyed peas, and a sauteed green. All decent but forgettable. From the Tibetan side of the menu we had a sauteed beef with vegetables and Himalayan bread. The beef was tough and just average in flavoring and spices. The bread was flavorless and not worth the carbs. lolAnd finally another dish of chunks of lamb (mostly lamb fat) with sauteed onions and garlic. Toughest chunks of lamb I've ever tasted. We also shared a mango lassi which was not flavorful at all.
Everything was just....blah....leaning on the side of yakky! (yuckie) hehe
I walked out feeling disappointed and with a stomach ache on top of it.
Needless to say I will not return and would not recommend it to anyone else.
Himalayan Yak Restaurant (72-20 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights)
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dharan of nepal

About Dharan City : At the east of Nepal, right at the foot of hills, at an altitude of 1148 ft (349m) lies this beautiful city, Dharan. Beautiful roads, remarkable homes and natural beauty aren't all that makes Dharan. It embraces cleanliness, openness, friendly hill people and their smiles. Dharan grew after British setup the `Gurkha Recruitment Center' in 1953, which helped many Nepalese earn employment. Two ethnic groups namely Rais and Limbus used to constitute the major portion of Gurkah soldiers. These groups came from the eastern region of Nepal, and Dharan was their center for training.
Dharan has a tropical monsoon climate with maximum temperature of 35 to 36 Degree Celsius in April, and minimum of 10 to 12 Degree Celsius in January. The maximum rainfall is about 460mm which is usually seen in August. Nepal's one of the largest river, Saptakoshi, runs near Dharan.
What is Dharan known for? It is known for having B. P. Koirala Institute of Health and Science, over 25 Temples and holy sites, making it an important pilgrimage destination, and Dharan is the gateway to Nepal's popular tea growing region `Dhankuta'. It is also known as environmentally friendly city, and a land of friendly hill people.
Places to Visit and Things to do in Dharan:
Sightseeing : Temples : Dharan is one of the holy places of Nepal. It has numerous temples; Pindeshwar temple, Dantakali temple, Pancha Kanyan temple, and Buddha Subba temple. Many Hindu pilgrims visit holi temples located in this region as well as those located in other parts of Makwanpur District of Nepal
Drink Tongba : In Dharan and also in north of Dharan, find a special Limbu culture of drink known as Tongba, which is another name for Limbu's homemade wine. Fermented millet seeds are put in a wooden or plastic mug which is filled with hot water. One sips through a bamboo straw as more hot water is added which makes Tongba go down easily and has more influence. Many consume this drink during winter season, and is also a favorite drink of the domestic tourists in the region.
Sightseeing : Bhedetar - Mountain Views : Bhedetar is located 9 Kilometer away from Dharan. When the sky is clear (especially during Autumn season), one can witness magnificent views of the Himalayan range, and enjoy fresh Himalayan breeze.
Sightseeing : Pakhri Bash : Small hill village which had the British base camp built to Recruit Gurkha Army. Some British monuments can be found here.
Dhankuta / Hile - Tea Gardens and Bazaar : From Dharan, about 50 Kilometers of what is the most scenic drive in Nepal takes you to a place where your imagination of greenery gardens are revealed. Some say, come to Dhankuta, if you want to walk in the clouds. Meet the clouds, village folks, and greet the awesome enchanting tea gardens here, and learn some on organic tea and tea processing units in Nepal. If you are a tea lover, you will enjoy visiting a privately owned tea garden and factory named Guranse. Also visit Hile, a hill town situated at 1850 meter altitude, which is just 6 Kilometer from Dhankuta for the Hile Bazaar and gracious people.
Hiking : Basantapur : This hill is located about 90 KM from Dharan, and about 1 KM from Hile. It is the starting point for trekking to Kanchanjunga base camp. Beyond the hill, beautiful forests Rhododendrons (Guranse in Nepali) can be seen. Guranse is the Nepal's national flower.
Hiking : Raja Rani Hill : Excellent spot to view Kanchenjunga, Khumbakarna, Makalu and Mt. Everest. The hill is located 20 Kilometer from Dharan

my nepal

Tourism in Nepal

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Tourism is the largest industry in Nepal; the largest source of foreign exchange and revenue. Possessing 8 of the 10 highest mountains in the world, Nepal is a hotspot destination for mountaineers, rock climbers and people seeking adventures. The Hindu and Buddhist heritage of Nepal, and its cold weather are also strong attractions.
Contents
1 About Nepal
2 Problems of tourism
3 Benifits of Tourism
4 External Links
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About Nepal
Nepal is a country lodged between China on the North and India on the South, as shown on the map. It is on the collision zone between two plates, so large mountain ranges are formed in the creasing – including the Pahar Hill region and the Mountain region, both with large altitudes and populated valleys. Tourism is especially large in Mount Everest and a large amount of conflict has arisen there – as we will study later. Mountaineers with ambitions to travel, view and climb the spectacular slopes come in their ten thousands. 39% of the GDP comes from agriculture; 76% of people use it as their principle employment. Services (which would include tourism) equal 42% and industry 21%. The lack of natural resources means that agriculture is the main primary industry, while tourism probably the main tertiary. Main exports are clothing, leather, jute goods and grain.
There are lots of places to visit in Nepal. That is why people often term Nepal as "a place where there are more temples than houses". Similarly because of Gods and Goddesses we term it as a place where the number of gods and goddess is more than the population of people.
Inside the Kathmandu Valley, there are lots of sight seeing. For example, you can go to the Krishna Mandiror Patan which was build of one tree, Pashupati nath of the capital and several other temples, historical places and monuments.
However, one of the most amazing thing of the Kathmandu Valley is the excellent view of the valley from all the hilltops!
Similarly when one goes outside of the valley, he or she can see countless natural beauties never explored. Tourists stare with amazements of the gift of God to the Himalayan Kingdom. Nepal is a must visit place.

Problems of tourism
The movement of tourism in Nepal was people trying to make use of the many people who admired the scenery and were fascinated by the world’s tallest mountain after it was first climbed. Development in that region was almost nothing, as described by the people who first climbed it. But this spark lit up the pile of logs waiting; the scenery waiting to be viewed in wonder of so many people. So tourism started: people had ambitions to climb the slopes of the great mountain, and, as always, local people began to expand their living to fit that of the tourists and became richer and more developed. Visitors would share their culture, good or bad, and this had some major disadvantages; principally litter. Locals also began to, as they used more developed equipment, drop litter on the slopes that no-one wanted to take down. This includes oxygen bottles, bottles of water, snack bars and tissues etc – all of what we enjoy at home, but without any bins. Landfill sites were set up.
Other problems include the volume of tourists wearing the mountain away, which causes mudslides through erosion which can be deadly for lower communities. Trees are cut down at an alarming rate, adding to this problem – a tourist uses three times more wood then a Sherpa. In the towns, toilet facilities involve no sewage system, and therefore local water, which the people are used to it being clean, is neglected and polluted with human waste. Locals, who can’t afford the bottled water that tourists are buying have no real choice about using the polluted water and suffer the increased health costs and deadly diseases. Now tourists are buying and pushing up the price of products that the locals are selling, agriculture in growing potatoes for the local population has decreased and massive problems have occurred because of the price rise: locals can no longer buy their community’s food and have to either eat less and less or find another way to scrape a living. A community cannot be both focused totally on foreigners and on members of its own community; only people who offer a service acceptable to the tourists – this includes corporations such as Coca-cola and Cadbury and hotel owners and tour guides etc. And even they don’t always get the best deal; they have to pick up all the litter that tourists think is untidy and will refuse to pick up. Large non-localised organisations also often refuse responsibility.

Benifits of Tourism
Tourism is big business in Nepal. Local people can benefit and develop their lives out of poverty with tourism, despite the fact that tourists can dilute the culture and destroy the local area. It obliges people that aren’t involved to take up tourism in order to survive; great finincial incentive would be in this. Tourism can lead to development, such as healthcare and cleaner water, and this can be good if tourism is sustained long enough for people to demand those services, but again many disadvantages can come with this. It can also act as a substitute to other methods of income, such as agriculture or secondary industry, which may start to struggle.