Nepal

Facts About Nepal:
Location:
Southern Asia,landlocked between China and India
Area
140,800 sq km
Population
25,284,463
Ethnic groups
Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others
Religions
Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%
Languages
Nepali (Official Language) and other more than 40 dialects

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People And Places:
Nepal is a land of diversity. It has a population of more than 18 million people made of different races living in different regions, with diverse culture, languages and dialects. The Gurungs and Magars live mainly in the west. The Rais, Limbus and Sunuwars inhabit the slopes and valleys of the eastern mid hills. The Sherpas live in the Himalayan region. The Newars constitute an important ethnic group of the capital valley Kathmandu. There are Tharus, Yadavas, Satar, Rajvanshis and Dhimals in the Terai region. The Brahmans, Chhetris and Thakuris are spread generally over most parts of the kingdom.


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Areas Of Interest:
Kathmandu Valley: Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal. This slowly-getting-modern city reflects the vast cultural and traditional richness found all over the country. Kathmandu Valley consists of three main cities - Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. All these three cities are of great historic and cultural importance.

Kathmandu : The country's capital and largest city simultaneously reeks of history and the wear and tear of increasing modernity. The tightly packed historical centre, with its squares and temples, continues to preserve a world light years away from the shanty towns, expensive hotels, restaurants and shops on the city's outskirts. Kathmandu's core is Durbar Square, with the Vishnumati River to the west and Ratna Park to the east. The Bagmati River forms the southern boundary, while Thamel, the budget travellers' hangout, sprawls to the north.

Patan : the second-largest city in the valley, lies just across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu, but it's a much quieter and less frenetic place to visit. The city is justly proud of its temples and artisans and it is their handiwork that provides the focus of the stunning Durbar Square - choc-a-block with the largest display of Newari architecture in Nepal. It includes the Royal Palace, which contains a richly decorated bathtub, and the two-tiered brick Jagannarayan Temple. Look up to the roof struts to see carvings of figures engaged in quite athletic acts of intercourse. A few minutes' walk north of the square is the Golden Temple, a Buddhist monastery guarded by sacred tortoises that potter around the courtyard; and the Kumbeshawar, reputedly the oldest (1392) temple in Patan. South of the square is an area of charming streets lined with metalsmiths and brassware shops.

Bhaktapur : It is in many ways the most medieval of the three major cities in the Kathmandu Valley. Despite recent development, the city still retains a distinctly timeless air, with much of its glorious architecture dating from the end of the 17th century. Most sights can be easily traversed by foot and include yet another Durbar Square, which is infinitely larger than Kathmandu's and has its fair share of temples, statues and columns, many with grisly histories behind them. For instance, the sculptor of the Ugrachandi & Bhairab Statues had his hands chopped off to prevent him from duplicating his masterpieces.

Pokhara : The city of Pokara is renowned for its setting rather than its historical or cultural endowments. Its quiet lakeside location and proximity to the mountains mean it is an ideal place for recovering from (or gearing up for) a trek, taking leisurely strolls or simply putting your nose in a good book. And wouldn't you know it, Pokhara has some of the country's best accommodation and restaurants as well. There's a batch of Tibetan settlements, a hilltop monastery and the pretty Devi Falls nearby. Day walks can be taken to Sarangkot (1592m), the limestone caves at Mahendra Gufa or Rupa and Begnas Tals lakes.

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Religions and Festivals:
Nepal's festive calendar is hectic. Dasain, celebrated nationwide in October, is the most important of all Nepalese celebrations and features the biggest animal sacrifice of the year. Running a close second is Tihar (November), but unlike Daisan, animals are honoured rather than slaughtered. Other festivals celebrated nationally include the water-tinged Holi (March) and Chaitra Daisan (April), which is yet another bad day for animals. Hindu festivals number the Haribodhini Ekadashi (November) and Maha Shivaratri (March), both celebrated in Pashupatinath, the Gai Jatra (August) in Kathmandu and the Krishna Jayanti (August/September) in Patan. Buddhist celebrations are just as thick on the ground, and include Mani Rimdu (November) in Solu Khumbu, Buddha Jayanti (May) in Kathmandu, and Losar (Tibetan New Year) (February) in Swayambhunath, Jawlakhel and highland communities.

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Culture :
At once a time machine and a magic carpet, Nepal sweeps you along crooked, timeworn streets flanked by irregular, multi-roofed pagodas, stupas and stone sculptures, and into rooms cluttered with horror-eyed masks, spinning prayer wheels, trippy thangka scrolls and Tibetan carpets. Muttered chants, esoteric tantric hymns and Nepalese music hang in the air, whether it be the twang of a four-stringed saringhi or the plaintive notes of a flute. Traditional folk musicians, or gaines, gather for an evening of singing and socialising; classical dancing and trance-like masked dances enliven the Kathmandu Valley and Bhaktapur regions; while no wedding would be complete without the raucous damais - Nepal's modern ensembles.
Religion is the lifeblood of the Nepalese. Officially it is a Hindu country, but in practice the religion is a syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs with a pantheon of Tantric deities tagged on. The remainder of the population that isn't Buddhist or Hindu are either Muslim, Christian or shamans.

Sightseeing Around Pokhara Valley

Pokhara is the most popular destination for visitors to Nepal. There is little in its past by way of neither history nor culture impact and the only important role that the old Pokhara played was that it was along the route of trade between India and Tibet. Today it is one of the fastest developing cities of Nepal, mainly due to tourism.
The natural beauty of its lakeside location and its proximity to the mountains has made in the natural choice for trekkers and adventures. Pokhara is also the base for some of most famous trekking circuits of Nepal. By itself surrounding area provides ample scope for short walk and day trips, suitable for children or weary trekkers that can be made around the valley.
Pokhara’s popularity has led it to accommodate people of many nationalities and there is no dearth of hotels, guesthouses and other lodgings, ranging from the deluxe to the super economy.
Foreigners find the Pokhara an oasis where leisurely meals good books and shorts walk can easily fill several days- ideal if you are recovering from (or gearing up for) travel to India. It is the combination of the magnificent location, good-value accommodation and food, and the proximity of local village life that accounts for much of Pokhara’s appeal.
Sightseeing Around Pokhara Valley
Visitors destination Pokhara, the city itself offers quite a few places of interest for the casual and longer staying visitor. These are:-
Phewa LakePhewa Lake is the center of all attraction in Pokhara. It is the largest and most enchanting of three lakes that add to the resplendence of Pokhara. Here, one can sail or row a hired boat across the water of the lake or visit the island temple in the middle of the lake, The eastern shore, popularly know as Lakeside or Baidam, is the favorite haunt of all travelers restaurants, handicraft shops and other tourist facilities are located.
Barahi TempleThe Barahi temple is the most important monument in Pokhara. Built almost in the Center of Fewa Lake, this two-storied pagoda is dedicated to the boar manifestation of Ajima, the protector deity representing the female force of Shakti.
Devi’s FallLocally known as Patale Chango (Hell’s Falls) also know as Devins and Davids is a lovely Waterfall is about 2 km south West of Pokhara airport on the Siddhartha Highway. Legend has it that a trekker by the name of Davy, was washed away by the Padi Khola and mysteriously disappeared down into an underground passage beneath the fall.
Mahendra CaveAnother of nature’s wonders in Pokhara is the Mahendra gufa. This large limestone cave is locally known a s the House of Bats an apt name for it. A two- hours walk to the north of Pokhara, it is best to bring our own torch to see the stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the local winged residents.
Seti Gandaki GorgeAnother of Pokhara natural wonders is the Seti Gandaki River. Flowing right through the city, the boisterous river runs underground at places. Amazingly, at certain places the river appears hardly two meters wide. However, its depth is quite beyond imagination, over 20m. Mahendra pul, a small bridge near the old mission hospital, provides a perfect view of the river’s dreadful rush and the deep gorge made by its powerful flow.
The Old Bazar + Bindyabasini TemplePokhara's traditional bazaar is colorful and so are its ethnically diverse traders. In its temples and monuments can be seen ties to the old Newar Architecture of the Kathmandu valley, Located about 4 k.m from Lakeside, the market S original charm is still evident. This area is strewn with shops selling commodities ranging from edibles to and cloth to cosmetics and gold, is a pleasant and shady spot to stroll around.The old Bazaar is also home to one of Pokhara’s most important shrines. Locally called the Bindhyabasini Mandir, this white dome- like structure dominates a spacious stone – paved courtyard built atop a shady hillock. It is dedicated to Goddess Bhgwati, yet another manifestation of Shakti. The park – like grounds offers a fine picnic area, and on Saturdays, and Tuesdays when devotees flock there to offer sacrifices, it takes on a festive flavor.
World peace pagodaThis Pagoda is situated on the top of a hill on the southern shore of Fewa lake. It has four images of Buddha facing in four directions. The Pagoda is an impressive sight and its hilltop location commands a grand view. It is a great vantage point, which offers spectacular view of the Annapurna range and Pokhara city.
Begnas Lake and Rupa LakeBegnas Lake is situated in the eastern part of Pokhara valley, at a distance of 15 km from Pokhara. Tourist can relax in the lodges and resorts situated alongside the lake. Yet another popular lake of Pokhara is the Rupa Lake. It is separated from Begnas Lake by a bridge known as Pachabhaiya. The lakes offer the prefect nature retreat because of their relative’s seclusion and opportunities for boating and fishing.
Mountain Views:Clearly, the most stunning of Pokhara’s sights is the spectacular panorama of the Anapurna range that forms its backdrop. Stretching from east to west, the Annapurna massif includes Annapurna I to IV and Annapurna South. Although the highest among them is Annapurna I at 8091 meters, it is Machhapuchhre, which dominates all others in this neighborhood. Standing tall, proud, and dominating the skyline, Machhapuchhre, the fishtailed pinnacle is the classic snow – capped, needle – pointed mountain.

Depression

About 42% of the survey respondents were categorized as having clinical depression by DSM-IVR criteria 26(Table 3). Characteristics of subjects with and without depression are given in Table 4. Depression was more frequent if the subjects were single, widowed or divorced (77.5% vs. 70.9% p-value 0.047). Subjects with depression had a slightly but significantly lower total number of trauma events overall, but the mean weighted score was higher in those with depression, suggesting that the intensity of the experiences was more important that the total number. Experiencing lack of shelter, having a near-death experience, separation from family members, and being kidnapped were the only variables significantly associated with having depression by DSM-IVR criteria (Table 2). Similarly, having a near-death experience and being kidnapped were associated with significantly higher mean depression score by student t-test. Depression was also associated with higher mean PTSD and mean total HSCL-25 scores.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
By applying DSM-IVR criteria, only 7 subjects met criteria for PTSD, and of these, all were also depressed (Table 3). The study subjects with PTSD were significantly younger than were those without PTSD (mean age 23.6 years vs. 37.6 years, p=0.0018). Experiencing rape, having near-death experiences, and being kidnapped were also significantly associated with higher mean PTSD scores. Six out of 7 subjects with PTSD were female and unemployed and 5/7 were single. Due to limitations of the sample size no further group analysis was performed.
Table 5 shows Pearson correlations for depression scores (calculated from HSCL-25) and various demographic and trauma experience scores. The number of experienced trauma events was positively associated with higher depression scores. This relationship was much stronger among males than females. The strongest correlation of depression score was with the PTSD score (r= 0.719), the total HTQ score (r=0.789), and the anxiety score (0.821). Having a near-death experience (r=0.251), being a kidnap victim of kidnap (r=0.263), and separation from family (r=0.224) had moderate associations with the depression score.

Learning the One Focus Meditation

One of the most effective of all meditation techniques has become known as the one focus meditation. The one focus meditation differs from traditional techniques in that it does not require the individual to let go of conscious thoughts. Indeed, the one focus meditation is often difficult to learn for those with an active right brain. Those with an active left brain personality, however, often find the one focus meditation method the perfect choice.

What is alcohol?

Alcohol is a part of everything, from family dinners to parties, to sporting events and nightcaps. The problems associated with alcoholism are well known, but what about the impact of social drinking or a moderate intake of alcohol? Does alcohol belong in our diet, or does the risk that it presents outweigh any benefits that may be derived from consuming it?
Good nutrition can help to improve your health and prevent diseases. The nutrients that your body needs are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Some people feel that alcohol is another necessity in their diet, while others feel that any amount is toxic and needs to be avoided.
The key to determining whether you need alcohol is to understand what alcohol is and how it is processed in your body. Calories provide energy for our bodies to function. We get calories from carbohydrates, protein, fat, and alcohol. For each gram, you get a set number of calories.
One Gram
Calories
Carbohydrates
4
Protein
4
Fat
9
Alcohol
7
The vitamin, mineral, and water content add to the nutritional value for each of these energy sources but do not provide any calories. A food is considered to be a source of "empty calories" when there are no other nutrients present besides the nutrient that provide the calories. Alcohol is considered to be a source of empty calories because it provides only negligible amounts of vitamins and minerals. Due to the fact that alcohol often replaces nutrient-rich food and directly interferes with the body's absorption, storage, and use of nutrients, it has also been called the "antinutrient nutrient."
Alcohol can also be classified as a drug. Under this category, it is the most widely used drug in the world. Approximately 10 to 15 million Americans are alcoholics or problem drinkers, and more than 100,000 deaths each year are attributed to alcohol consumption. The majority of the population consumes alcohol moderately or occasionally. The potential to become addicted to alcohol is a serious problem that warrants limitations on its consumption.

Improve Sleep

1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water. The scent has been shown in studies to promote relaxation, which can lead to better sleep.2. Buy a new pillow. Katz says that studies show that pillows with an indent in the center can enhance sleep quality and reduce neck pain. Also, try a "cool" pillow -- one containing either all-natural fibers or a combination of sodium sulfate and ceramic fibers that help keep your head cool.3. Eat a handful of walnuts before bed. You'll be giving yourself a boost of fiber and essential fatty acids along with the amino acid tryptophan -- a natural sleep-inducer.

Improve Physical Fitness

1. Do a squat every time you pick something up. Instead of bending over in the usual way, which stresses the lower back, bend your knees and squat. This forces you to use your leg muscles and will build strength. 2. Every time you stop at a traffic light (or the bus does), tighten your thighs and butt muscles and release as many times as you can. (Don't worry, no one will see it!) This will firm leg and buttock muscles, improve blood flow -- and keep you mildly amused! 3. Whenever you're standing on a line, lift one foot a half-inch off the ground. The extra stress on your opposite foot, ankle, calf and thigh, plus your buttocks, will help firm and tone muscles. Switch feet every few minutes.

Improve Nutrition:

1. Buy whole foods -- whether canned, frozen, or fresh from the farm -- and use them in place of processed foods whenever possible.2. Reject foods and drinks made with corn syrup, a calorie-dense, nutritionally empty sweetener that many believe is worse for the body than sugar, says Katz.3. Start each dinner with a mixed green salad. Not only will it help reduce your appetite for more caloric foods, but it also will automatically add veggies to your meal.

Healthy Habits

How much do you know about what makes up a healthy lifestyle? Here's a pop quiz.
1. How do you define working out?
a. Going to the gym. b. Turning the jump-rope for the neighbor's kid.c. Playing Frisbee with your dog.
2. How do you define good nutrition?
a. Eating a vegetable at every meal. b. Eating two vegetables at every meal.c. Drinking a fruit smoothie for breakfast.
3. Which of these is a healthy activity?
a. Push-ups, sit-ups, or running the track.b. Walking the dog after dinner.c. Spending Saturday afternoon snoozing on the sofa.
Believe it or not, the correct answer to every question is A, B, and C -- even that Saturday afternoon snooze! According to the growing "Stealth Health" movement, sneaking healthy habits into our daily living is easier than we think.

Depression Diagnosis

Unfortunately, depression is under-diagnosed and under-treated. There are three reasons for that.
There are no definitive medical tests that can be performed and many family doctors fail to recognize depression in the patient.
Most people who are depressed don't see themselves as having the symptoms of depression. Therefore, they don't do anything about it.
Many depression sufferers lack the motivation and energy required to even see a doctor.
The first step to getting appropriate treatment for depression is a physical examination by a physician. Certain medications, as well as some medical conditions such as a viral infection, can cause the same symptoms as depression, and your doctor should rule out these possibilities through examination, interview, and lab tests. If a physical cause for the depression is ruled out, a psychological evaluation should be done, by the physician or by referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist.
A good diagnostic evaluation will include a complete history of symptoms, i.e., when they started, how long they have lasted, how severe they are, whether the patient had them before and, if so, whether the symptoms were treated and what treatment was given. The doctor should ask about alcohol and drug use, and if the patient has thoughts about death or suicide. Further, a history should include questions about whether other family members have had a depressive illness and, if treated, what treatments they may have received and which were effective.
Last, a diagnostic evaluation should include a mental status examination to determine if speech or thought patterns or memory have been affected, as sometimes happens in the case of a depressive or manic-depressive illness.
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Pokhara: Vacations and Tourism

Pokhara, located west of Kathmandu, is the capital of the Western Development Region in Nepal. With a population of about 190,000 inhabitants, it is the third largest city in the country. It is a well-known excursion destination with its relaxed nature and lush beauty.
Pokhara has a subtropical climate with moderate temperatures. December to January is the coolest period with snowfall being a regular event. February to April is a warm period. The months of October and November are the best time to visit for the pleasant weather and lush green surroundings.
Historically, Pokhara was a mystical place which was partly inaccessible. After the construction of roads in the sixties, the city developed rapidly; today, it is a peaceful, yet active, resort town