Join Rugged Trails Nepal on a unique opportunity to learn, observe, and immerse yourself in the beautiful culture of the Newari people of Kathmandu. The Newari people predominately reside in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan, making nearly 50% of the population of the valley. The Newars have significantly impacted the history, culture, art, architecture, and business in Nepal, and especially in the Kathmandu valley.
The Newars are both Buddhist and Hindu in their faith, which melds together in their culture and tradition. Newars speak their own language, known as Nepali Bhasa, which belongs to Tibeto-Burman family of languages, and has an entirely different script than Nepali, Hindi or Sanskrit. Food is an integral part of the Newari culture, and Newars are renowned for their lavish feasts and delectable snacks. Some traditional foods include flattened rice (baji), eaten with roasted and curried soya beans (musya), fermented mustard leaves (gundro), or curried potato (alu tarakari). For the main dish one can find copious amounts of beaten rice served with marinated and grilled water buffalo meat (choila), wo (lentil cake), and even stuffed lung, fried liver, fried tongue, and tripe stuff with bone marrow can be found for the more adventurous types! Newars are also commonly known for their home-brewed liquors, including Thwon and Aila.
On our day tour, we take you to explore the Newari Kingdom in Kathmandu; seeing major cultural sites, observe local art at woodworking and bronze casting workshops, and taking you to our favorite Newari restaurants.