Women Empowerment
Women empowerment, basically, is increasing strength of women by providing them necessary skills and resources so that they become self-sustained. In Nepali society, where women are considered to be limited in the kitchen chores, empowering women is crucial for balanced development. In this context, Nangi has become a paradigm village for women empowerment. Women here are mainly involved in four different income generating activities. The first one is ‘Making Nepali paper from Lokta’.Also, they are involved in ‘Mushroom farming’. Likewise, they are involved in ‘Handicraft work’ such as making bags and caps. They are also involved in making Jam from Rhododendron Juice. In addition, some are involved in animal husbandry, chiefly Rabbit.
Some detail about the activities:
- Lokta Paper industry
- Mushroom Farming
- Handicraft work
- Animal Husbandry
It was sstablished in 2061 by Mahabir Pun. Eight women were initially given training and currently 12 women work to make paper. Currently the women work in the industry eight hours daily.
Established in 2065, Mushroom farming has flourished despite the doubt of the locals in the beginning. Four women work in the farm and there are ten members in total. The mushroom is exported to the neighboring villages as well as the Kathmandu City.
This is another way for women to make an earning. This involves making hand bags and hats made from jute . These products are used in the village as well as exported outside the village. Visitors as well can buy these products as souvenirs from the village.
Women here rear rabbit for commercial purposes. This has been done by the women of Nangi for a long time now. A rabbit is generally sold for Rs.200/Kilogram.However,the price might vary according to the season and the type of breed.
These activities have greatly improved the life standard of the women. They now are less dependent on their husband’s income. This is a positive news for the conservative society of Nepal and Myagdi. Finally, this has contributed for the local economy of Myagdi making it stronger which initially relied mostly on remittance.
Language :
Nepal is really a diverse country with respect to culture and language. There are more than 125 different documented languages spoken in Nepal. The primary language of Nepal is Nepali .Nepali is classified as an Indo-Aryan Language and is spoken as a mother tongue by approximately half of Nepal's population and as a second language by others.
The aboriginal stock of Nepal is undoubtedly Mongolian-Indigenous Nationalities. Magar is one of them. They speak Tibeto-Burman dialect. The population of people who speak magar dialect is 3.39% of the total population of Nepal (2001 census). Other remaining Magars speak Khas, and Nepali. Magar language stands at the seventh rank in Nepal in terms of the large number of population speaking their mother tongue. The Magar tongue speaking population in 1952/54, 1991, and 2001 were 273780, 430264, and 770116 respectively. The study of the trend in mother tongue retention shows that Magar language retention rate has increased from 32.1% in 1991 to 47.7% in 2001 census.
In nangi, magar language is the common mode of interaction among the villager. And they also speak Nepali as the secondary language.
Religion :
Religion is the lifeblood of the Nepalese, defining art, culture, social position and the ritual of daily life. Religion in Nepal comprises a net of magical, mystical and spiritual beliefs with a multitude of gods reflecting the diverse facets of Nepalese life.
Religion in Nepal is not only a system of social coherence based on certain rituals and beliefs. It is the binding force that ties this mountain kingdom together. Though Nepal is famous as the world's only Hindu Kingdom, equal respect is given to other religions as well. Buddhism is the second largest religion followed in Nepal. Talking about the nangi they are Buddhist by their religion.
Festivals :
Festivity is synonym to the Nepalese Culture. For the Nepalese, festivals are not merely the annual spectacles, but also are a living part of their rich cultural heritage. Festivals effectively bind together the Nepalese people of diverse cultural backgrounds and beliefs into one nation. Most Nepalese festivals are related to different Hindu and Buddhist deities. They are celebrated on days consecrated for them by religion and tradition.
As culture differ in different parts within Nepal , the way of celebrating festivals also differ and the way of celebrating festival like Dashain also do differ.
The people living in nangi celebrate Dashain without putting tikai and jamara
Dance :
Dance is a form of art. It liberates one from the drabness and monotony of existence and uplifts his soul. Dance in Nepal is no exception to this fact. It is to be noted that Nepalese dance bears a lot of similarity to Indian traditional dance. One of the reasons attributed to this may be the geographical proximity of the two countries. **
Among different types of dance performed in Nepal, most common and popular form of dance are practiced in western part of Nepal and so in nangi and some of them are:
- Rodighar
- Maruni:
- Chutka
Rodighar serves the Purpose of nightclubs. Rodighars are widely visited by the young flok of both sexes among the Gurungs and the Magars in western region . Such dances are pratised in nagi during the time of festivals among the villagers.
Maruni dance is the onlycultural dance performed in Myagdi specially in nagi village. The word ‘Maruni ‘means dances. This dance symbolizes the divine play between the legendary Lord Krishna and Radha or is reminiscent of goddess Durga ’s exploits symbolizing the victory of the good over evil . It is held on the occasions like Dasain ,tihar , janaipurnima , different types of feast(mela) and Teej.
This dance is mostly performed by ‘Magars’. To perform this dance a minimum of 8 dancers is mandatory. . The dancer is a male in feminine grab. The ornament and apparel used in marune is the major attraction of it .
Apparel: GunyoCholi , patuki , teki
Ornaments: dhungri , jun , pote , humble , bala
In the Magar villages like nangi, this very Chutku dance is displayed in a developed form. Well-decorated and in their best attires, young women dance making double pairs, four-fold pairs or even six-fold pairs in accompaniment with Madal (a kind of drum) while there is one man to start the and a group to catch it in a choral voice. Such dances, often with artistic performances, are generally sentimental and performed on special occasions. These can be said as the ballet dance of Nepal.
In nangi this type of dances are offered to the tourists /guests during their visit.
