My Surkhet

Abstract

The tourism industry plays a critical role in Nepal's overall growth. Because of its natural and cultural diversity, Nepal has a very strong natural power. Tourism has a significant role to play in improving the country's international image. Tourism is a major driver of Nepal's economic development. It makes a significant contribution to the Nepalese economy. The tourism industry is seen as a way to boost the country's economy, enhance living standards, and eliminate poverty. Surkhet District represents the country's linguistic, cultural, religious, and biological diversity in a complicated cross-section. It serves as the gateway to Karnali Province, as well as a link to Mansarover, Hinduism's holiest site. The tourism resources present in Surkhet district have a significant impact on tourism growth not only in Karnali province, but also throughout Nepal. The prospective products of tourist development are identified using both primary and secondary data. The importance of this study stems from the need for proper knowledge among tourist development stakeholders. It has a high potential for religious/pilgrimage tourism, rural tourism, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, village tourism, agro-tourism, adventure tourism, health tourism, and other types of tourism.

Background

Surkhet District is a melting pot of linguistic, cultural, religious, and biological diversity. It is located in the Karnali Province. Surkhet boasts a plethora of tourist attractions, and taking advantage of them provides a wide range of comparative advantages. The district's attractions include a diverse range of flora and animals, a park, Bihar, and a diverse climate. Tourism, according to Kunwar (1997), is the temporary migration of people to places other than their usual places of work and residence, as well as the activities they engage in while there and the facilities built to meet their demands. The tourism industry has played a significant influence in the Nepalese economy. Every year, tourists visit Nepal, which benefits Nepalese people directly or indirectly. It is the primary means of obtaining precious foreign currency. Nepal has become a popular tourist destination for visitors from all over the world due to its stunning natural beauty and diverse cultural aspects. As a result, we can confidently assert that tourism may be a potent weapon in the fight against poverty and unemployment. Tourism could improve the living conditions of the impoverished and underprivileged locals if adequate and thorough study is conducted (Upadhaya, 2005). Tourism is a business that is driven by human desires. Tourism has evolved to become the largest and fastest expanding industry in the previous two decades.

In light of this, it is now critical to expand and promote the tourism business, as well as associated events and initiatives. The actions of persons traveling to and staying in places beyond their customary surroundings for not more than one year for leisure, business, or other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the area visited are defined as tourism by Theobald (1998). Surkhet District is located in Karnali Province's southern region. It is a place blessed by God with natural assets such as valley land, river, basin, mild climate, and other features that would pique the tourist's interest. Natural beauty abounds in this neighborhood, as well as cultural diversity. From a variety of views, this region is an ideal tourist destination.

Kankre Bihar's most stunning attraction is the Surkhetis holy shrine. Deutibajai Temple, Shiva Mandir, Siddhapaila, and Gangamala Mandir, the Hindu faith's center, are among the district's other major religious attractions. Pilgrims come from all throughout Nepal, and even certain parts of India, to pay their respects to the Goddess. The constant dingdong of bells and the scent of incenses emanating from the Kankre Bihar and other temples sends a message of peace, harmony, tolerance, and goodwill. All of these criteria indicate that Surkhet might be a good tourism destination. This area is abundant in vegetation and fauna. Almost all of the 6 Rhododendron species, more than 123 bird species, around 60 animal species, and numerous orchid species can be found. Leopard, Bear, Deer, and Wild Dog are among the many species of wild animals found here.

The Study's Objectives 

The study's major goal is to determine the potential of Surkhet district's tourism products. 

The following are the precise goals: 

1. To assess the tourism development potential in the district. 

2. To find a possible product that can help the tourism industry grow.

Methodology 

The data and information used in the study came from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data came from a Key Informant Survey and Observations, which were conducted with the help of a standardized questionnaire and an observation sheet. The tourists were invited to fill out 100 questionnaires. Information can also be gathered through the use of a structured interview method, which is performed through the creation of a questionnaire. Hotel management, tourists, and local officials were among the key informants interviewed. The study was observed in order to gain access to the many stages of tourist growth; the benefit of this method is that it provides a quick and vivid picture of the situation. The checklist is utilized to achieve the goal. Secondary sources also contributed to the data collection. The information was gathered from a variety of sources, including books, journals, and public and unpublished records.

Conclusion 

The tourism business is a rapidly expanding economic, social, and cultural phenomena. Tourism has also been referred to as a means of development in recent times. Surkhet district is a fertile land for tourism destinations. It has a high potential as a tourist destination in all areas, including eco-tourism, religious, cultural, recreational, agricultural, adventure, and health tourism. The area relies heavily on massive products to promote tourism. These are cultural and natural heritages that represent the tourism destination. Anthropology of tourism is a method of tourism that involves both the hosts and the visitors.

The study focuses on the Gurung, Tharu, and Bote people's indigenous culture. The distinctive and rich cultural history of the Tharu and Gurung can be used as a primary source of tourism products in this district. As a result, the study can be regarded as anthropological tourism's norms, values, and principles, as well as a source of natural and archeological products. The Surkhet district is known for its panoramic natural beauty. The area is known for its many eco-regions as well as its rich cultural and natural history, which draw visitors to the area.

Cultural Practices in Nepal

Rural Development Programs in Nepal

Abstract

In a rural country like Nepal, rural development programs have a high value. Proper development programs can serve as a stepping stone toward the rural poor's livelihood and the nation's long-term growth. This study aims to provide an overview of rural development practices in Nepal. The research is based on secondary data provided by various government agencies. The majority of the data comes from numerous periodic plans, publications, papers, and government programs. The importance of this study stems from the need to learn from past experiences and build future guidelines for developing effective, popular, and long-term rural development programs.

Introduction

Rural development is the most important aspect of any rural country's development, as it promotes agriculture and related activities. It has been demonstrated that rural development policies capable of addressing the problems of rural people, women, separated populations from the mainstream of development, and poor people can help a country develop. In the case of Nepal, the rural sector employs millions of people, accounting for more than 66 percent of the country's employment. Agriculture accounts for more than 27.04 percent of the worldwide gross domestic product (GDP) (CBS, 2017). Rural development refers to all aspects of rural life that are essential in a rural civilization. The word 'rural development' refers to the entire development of rural areas with the goal of improving the quality of life of rural residents, particularly the rural poor. Rural development is defined as a process that leads to a long-term increase in the quality of life for rural residents, particularly the poor. 

Materials and Methods 

This research relies on secondary data sources. Information for this study was gathered from a variety of sources, including budget speeches from various governments, economic surveys, Nepal's various periodic plans, Nepali congress manifestos, government policies and planning, rural development publications, national and international journals, and books on rural development. The majority of the approaches used to interpret the relevant data and information are qualitative. 

Programme for the Development of Rural Community Infrastructure 

With the aid of the World Food Programme (WFP), the Rural Community Infrastructure Development Programme (RIDP) will be implemented in 45 districts in phases. The program's key goals were to improve food availability for rural poor families, improve and construct community infrastructure in food-deficit areas, strengthen rural community self-help capability, and improve the management capacity of local bodies in administering the program. To improve access to essential services for the rural population, programs such as connecting remote roads to main roads and market areas, community-based irrigation projects, and river training to safeguard farm lands and farmers will be undertaken. In the hill and terai areas, programs such as the building of small canals, pond construction, and maintenance, as well as mule trails and tractor roads, river bank protection, and small landslide management in the mid-hill, would be implemented. In food-deficit areas, programs to address community malnutrition would be implemented by mobilizing food under the "food for labor" initiative. This would contribute to increased revenue creation by providing jobs in rural areas. This program aims to execute 2,300 community-based events, with 200,000 households benefiting from participation in the food for work program (NPC, 1997).

Conclusion 

Because of the country's agricultural nature, rural growth is unavoidable for the country's overall development. There are many more rural development programs in Nepal that have been started by various administrations at various times. The majority of rural development programs concern rural infrastructure development, such as land reform, water, power, agriculture, social-cultural issues, and so on.

Because Nepal is a rural country, the government's programs are critical for rural development and national development. The study also revealed the significant potential for economic growth through rural development. On the other hand, Nepal's established rural development policies and programs have not been able to address the real difficulties that rural poor people face. Some of the programs are excellent, but the next administration will not continue them. It is critical to adopt rural development policies that are pro-poor and geographically appropriate.

 

Girl Students' Perspectives on Cultural Barriers During Menstruation

Culture is created by humans; one belief system dates back to the dawn of civilisation. It has brought people together under a same set of beliefs. People's personalities are shaped by their culture. The major goal of this research is to discover the cultural hurdles that girls face during their menstrual cycle. A total of 120 secondary school females participated in the study. According to the study, 50% of girls said they were denied access to daily tasks such as cooking and collecting water, while more than 80% of females said they were denied access to religious areas during menstruation. The findings revealed that cultural traditions continue to promote stigma and prejudice against girls during menstruation, which has a direct impact on their personal and professional growth and development, as well as a substantial impact on menstrual hygiene management. As a result, a huge public awareness campaign on the deleterious effects of unhealthy cultural practices associated to menstruation is required.

Because Nepal is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-caste, and multi-ethnic country, different tribes, races, and cultural groups have different cultural belief systems. The cultural taboos around menstruation vary by region in Nepal. As a result of their cultural context and religious system, people had diverse perspectives on menstruation girls and women. Attitudes, beliefs, and social norms around menstruation vary widely over the world, and these differences have an impact on menstrual behaviors. Certain people feel that menstruation is filthy and that women who are menstrual are unclean (Burrows & Johnson, 2005; Ahmed & Yesmin, 2008; Burnet Institute; Survey METER; WaterAid Australia; Aliansi Rem aja Independen, 2015).

Girls and women can be isolated and stigmatized as a result of cultural assumptions and restricted practices surrounding menstruation (Adhikari, Kadel, Dhungel, & Mandal, 2006; Tamiru, 2014). When this is the case, menstrual stigma and secrecy can lead to gender inequity and discrimination against women and girls throughout their lives. Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) and the amount to which menstruation can be managed properly and with dignity can be influenced by such restricting behaviors (House, Mahon, & Cavill, 2012). Restrictive menstrual habits can have significant psychosocial consequences for girls and women (House, Mahon, & Cavill, 2012). Harmful menstrual practices are a kind of social discrimination and abuse against women and girls. They are denied access to a variety of household and social activities.

Menstrual girls and women are not allowed to enter the kitchen, holy sites, or engage in cultural programs in Nepalese society. They were not allowed to touch the water tap, fruit trees, or any food items, and they were not given milk because menstruating women and girls were considered impure and unclean. As a result of these socio-cultural beliefs about menstrual women and girls, the primary goal of this study is to investigate the cultural hurdles that menstrual girls face.

Materials and Procedures 

The study included 120 female secondary school students from both public and private schools in Kathmandu's district. The girls were chosen from grades 9 and 10 who had prior experience with menstrual hygiene management and cultural taboos around menstrual females. A systematic questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain quantitative data, as well as a focus group discussion with females to learn more about their experiences. The study's main goal was to look into the cultural beliefs and challenges around menstruation. The female students were informed about the study's goal and were asked to provide an honest response in order to learn about real-world practices. The study took into account the ethical issue, thus no females were forced to participate. The confidentiality of the information was respected, and it was not used for any other purpose than the study. The quantitative data from the survey was analyzed using a statistical model, while the qualitative data was analyzed using a qualitative technique. By combining the findings of both forms of data, a decision was drawn.

 Exploring the Views and Dietary Practices of Elderly Nepalese Citizen

Malnutrition is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among the elderly. We have very few studies on Nepalese senior citizens' eating habits. The purpose of this research is to learn more about Nepalese senior citizens' eating habits. In-depth interviews were used to conduct a qualitative study. The research was carried out in Nepal's Lamjung and Chitawan districts. All of the respondents were between the ages of 71 and 91. According to the statistics, the average teenage waking time is 4-5 a.m. For breakfast, they have tea, cookies, milk, chapatti, and beaten rice; for lunch and supper, they eat pulses, vegetables, milk, butter, and weekly meat with regular diet. They eat gravy veggie curry with rice and chapatti most of the time. They do, however, prefer soft and spicy vegetarian meals.

In terms of food consumption patterns, Nepal is divided into two distinct groups: rural and urban. Furthermore, the patterns of consumption have shifted as a result of industrialization and urbanization. The rural environment has its own pattern of food consumption depending on seasonal availability of food found on the consumers' own farmland (Neupane, 219; Neupane, 2018). In the context of Thailand, Chalobol Chalermsri and friends wrote that they had witnessed a rapid increase in the old population. Nutrition is linked to a number of negative health effects in the elderly. Physical, emotional, and social variables all have an impact on senior people's nutrition. From the perspectives of both carers and the old, this study looked at the food choices and dietary behaviors of community-dwelling elderly persons in Thailand.

Zumin Shi and colleagues used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey to investigate the link between dietary preferences, lifestyle characteristics, and all-cause mortality in the elderly (CLHLS). A total of 8959 people aged 80 and up took part in the baseline survey in 1998/99. Up until 2011, follow-up surveys were conducted every two to three years(Placeholder2) (Shi, Zhang, Byles, Martin, Avery, & Taylor, 2015, p. 7562). According to Professor Kourkouta Lambrini, the number of persons living in nursing homes has risen dramatically in recent decades. In Europe, one-quarter of the population is over 60 years old. Although life expectancy has grown, owing primarily to improved disease diagnosis and treatment approaches, it is unclear if the extra years are of acceptable quality.

T. Lallukka and a friend wrote Helldan, Helldan, Helldan, Helldan, Helldan, Helldan, Helldan, Hell Gender, marital status and household composition, socioeconomic position, income, physical activity, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and health are all factors that influence eating habits, but the impact of these factors on eating habits among older adults has received less attention (Helldan T. L., 2012, p. 582). Maya Nath Ghimire noted that multi-sector indicators act in bidirectional pathways, which means they can both contribute to and be symptoms of poor nutrition and food insecurity. In Nepal, most development indices continue to show significant differences by region, sub-region, and urban versus rural areas (Ghimire, 2018, p. 172).

The study was exploratory in nature and used a qualitative approach. The research was carried out in Nepal's Lamjung and Chitawan districts. Participants had to be between the ages of 71 and 91 years old, both male and female. The information was gathered through in-depth interviews and a semi-structured questionnaire. When it comes to the philosophical underpinning, the researcher's philosophical perspective directs how data about a phenomenon is obtained, processed, and reports are written. As a result, the research paradigm in a qualitative study serves as a guide for any study including food trends in people's lives. It also addresses the issue of researchers and their existence. A research paradigm is a set of beliefs that guides any researcher in determining what can be examined and how the results should be interpreted. For this project, I choose to apply the interpretative and critical paradigm.

His qualitative research reveals that the eating culture of Nepalese elder citizens in rural areas is nearly identical. They are aware of the importance of eating organic foods. They used to eat maize, rice and millet dhindo (pores and bread), nettle soup, and other locally produced foods. However, the current food supply is mostly reliant on outsourcing. In their later years, they favor vegetarian, soft, and spicy foods.