How Nepal Got Its Name ? The Naming of Buddha’s Birthplace

Though Nepal is a small country located in South Asia but people are used to find something unique and interesting in its history of origin and in its geography. Some people might have heard about this country because of the greatest Himalayas and light of Asia Lord Buddha but there is much more in Nepal than only mountains.

Read :Why Nepal Was Never Colonized?

There are a number of theories behind how Nepal was named Nepal. Here are some most popular theories on how Nepal got its name.

Derived From Sanskrit

Sanskrit is the ancient language used to be spoken during the last eras in the area around Nepal and India. According to some historical analysis, Nepal might have been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nipalaya’, which certainly means ‘at the foot of the mountains’ or ‘abode at the foot’, which describes the location of Nepal in relation to the Himalayas and mountains.

There is another theory that is also based on derivation from Sanskrit world ‘Nep’ meaning the ‘cow herders’, with the suffix ‘Al’.Although this theory is still under controversy, the Nep were the people who came here for the first time from the Ganges plains of India. They were also believed to be the first rulers of Nepal who started the reign of the Gopal dynasty.

Two words Ne and Pal: 

Some historians also believe that Nepal was derived from two words, ‘Ne’ and ‘Pal’ meaning ‘wool’ and ‘tented house’.Nepal being the land of the Himalayas, yak, and sheep, was rich in wools and those wools were stored in the tented houses back then so it was called Nepal.

Derived from Newari: 

Newari is a traditional language used to be spoken by Newars (a group of peoples original Kathmandu native. They are believed to be the early inhabitants of the valley, long before the unification process). According to this Nepal was derived from the Newari word, Nepa, the old name for the Kathmandu valley. This theory gives the most strongest point after the Sanskrit theory for how Nepal got its name.

However, according to the Nepali scholar Rishikesh Shah, the ancient chronicles report that it was named after a sage ‘Ne’ who was believed to be here for meditation and later became the protector (pala) of this land.

Also, some people find something interesting in the name NEPAL:

N=Never

E=Ending

P=peace

A=and

L=Love

So, there are many stories behind how Nepal got its Nepal.

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