Monday, November 21, 2011

Pre-historical Period

According to Hindu text, the history of the development of Nepalese civilization and culture can be traced back to the Golden Age (Satya yuga). King Manu, who is regarded as the first king of the world ruled Nepal in the Golden Age and Nepal was known as the Land of Truth(Satyawati) at that time. It was called the Land of Solitary Meditation and Penance (Tapovan) in the Silver Age (Treta Yuga). Similarly, Nepal was Known as the ladder fo salvation (Muktisopan) in the Copper Age (Dwapar Yuga). It is renowned as 'Nepal' in the Iron Age (Kali Yuga), i.e., the present age of science and technology. The kings of the Solar Dynasty ruled Nepal in the Golden Age. They contributed much to the development of the Nepalese civilization and culture. The fact that we still follow the Solar Calendar in celebrating festivals and ceremonies testifies to the rule of the Solar Dynasty kings in our country.
The country, full of great forests, was chosen place for sages like Kanwa, Biswamitra, Agastya, Valmiki, Yajnavalkya and others. King Dushrath of India married Shakuntala, the adopted daughter of Kanwa Rishi of Nepal. Their son Bharat ruled over here. Then Nepal was called Mahabharat, and the surrounding territories under the sovereignty of King Bharat was called Bharat (now the other name of India).
The Mahabharat range stands to corroborate this belief of King Bharat's supremacy. There are several references in the religious books of Hindus about Nepal. King Janak of Janakpur was known widely for the administration of justice. Some people believe that the Ramayan was composed or written at the bank of the Saptagandaki by Valmiki. Veda Vyasa was born here. The Vyas Cave at Damauli (Vyasnagar) signifies this belief. Similarly, Biratnagar, the kingdom of King Birat is also mentioned in the Mahabharat. All these references show that Nepal had developed long before Manjushri visited the Kathmandu Valley. 

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