When your trip in Nepal comes to an end but you don’t want to return yet, take a piece of Nepal with you. Now, we don’t mean Nepali soil or dirt but souvenirs and gifts to share with your loved ones back home. Nepal is filled to the brim with shops that sell a variety of Nepali products that are cute, memorable and functional. Nepali products can be an amazing gift to yourself and to others that can not be found anywhere else in the world.
Some of the most popular items amongst tourists are pashmina shawls, intricate thangka paintings, wooden carvings of statues and figures, tibetan rugs, singing bowls, spices and Nepali tea.
There is something for everyone in Nepali shops.
Pashmina shawls are immensely valuable and provide warmth, comfort, and style. These shawls come in multiple colours, patterns and sizes. The best places to get authentic pashminas are in the heart of Kathmandu in Thamel, the Durbar Squares or even some hotel lobbies with starting prices only $100. And when the temperature is too cold for your taste on the plane ride home, you can whip out your new pashmina and wrap yourself in Nepal’s warm hug.
Thangka paintings are another priceless souvenir that may cost you from $90 to $5000 and above, ranging from smaller paintings to extensively detailed giants. All thangka paintings are hand made and when you visit any part of buddhist landmarks across the country you are sure to find at least one artist busy filling in details to an enormous canvas. These paintings will not only look good on your walls but it will also bring a sense of tranquility to your space as they have a deep spiritual meaning behind them; a mixture of paint, art and religion.
The wood workers of Nepal are like no other with intricate carvings that look like drawings adorning the temples and historical palaces, especially Newari culture is famous for integrating wooden elements to their architecture. The Newar wood carvers are famous for their ‘Dese maru jhya’ (A window unique to only one piece in the entire world), the 55 windows of the Bhaktapur royal palace, the Kumari temples and the doors to every hindu temple. These unique skills are preserved not only within the structures of Nepal but also in small replicas of these famous artifacts that you can take back and cement into your own architecture. Centered around the three Durbar Squares, the carving wonderlands are displayed in broad daylight displaying creativity, culture and wooden miracles that can cost $10 and upwards to $10,000.
When enjoying the delicious Nepali cuisine I’m sure the wish of bringing back the taste with you will definitely cross your mind and for that you can buy Nepali spices to literally spice up your life. Nepali spices, or masala as we call them, can help add a special ‘Je ne sais quoi’ that will leave everyone wanting more of your cooking. Nepali spices are very easy to find, you can find local spices in shops along alleyways in the Durbar Squares or even in bigger super markets such as Bhatbhateni, Big Mart or Salesberry starting from only $3 for 100 mg or any spice. There you may stumble upon Nepali tea too which is of course another brilliant joy to your taste buds. The trick to making delicious Nepali tea is to add in half cup milk, half cup milk, tea or ‘chiya pati’, spices like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and sugar to your liking.
The best tea in Nepal can be found in Ilam, and Assam where you can walk through the tea gardens and immediately an aroma of tea will surround you inviting you to a cozy evening with your friends.
Nepal is definitely an unforgettable country. The scenery, the people and the taste you find here is unique to only this corner of the world. Nepali items are crafted with love, creativity and a touch of culture so, make sure to take a piece of Nepal out into your corner of the world.
Written by
Kritisha Amatya
