Newar – essentially a civilization. Although in common practice, a certain community of people from a specific place within Nepal has been referred to as Newar. But according to the principles of ethnology and anthropology, Newar is not just a word that signifies a human community; it has a profound and broad meaning. When searching for the identity of Newar, it is first looked at from a racial perspective. Not only people's bodies, but also their faces, eyes, ears, and blood relations are sought.
Who lives in such places? Who builds such settlements? Where do they live: houses, neighborhoods-alleys, roads-lanes, settlements, villages-cities? How do they live? What kind of physical structures do they build to live or sustain life? What kind of craftsmanship, technology, and architecture have they adopted?
The food, drinks, clothing, ornaments adopted for sustenance, and the diversity and richness within them, reveal the community's lifestyle, as well as its nature and traditions/culture.
A human tendency to enliven the relationship between life and the world refers to various social rituals, festivals, and celebrations observed from birth until death. Beyond mere tradition, the depth of the philosophical aspect in such behaviors reveals the community's advanced cultural consciousness.
Evidence that a community is not just a group of people but also cultured, civilized, and well-behaved is the creation of beautiful artworks, music, and tangible and intangible heritage that emerge in the course of their lives. Literature and music are such commendable disciplines. And the existence of various scripts developed as an easy medium to express their mother tongue also gives identity to the community.
It's not just that, what is life? What are humans and society? Newars also have their own unique philosophy and beliefs to understand them.
When analyzed from various aspects and perspectives, in a holistic way, Newar is not just a community but an identity of a living civilization.
