With a great vacation comes the great responsibility of choosing the perfect souvenir – and this can be a daunting task, especially if your vacation spot is a nation like Nepal. Nepal is undoubtedly one of the best travel destinations for many reasons. This nation is filled with rich cultures, traditions, and a ton of diversity. This nation’s rich culture, traditions, and diversity give birth to rich art and exquisite craftsmanship. This further presents the travelers with a wide range of souvenirs. Now this wide variety of souvenirs presents a unique problem; you have too many good options when it comes to choosing the souvenirs. So which one should you pick?
Handmade Gifts and Souvenirs in Nepal
Choosing a souvenir from the plethora of good souvenirs is indeed a daunting task. As such, we are here to present you with some of our best picks from the endless list of handmade gifts and souvenirs in Nepal. Do note that the following list is not in any form of rankings. The following lists of souvenirs are simply some of the most well-known and popular handmade gifts and souvenirs in Nepal.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started with the list.
1. Thangka Paintings
Thangka Paintings, also known as thanka, tanka, or hangka paintings, are traditional Buddhist paintings typically painted on silk or cotton canvas. When searching for souvenirs, these paintings are always at the top of the list. After all, these paintings are detailed, look beautiful, and portray highly detailed and intricate art.
The intricate imagery can depict deities, spiritual figures, mandalas, and other symbolic gestures and mystical motifs. As such, the thangkas are more than just paintings; they can also carry spiritual significance.
Regardless of if you purchase thangka for its beauty or spiritual reason, they are undoubtedly one of the best handmade souvenirs and gifts in Nepal.
2. Singing Bowls
Tibetan singing bowls are among the most recognizable Tibetan ritual artifacts from Nepal. These spiritual and meditation accessories are generally made from metal alloys or crystals and come with a mallet. Popular for their use in sound therapy, the singing bowls produce a calming sound and vibration when they are stroked with a mallet. The sound can vary depending on how you strike the singing bowl. If you want to know more about how to use the Tibetan singing bowl, we have already covered that. So feel free to give it a read.
Besides this, Tibetan singing bowls are great for décor as well. As such, this is a versatile handmade souvenir from Nepal that you can purchase for personal use or gifting. That said, you do need to be wary about the dangers of singing bowls. Thererefore, you should check them out before using the singing bowls after purchase.
3. Prayer Flags
Prayer flags are essentially colorful fabric imbued with the Buddhist message of peace, kindness and compassion. They are generally placed outside. Why? It is because of a belief that the wind carries the blessings and message imbued in these simple prayer flags. These flags have been used for centuries, and if you visit Nepal, you are bound to encounter these flags quite often. As Nepal is the home place of lord Buddha, prayer flags make up for a perfect souvenir.
They are simple, light, and these prayer flags carry blessings along with the messages from lord Buddha.
4. Khukuri
While the previous entries were all about peace, Khukuri is a bit of a violent souvenir you can get from Nepal. After all, it is a weapon. But this is more than just a weapon as it is a symbol of the bravery and fearlessness of the world renowned Gurkha Army from Nepal. These blades are sharp and have a unique curved design that makes them a bit top-heavy, perfect for cleaving and chopping. Furthermore, these blades are often designed with intricate patterns and put in beautiful and intricately designed sheaths.
The attraction of a beautiful and meaningful blade cannot be underestimated. This beautiful blade is especially popular as a sheathed among male tourists.
5. Hemp Products
Hemp is a natural and sustainable fiber that is sourced from Hemp plants. This plant is botanically known as Cannabis Sativa, which is processed and transformed into hemp fibers. Nepal is widely known for its hemp-weaving industry, and as such, this nation houses a large number of expert weavers. Because of all these reasons, hemp products such as hemp bags and Hemp shirts are widely popular in Nepal.
These products are attractive, durable and have that rustic natural feel that you cannot find anywhere else. As such, hemp products are a perfect combination of souvenirs that perfectly combines both form and function.
6. Lokta Paper Products
Similar to Hemp products, Lokta Paper products such as lokta paper envelopes and lokta paper notebook are sourced from a plant. This plant is botanically known as Daphne Papyrus and is found between 2000 meters and 4000 meters. The bark of this plant is stripped and then processed into local Lokta paper. This paper is widely popular among tourists as a souvenir, and there are some really good reasons for this. The texture of this paper is soft yet rough, making it unique and perfect for calligraphy. Furthermore, the process of making Lokta Paper has been here for centuries.
Needless to say, the products made from this local speciality, such as Lokta paper notebooks, paper sheets and lampshades, are among the most popular handmade gifts and souvenirs from Nepal. They have got the texture to be used as décor ornaments, and they are extremely good for writing!
7. Tibetan Rugs
Tibetan rugs are another local product from Nepal whose traditions go back hundreds of years. These rugs are ancient crafts made from sheep’s wool. Because of the unique method used to make this rug, they have a soft and fluffy texture. Besides the unique texture, they also come in a wide range of designs and are undoubtedly of high quality, and each design is meticulously hand woven by some of the best weavers in Nepal.
Because of the unique feel, design, and quality of the rugs, these rugs are a popular choice for souvenirs among tourists. There is no better definition of form and function than the Tibetan Rug!
8. Pashmina Products
Pashmina products are a popular and beautiful souvenir from Nepal. They are made from the hair of changthangi goat, and they are widely known for their softness, warmth, and lightweight feel and are highly prized for their quality and texture. Although most of the modern pashmina is a combination of Pashmina and Silk in different ratios, you can still find genuine pashmina in this nation of weavers and expert handicraftsman.
As such, if you are looking for a high-quality, luxurious fabric for your personal use or for gifting, then pashmina products are among the best souvenirs for you from Nepal.
9. Wooden Masks
By this point, it should not be a surprise to anyone that Nepal is home to a wide range of handicrafts. One such handicraft are wooden mask carvings. You can find wooden masks throughout Nepal, and each culture has its own unique forms of wooden masks. These masks generally represent a deity or an important figure of the said culture. As such, they are carefully carved and intricately designed.
Wooden masks are undoubtedly one of the most unique souvenirs you can buy from Nepal. Given their uniqueness and rarity, they are definitely worth the effort and price.
10. Statues
Similar to wooden masks, you can find unique statues in every culture of Nepal. These statues can represent specific deities, an idol or an event, and you will find a wide variety to choose from. As each statue holds a significant meaning to both the craftsmen and their culture, they are meticulously designed and carefully crafted. Furthermore, you even have the option of materials to choose from as well.
Some of the most popular materials for stature are stone, metal alloy, clay, and wood, as they are easily shaped. However, you can easily find statues made from rare and unique materials such as paper and crystals if you search well enough. So if you want a culturally significant and attractive souvenir from Nepal, then statues are among the best options for you.
11. Bach chaal
This is one of the most unique nepal souvenirs from Nepal for you. Bagh chaal is a unique strategy board game from Nepal where you have two types of pieces, the tiger and the sheep. The number of pieces will vary depending on the shape and size of the game. In this game, the goal is to trap the tigers by placing and moving the goats in strategic locations. The goats can only move one spot at a turn, and the tigers can either jump over the goat to capture them or move one piece. The game ends when the player does not have enough goats to trap the tiger or when the tiger cannot move.
This is a unique strategy board game that can provide hours of entertainment and one of the best souvenirs from this nation.
Conclusion
Nepal is a nation filled with culture, tradition, and art. And in this nation, we can find a wide range of unique products. This naturally presents us with a wide range of souvenirs to choose from. However, it can be a bit difficult to pick from. In this blog, we talked about 11 of the most popular handmade souvenirs from Nepal. That said, this is by far not an exhaustive list of all the great souvenirs you can buy from this nation.
Still, we hope you found this helpful. If you want to know more insights regarding religious and spiritual accessories such as beaded Mala and singing bowls, do check out some of our other blogs. And as always, thank you for reading till the end.
FAQ
Q: What is Nepal’s famous souvenir?
A: Some of the most popular souvenirs from Nepal are:
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- Singing bowls
- Thangka
- Pashmina
- Tibetan Rugs
- Prayer Flags
- Khukuri
- Lokta Paper
Q: What are unique handicrafts from Nepal?
A: Some of the unique handicrafts from Nepal are:
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- Dhaka
- Pashmina
- Nepali Paper
- Wooden Masks
- Thangka
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