Sherpas The Highland People of the Everest Region

The Sherpas are the highland people of Nepal living in the Khumbu region redefining certain aspects of their cultural identity with the Tibetan People, religiously Buddhist living on the periphery of a great civilization Sherpas had existed for much of the preceding millennium . Internationally acclaimed for their mountaineering feats. life and culture of the Sherpa people in Solu-Khumbu are direct and profound. Sherpas who live within the park carry out primarily agricultural or trade based activities. During the sixties and seventies, an appallingly rapid cultural deterioration occurred in some communities and generation lost the rudimentary skills in written Tibetan among the population with only few being able to read the language of their religion. Monasteries, temples, and libraries fell into disrepair. Precious collections of printing-blocks began to rot. With little support for the exercise of traditional artistry, skilled craftsmen now had to earn their livelihood by producing tourist art. Today about 150000 Sherpa people live in the country Primarily engaging in Tourism and mountain expeditions business.