(The God dance of Nepal)

Every community in Nepal dances to the beat of the drum and melody of the flute on important occasions.  

In Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is the Natraj, the supreme king of dancing, and when he danced his "Tandab Nritya", the whole planet earth was violently shaken. Since then classical dance has been based mainly on religion and myth. Nepal has had a tradition in which even epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana have been subjected to interpretation in dance.

The Newars of the Kathmandu Valley are the main exponenets of classical dancing, with masked dances with a Tantric background, and in particular the Lakhe dance, and in Bhaktapur the colourful Mahakali masked dances are performed during the Indra Jatra festival each year.

(Source: www.welcomenepal.com)