Religious Tradition in Nepal

Nepal is a secular country. We practise different religions according to our tradition, social customs, norms and values. A short description of the main religions is given below:

HINDUISM:

Hinduism does not have a single founder or prophet. There is no exact record of the origin of Hindu religion. It is belived that Hinduism originated from the knowledge and preaching of sages and ascetics for ages. It is considered to be the oldest religion of the world. Hindu religion is also called 'Sanatan Religion' or 'Vedic Religion'. The Vedas are the oldest Hindu scriptures. The Vedas are four in number. They are: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda. Besides, The Upanished, The Bhagwadgita, The Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata are other sacred books of Hindus. According to Hinduism , patience, forgiveness, self-control , not to commit theft, purity, control over senses , wisdom, knowledge, truthfulness and anger are the ten salient features of the religion.

BUDDHISM:

Buddhism has become one of the major religions of the world. It was founded by Gautama Buddha. He was born in Nepal in 563 B.C. in Kapilvastu district of Lumbini zone. His parents were King Shuddhodhana and Queen Mayadevi. As a prince, his childhood was full of comfort and luxury. One day, he left his palace in search of solution to the pain and suffering in life. He meditated under " Bodhi" tree in Gaya . Finally, Gautama Buddha got " Enlightenment" and found out Four Noble Truths that (a). there is misery, (b). there is cause of misery, (c). there is cessation of misery and (d). there is a path leading to the cessation of misery. He found a way to remove the pain and suffering from life by following the "Eight Fold Paths". They are as Follows:

1. Right view

2. Right determination

3. Right speech

4. Right conduct

5. Right livelihood

6. Right effort

7. Right mindfulness

8. Right meditation and

"Tripitaka" and "Jatak Katha" are the main Buddhist scripture.

ISLAM:

The founder of Islam is Prophet Muhammad. He was born at Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 570 A.D. He spent his life in meditation in a cave at Mecca. Through meditation he found himself close to God. He considered himself as the messenger of God. He started to preach his teachings about God Allah.

The Important duties to Perform as a Follower of ISLAM are:

1. Read the holy book " The Quran".

2. Perform 'Namaz', pray five times a day.

3. Observe 'Roza', observe fasting during the month of Ramzan.

4. Give alms to the poor and disabled.

5. Make 'Haj' or pilgrimage to Mecca.

The teachings of Prophet Muhammad are:

1. There is only one God.

2. Do not worship idols, pray to the real God.

3. Live an honest life.

4. Give equal justice to all.

5. Treat all the people on this earth as brothers.

The Koran is the Holy book of ISLAM.

CHRISTIANITY:

Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity. He was born in Jerusa

lem, Palestine, on 25th December. Christians celebrate t

his day as Christmas.

Jesus Christ was simple, kind and religious minded from his childhood

He was a strong devotee of God. Jesus wanted to free the people from the pain, suffering and social injustice which prevailed at that time. He called God, his father and himself th " Son of God". According to Jesus Christ, service to human kind

is service to God. The holy book of Christianiy is the "Holy Bible".

Message of Christianity to all mankind are as follows:

1. Be merciful and do not harm others.

2. Be generous to all and do not be selfish.

3. Love all as we love ourselves.

4. All the good deeds are rewarded and the evil ones will be punished.

Social Traditions of Nepal

The geographical diversity with different climatic conditions and difficult transport and communication have resulted in the social and cultural diversity. The geography of a country has a big hand in developing diverse communities, castes, ethnic groups having different customs, traditions and beliefs.

People of different races, castes, ethnic groups and communities such as Brahmin, Chhetri, Magar, Newar, Rai, Limbu, Gurung, Tharu, Tamang, Sherpa, Thakali, Yadav, Rajbanshi, Dhimal and Muslim live in different parts of our country.

Unity in diversity is another speciality of the Nepalese culture and tradition. People of different ethnic groups have their own cultures, mother tongues, festivals, songs, dances, dressess, customs, rites and rituals.

Though there is diversity in culture, there is unity in traditions, social values and norms. For example, we all share the common tradition of respecting the seniors, loving the juniors. We regard parents and teachers as God. We all welcome our guests. We respect all the religions equally. We are always ready to help each other when needed. Above all , we love our nation and nationhood.

Different communities and ethnic groups having different languages, religions, customs and traditions are living together. All these people share the common characteristics of love , peace and feeling of brotherhood and cooperation.

World Heritage Sites of Nepal

Boudhanath:

Boudhanath is among the largest Stupas in South Asia and has become the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms is thirty-six meters overhead.The Stupa is said to entomb the remains of a Kasyap sage who is vulnerable both to Buddhists and Hindus. Monks walk about in maroon robes. Tibetans and other faithful devotees walk with prayer-wheels in the hands and offer their worship and homage bowing down to their lord.

Swayambhunath:

Swayambhunath is perhaps the best place to observe the religious harmony in Nepal. The Stupa is among the most ancient in this part of the world, and its worshippers are diverse from Newar nuns, Tibetan monks and Brahmin priests. The largest image of Buddha is in a monastery next to the Stupa. Other monasteries here have huge prayer wheels, five Buddhist paintings and special butter lamps. It provides an excellent view of the Kathmandu valley. Statues of the Buddha, mini Stupas, monasteries and monkeys make the climb to Swayambhu which is fairly steep, worthwhile.

Lumbini:

Shakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini, in southern Nepal, twenty-five hundreds years ago. Since his time, Nepal has been a sacred ground for Buddhists. Lumbini is a small town in the southern plains of Nepal, where the ruins of the old city can still be seen. The restored garden where Lord Buddha was supposed to be born, stupas and monasteries , a stone image of Maya Devi giving birth to Buddha, a large stone pillar erected by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 250 BC that bears an inscription about the birth of Buddha and the holy pool where Buddha was first bathed are among the important sites to observe at Lumbini. Lumbini offers cultural insights into the village life of southern Nepal. Lumbini as a slice of history is worth seeing.

Patan(Lalitpur) Durbar Square:

Noted for its craftsmen and metal workers, Patan is known as the city of artists. Lalitpur, ' the city of beauty' is another name for Patan. The square boasts of many famous sites and unique architecture. Krishna Mandir in the Patan Durbar Square was built to honour an incarnation of Vishnu. The Bhimsen temple in the square contains five samples of metal craft. The best place, however, to see metal sculpture is the Hiranya Varna Mahabihar, the Golden temple. The Sundari chowk contains exquisite samples of wood carvings, stone and metal sculpture. The city is about five kms southeast of Kathmandu.

Pashupatinath Temple:

Among the various religious places in Nepal, Pashupatinath temple is considered as supreme and most popular. It is the holiest Hindu pilgrimage destination in Nepal. The temple was built by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1697 A.D. A gold-plated roof, silver doors and wood carvings of the finest quality decorate the pagoda construction of the temple. The ' Shivalinga ' was set up in the temple by Lichhavi kings. The Bagmati river which flows close by the temple,' Slesmantak' forest and the 'Arya Ghat ' cremation grounds have added to the sancity of the temple environment. Pashupati-Lord of the animals is taken as the incarnation of Loard Shiva-the Lord of Destruction. Every year hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit the temple to offer Puja to Lord Pashupatinath.

Temple of Changu Narayan:

Changu is a village about four kms east of Bhaktapur Durbar where the temple of NarayanVishnu is located and thus the name Changunarayan. It is often described as the most ancient temple in Kathmanud Valley. The temple, built around the third century, is decorated by some of the best samples of stone, wood and metal craft in the valley. On the struts of the two-tiered Changu-Narayan temple, are the ten incarnations in which Narayan destroyed evildoers. A sixth century stone statue shows the cosmic form of Vishnu, while another statue recalls his dwarf incarnation when he crushed the evil king Bali. Vishnu as Narsinghs disembowelling a demon is particularly stunning. The western bronze doors sparkle in the evening sunlight, dragons decorate the bells and handsome devas stare from the walls. The temple now covers sixteen hundered years of Nepalese art history.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square:

Bhaktapur means 'the city of devotes ' in Sanskrit. Also called Bhadgaon, founded by king Anand Dev in 889A.D, the palace complex in the middle of the city portrays the prosperity of the Malla years and the details at which the crafts people then worked. The palace of Fifty five windows stands in the quare and was home to many kings. Among the impressive mounuments in the square, the massive gate, the big bell, the golden gate, the five storied temple of Nyatapole, the Bhairab temple, the Dattatraya square with its woooden carving and metalwork, museums etc are the prominent ones.

Kathmandu Durbar Square:

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the seemingly uncountable monuments in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. The buildings here are the greatest achievements of the Malla dynasty. Anyone wondering around the square

could see a round temple in Pagoda style, the temple of goddess Taleju, an image of Shiva

and Parbati, the temple of living goddess-Kumari, the temple of fire-headed Hanumanjee. Hanuman Dhoka etc. among many other monuments.'Marushattal' a

rest house , popularly know as ' Kasthamandap' is supposed to be made of the timber from a single tree and the city Kathmandu was named after 'Kasthamandap'. All wood carvings, statues and architecture in this area are exceptionally fine and Kathamandu Durbar Square is among the most important sights for travelers to see.