NepalRELIGION, NEPAL
Stone sculpture of Ugrachandi Durga, with eighteen arms,
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Courtesy Linda Galantin
Religion and Society
Religion occupies an integral position in Nepalese life
and
society. In the early 1990s, Nepal was the only
constitutionally
declared Hindu state in the world; there was, however, a
great deal
of intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Many of
the people
regarded as Hindus in the 1981 census could, with as much
justification, be called Buddhists. The fact that Hindus
worshipped
at Buddhist temples and Buddhists worshipped at Hindu
temples has
been one of the principal reasons adherents of the two
dominant
groups in Nepal have never engaged in any overt religious
conflicts. Because of such dual faith practices (or mutual
respect), the differences between Hindus and Buddhists
have been in
general very subtle and academic in nature. However, in
1991,
approximately 89.5 percent of the Nepalese people
identified
themselves as Hindus. Buddhists and Muslims comprised only
5.3 and
2.7 percent, respectively. The remainder followed other
religions,
including Christianity.
The geographical distribution of religious groups
revealed a
preponderance of Hindus, accounting for at least 87
percent of the
population in every region. The largest concentrations of
Buddhists
were found in the eastern hills, the Kathmandu Valley, and
the
central Tarai; in each area about 10 percent of the people
were
Buddhist. Buddhism was relatively more common among the
Newar and
Tibeto-Nepalese groups. Among the Tibeto-Nepalese, those
most
influenced by Hinduism were the Magar, Sunwar, and Rai
peoples.
Hindu influence was less prominent among the Gurung,
Limbu, Bhote,
and Thakali groups, who continued to employ Buddhist monks
for
their religious ceremonies.
Data as of September 1991
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