Religion in Nepal (Школьные сочинения)

Like a dash between India and China, two of the world’s largest countries, lies one of the smallest — Nepal. Despite its diminutive size, Nepal is one of the world’s most varied countries, ascending from Terai, just above sea level, to the world’s absolute peak, Sagarmatha. Amazingly, eight of the world’s ten tallest mountains can be found in this tiny country.

When traveling in a foreign country, one is always a guest. Cultural differences are such tat guest and host may not always fully understand each other. Guests are always received with kindness and generosity. This is the case on matter whether one’s Nepalese host is Muslim,

uddhist of Hindu.

Buddhism is practiced in the high mountains of Nepal whereas Hinduism is found in the rest of the country.

Common to the religions is the nature of prayer — practiced through icons and images. The Hindu gods are treated with tremendous respect — offerings and gifts of devotion, puja, are laid out for the. The Hindu god Shiva, destroyer and rebuilder, is most receptive to prayer on Mondays and Saturdays. He is generally represented by his bull, Nandi, guards his temples. Vishnu, the preserving god, with Garuda the human eagle by his side, is best consulted on Wednesdays. The god of prosperity, the perpetually happy elephant-god Ganesh, is found everywhere and should by consulted daily, though Tuesdays will yield the best results. The most significant female deities are Devi, Saraswati and the bloodthirsty Kali, who works most efficiently on Saturdays. The choice of which god to pray to is left entirely up to the individual.

Buddhist symbols are prevalent throughout Nepal, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley and in the high mountain passes. These often take the shape of the four-sided stone chaitya whereby each of four meditating Buddhas provides geographical direction. Other symbols are the stupa or dome, thangka (painting), prayer wheels, stones with mantras (religious verses), and prayer flags.

Daily life in Nepal is strongly influenced by religion and highlighted by many colourful festivals. The sky, particularly the moon, is responsible for the exact dates and times of these festivals hence the astrologer plays a major role in almost all Nepalese planning.

eligious animal sacrifices occasionally take place — mostly as part of the annual festivals, Rada Dasain and Chaitra Dasain, and two of the few times a year when most Nepalese eat meat. These sacrifices, where animal blood is sprinkled on images of the gods (except that of Kali) are in practice the ritual butchering of male animals — animals that roam freely during their lives.