HINDUISM IN NEPAL

'Hinduism' is the major religion of Nepal. In the 1991 census, approximately 89.5 percent of the Nepalese people identified themselves as Hindus. Buddhists and Muslims comprised 5.3 and 2.7 percent, respectively. The remainder followed other religions, including Christianity. The national calendar of Nepal, Bikram Sambat (B.S.), is a solar Hindu calendar essentially the same to that widespread in North India as a religious calendar, and is based on Vedic principles of time-keeping.
The geographical distribution of religious groups revealed a preponderance of Hindus, accounting for at least 87 percent of the population in every region. Among the Tibeto-Nepalese, those most influenced by Hinduism were the Magar, Sunwar, and Rai peoples.
However, there has traditionally been a great deal of intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Many of the people regarded as Hindus in the 1981 census could also in some senses be called Buddhists. Hindus long have worshipped at Buddhist temples and Buddhists at Hindu temples. The reason for this is that both Hinduism and Buddhism have common roots as dharmic religions, and over most of their history have not been seen as separate communions, but rather rival tendencies within a shared religious tradition. 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; Hindus and Buddhists have never engaged in any overt religious conflicts.

Contents

Conflict with radical communism

Census 2001

External links

Conflict with radical communism

Hindus in Nepal have come into conflict with radical communists such as the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), who claim to wage a "revolutionary socialist war" but are classified by the U.S. Department of State as a "specially designated national" group [1] and have worked with the Nepalese government to curb their spread.Hindu nationalist parties such as the Shiv Sena party of Nepal have come into conflict with the radical Maoists [2]. Following the end of the Nepalese monarchy, Hindu leaders have protested the rise of communism as contrary to the tradition of a Hindu Nepal.
Many Hindus have been critical of the rise of communism in Nepal following the Nepalese Civil War[3]. Hindu groups who oppose the rise of communism assert that Nepal has been free of religious conflict and sofar-left communist guerillas have no moral standing[4].

Census 2001

The percentage of Hindus in various Nepali ethnic groups are given below(Source: 2001 Census).

'NEPAL'	'TOTAL'	'HINDUS'	'Hindu%'
''TOTAL''	''22736934''	''18330121''	''80.62%''
CHHETRI	3593496	3574976	99.48%
BHAHMAN-HILL	2896477	2887317	99.68%
MAGAR	1622421	1210276	74.60%
THARU	1533879	1497516	97.63%
TAMANG	1282304	98593	7.69%
NEWAR	1245232	1047561	84.13%
MUSLIM	971056	21265	2.19%
KAMI	895954	866296	96.69%
YADAV	895423	893427	99.78%
RAI	635151	158803	25.00%
GURUNG	543571	156263	28.75%
DAMAI/DHOLI	390305	381739	97.81%
LIMBU	359379	40675	11.32%
THAKURI	334120	332107	99.40%
SARKI	318989	312277	97.90%
TELI	304536	302056	99.19%
HARIJAN	269661	266568	98.85%
KOIRI	251274	250705	99.77%
KURMI	212842	212493	99.84%
SANYASI	199127	197554	99.21%
DHANUK	188150	187680	99.75%
MUSAHAR	172434	169884	98.52%
DUSADH	158525	157682	99.47%
SHERPA	154622	9683	6.26%
SONAR	145088	142482	98.20%
KEWAT	136953	136371	99.58%
BRAHMANTARAI	134496	133932	99.58%
BANIYA	126971	126108	99.32%
GHARTI/BHUJEL	117568	113458	96.50%
MALLAH	115986	114980	99.13%
KALWAR	115606	115252	99.69%
KUMAL	99389	97818	98.42%
HAJAM/THAKUR	98169	97768	99.59%
KANU	95826	95718	99.89%
RAJBANSI	95812	81580	85.15%
SUNUWAR	95254	75726	79.50%
SUDHI	89846	89554	99.67%
LOHAR	82637	82454	99.78%
TATMA	76512	76351	99.79%
KHATWE	74972	74561	99.45%
DHOBI	73413	73011	99.45%
MAHJI	72614	59302	81.67%
NUNIYA	66873	66433	99.34%
KUMHAR	54413	53972	99.19%
DANUWAR	53229	52833	99.26%
CHEPANG	52237	36685	70.23%
HALUWAI	50583	50268	99.38%
RAJPUT	48454	48126	99.32%
KAYASTHA	46071	45556	98.88%
BADHAE	45975	45756	99.52%
MARWADI	43971	41718	94.88%
SANTHAL/SATTAR	42698	35463	83.06%
JHAGAR/DHAGAR	41764	38752	92.79%
BANTAR	35839	35069	97.85%
BARAE	35434	35398	99.90%
KAHAR	34531	34491	99.88%
GANGAI	31318	30830	98.44%
LODHA	24738	24693	99.82%
RAJBHAR	24263	24119	99.41%
THAMI	22999	12819	55.74%
DHIMAL	19537	11216	57.41%
BHOTE	19261	7300	37.90%
BING/BINDA	18720	18697	99.88%
BHEDIYAR/GADERI	17729	17675	99.70%
NURANG	17522	17267	98.54%
YAKKHA	17003	2410	14.17%
DARAI	14859	14546	97.89%
TAJPURIYA	13250	8500	64.15%
THAKALI	12973	4389	33.83%
CHIDIMAR	12296	12209	99.29%
PAHARI	11505	9077	78.90%
MALI	11390	11365	99.78%
BANGALI	9860	9566	97.02%
CHANTEL	9814	3021	30.78%
DOM	8931	8863	99.24%
KAMAR	8761	8586	98.00%
BOTE	7969	7855	98.57%
BRAHMU	7383	5319	72.04%
GAINE	5887	5711	97.01%
JIREL	5316	561	10.55%
ADIBASI	5259	5056	96.14%
DURA	5169	979	18.94%
CHURAUTE	4893	292	5.97%
BADI	4442	4390	98.83%
MECHE	3763	3021	80.28%
LEPCHA	3660	279	7.62%
HALKHOR	3621	3597	99.34%
PUNJABI/SIKH	3054	2464	80.68%
KISAN	2876	2750	95.62%
RAJI	2399	2119	88.33%
BYANGSI	2103	2062	98.05%
YAYU	1821	1280	70.29%
KOCHE	1429	1397	97.76%
DHUNIA	1231	1146	93.10%
WALUNG	1148	946	82.40%
JAINE	1015	357	35.17%
MUNDA	660	521	78.94%
RAUTE	658	548	83.28%
YEHLMO	579	9	1.55%
PATHARKATTA	552	551	99.82%
KUSUNDA	164	160	97.56%
OTHER DALIT	173401	169662	97.84%
OTHER CASTE	231641	209499	90.44%

Districts by percentage of Hindus is given below:

'District'	'% Hindu'
Jajarkot	99.846%
Baitadi	99.845%
Bajhang	99.830%
Kalikot ★	99.783%
Dadeldhura	99.778%
Bajura ★	99.766%
Kanchanpur	99.146%
Achham	98.782%
Darchula	98.719%
Dailekh	98.322%
Rukum	98.289%
Jumla ★	97.901%
Kailali	97.558%
Doti	97.486%
Arghakhanchi	96.946%
Pyuthan	96.708%
Dang	96.484%
Gulmi	96.095%
Bardiya	95.170%
Salyan ★	94.433%
Surkhet ★	91.199%
Siraha ★	90.881%
Dhanusa	90.080%
Bhaktapur	89.867%
Saptari	88.435%
Palpa	88.015%
Parbat	87.766%
Nawalparasi	87.231%
Sarlahi	86.740%
Mugu ★	86.439%
Syangja	86.067%
Rupandehi	85.337%
Humla	84.400%
Mahottari	84.389%
Baglung	83.295%
Tanahu	83.164%
Chitawan	82.749%
Parsa	82.366%
Bara	81.939%
Kaski	81.715%
Kapilbastu	81.062%
Morang	80.124%
Jhapa ★	79.371%
Rautahat	78.957%
Banke	78.493%
Sunsari	77.092%
Rolpa	75.492%
Kathmandu	75.492%
Udayapur	75.430%
Myagdi	74.875%
Dhading	73.894%
Okhaldhunga	73.864%
Gorkha	72.790%
Dolakha ★	72.433%
Lalitpur	70.428%
Sindhuli ★	68.563%
Ramechhap	68.058%
Kavrepalanchok	64.773%
Sindhupalchok ★	62.526%
Nuwakot	61.315%
Khotang	60.544%
Dolpa ★	60.351%
Lamjung	58.467%
Bhojpur	53.765%
Terhathum	51.272%
Dhankuta	49.521%
Makwanpur	49.363%
Ilam	47.283%
Sankhuwasabha	46.949%
Solukhumbu	42.910%
Taplejung	36.516%
Panchthar	34.204%
Rasuwa	33.098%
Manang	25.347%
Mustang	25.279%

External links

★ Nepal Hindus in secular protest

★ Nepal Maoists disrupt Hindu meet

★ Hindu fears over secular Nepal