Lalitpur, NepalLalitpur Metropolitan City (पाटन Pāṭana, Nepal bhasa : Yela, ) is a Metropolitan city and fourth most populous city of Nepal with 299,843 inhabitants living in 49,044 households per 2021 census. It is located in the south-central part of Kathmandu Valley, a large valley in the high plateaus in central Nepal, at an altitude of 1,400 metres (4,600 feet). Lalitpur is also known as Manigal. It is best known for its rich cultural heritage, particularly its tradition of arts and crafts.
South AsiaSouth Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethnic-cultural terms. As commonly conceptualised, South Asia consists of the countries predominantly Afghanistan Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, Topographically, it is dominated by the Indian subcontinent and defined largely by the Indian Ocean in the south, and the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Pamir mountains in the north. The Amu Darya, which rises north of the Hindu Kush, forms a part of the northwestern border.
Bagmati RiverThe Bagmati River flows through the Kathmandu valley of Nepal, separating the cities of Kathmandu from Patan, before flowing through Madesh Province of southern Nepal and joining the Kamla River in the Indian state of Bihar. It is considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists. A number of Hindu temples are located on its banks. The importance of the Bagmati River also lies in the fact that Hindus are cremated on the banks of this holy river, and Kirants are buried in the hills by its side.
Newar peopleNewar (nɪˈwɑr; नेवार, endonym: Newa; नेवा, Pracalit script: ) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation. Newars form a linguistic and cultural community of primarily Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman ethnicities following Hinduism and Buddhism with Nepal Bhasa as their common language. Newars have developed a division of labour and a sophisticated urban civilisation not seen elsewhere in the Himalayan foothills.
Pashupatinath TemplePashupatinath Temple (श्री पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Pashupati, and is located in Kathmandu, Nepal near the Bagmati River. This is currently the largest temple in the world as well as one of the Oldest Temple. This temple was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1979. This "extensive Hindu temple precinct" is a "sprawling collection of temples, ashrams, images and inscriptions raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati river", and is one of seven monument groups in UNESCO's designation of Kathmandu Valley.
Newar languageNewar (nəˈwɑːr) or Newari, known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepal. "Nepal Bhasa" literally means "Nepalese language"; however, the language is not the same as Nepali (Devanāgarī: नेपाली), the country's current official language of the central government.
PashupatiPashupati (Sanskrit: Paśupati; Devanagari: पशुपति ) is a Hindu deity and an incarnation of the Hindu god Shiva as "Lord of the animals". Pashupati is mainly worshipped in Nepal and India. Pashupati is also the national deity of Nepal. Paśupati or Pashupatinath, means "Lord of all animals". It also was the epithet of Rudra in the Vedic period. and it is one of the epithets of Shiva also. Paśu could also refer to the Pāśupatāstra, a celestial weapon used by Shiva, so another possible interpretation is "Wielder of the Pāśupatāstra".
SwayambhunathSwayambhu (Devanagari: स्वयम्भू स्तूप; Nepal bhasa: स्वयंभू; sometimes Swayambu or Swoyambhu) is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan name for the site means 'Sublime Trees' (Wylie: Phags.pa Shing.kun), for the many varieties of trees found on the hill. However, Shingun may be of in Nepalbhasa name for the complex, Swayambhu, meaning 'self-sprung'. For the Buddhist Newars, in whose mythological history and origin myth as well as day-to-day religious practice Swayambhu occupies a central position, it is probably the most sacred among sites.
Kumari (goddess)Kumari, or Kumari Devi, or the Living Goddess, is the tradition of worshipping a chosen virgin as manifestations of the divine female energy or Shakti in Dharmic religious traditions. It is believed that the girl is possessed by the goddess Taleju or Durga. The word Kumari is derived from Sanskrit meaning princess. The procession is akin to Indra or Sakra, taking Indrani to his celestial abode as his bride. The festival is celebrated during Kumari Jantra, which follows the Indra Jatri religious ceremony.
Christianity in NepalChristianity is, according to the 2011 census, the fifth most practiced religion in Nepal, with 375,699 adherents, or 1.4% of the population. Many informed observers have estimated that there are at least 1 million Nepali Christians. According to some Christian groups, there may be as many as 3 million Christians in Nepal, constituting up to 10% of the country's population. A report by Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary identified the Nepali church the fastest growing in the world.
