Monastery tour in Nepal

Nepal is a country having unity in diversity, we can see diversity not only in geography but also in culture, tradition, religion, language, and so on. There are many activities one can do while in Nepal. Among many, the cultural and religious tour is one of the popular activities. Along with Hinduism, there is a great impact on Buddhism as well in Nepal. Being the birthplace of Lord Buddha there is a number of ancient Buddhist monasteries in Nepal.With the aim of providing the opportunity to explore those ancient monasteries Mountain Rock Treks and Expedition Pvt.Ltd has organized a one-week plus two days (9 days) package of Monastery tour in Nepal. A monastery tour in Nepal gives you a wonderful and unique tour experience. In this tour, you get the chance to know more about the history and rituals of Buddhism. You will get the chance to visit popular Buddhist pilgrimages and monasteries. This tour lets you immerse yourself in the wonders of Buddhist culture and tradition. The tour package mainly focuses to provide you the detailed information related to Buddhism.

Buddhism in Nepal

Although about 80% of the people are Hindu in Nepal Buddhism has a great impact on Nepali culture as well. Further, these two main religions have many shared temples also. For instance, the Muktinath temple is the holy place of both Hindus and Buddhists. Each and every Nepali feel proud to say that Nepal is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. You can see religious harmony in Nepal, especially between Hindus and Buddhists. Tibetan Buddhism is most widely followed in Nepal. However, in the past days, Buddhism was not widely followed in Nepal. In the early decades of the 20th century, the Buddhist monks were even banished from Nepal by the Rana government in order to suppress the resurgence of Theravada Buddhism in Nepal. 

In the years 1926 and 1994, many monks were exiled from the Kathmandu Valley. The deported monks were the first group of monks to be seen in Nepal from the 14th century. They were leading a movement to revitalize Theravada Buddhism which had vanished from the country five hundred years ago. The brutal Rana dynasty disapproved of Buddhism and the Nepali Bhasa, a language spoken by the Newar people. The Ranas saw the monks’ activities and their growing following as a menace. When police harassment and imprisonment failed to stop these monks all of those who were Newars were deported.

In the year 1926 five monks along with their Tibetan teacher Tsering Norbu were exiled from Nepal. They were marched to the Indian border under police escort. From there these five monks and their guru first went to Bodhi Gaya, India, and then scattered to Burma and Tibet.

Another eight groups of monks were deported in 1994. These monks were accused of encouraging women to renounce and write in the Newar language. These monks were also ordered to sign a pledge that they would stop their activities but when they refused to do so they were expelled out of the nation. Then after they went to India and founded Dharmodaya Sabha (Society for the Rise of Teaching) to promote Buddhism. From India, some of them went to Tibet, Bhutan, and Srilanka.

After two years in 1946, a Srilankan goodwill mission visited Kathmandu mediated on behalf of the monks. The deputation emphasized that on being Nepal the birthplace of Buddha his followers should be free to practice their faith in Buddhism in the country. Consequently, the ban was lifted and the monks returned and dedicated themselves to spreading the faith with more interest and passion. Finally, in 1951, the Rana dynasty was ousted by a revolution, and democracy was established in the nation due to which overt persecution of Buddhists ended. And now along with Hinduism, Buddhism is also the main religion of Nepal.

List of some of the popular Buddhist Shrines in Nepal

• Boudhanath Stupa

• Swayambhunath

• Namobuddha Monastery

• Kopan Monastery

• Nagi Gompa

• Lumbini

• Pharping Monastery

• Tibetan Refugee Camp Pokhara

• World peace pagoda Pokhara