Hinduism, Buddhism and Tourism

Thamel in Kathmandu - Backpacker Mecca.

Lots of Nepali people say Nepal has three main religions; Hinduism, Buddhism and Tourism.

I'd say we've experienced all three to some extent since we got to Nepal at the start of September.

We've spent endless hours visiting Hindu temples and shrines - from multi-roofed pagoda temples in Kathmandu's Durbar Square, to small orange-tika covered Shivalinga shrines at the roadside. Every morning, (mainly) women walk through the streets with plates of offerings - rice, tika powder, flowers and much else to leave at thier local temple as an offering to the gods. Later, in the evening people would go back to temple to make further offerings - sometimes singing the Gayatri Mantra as they light butter lamps and throw flowers onto the shrines. This is all fantastic to see and take part in, as we have many times.

At Buddhist Stupas, Chortens and Monastries, we've seen devotees wake up at first light for morning prayers, meditating and chanting the "Om mani padme hum" ('Hail to the jewel in the lotus' - Lord Buddha) Mantra. This is accompanied by the crash of cymbals and the blowing of (massive) horns. After, devotees would share a cup of yak butter tea and tsampa bread. The devotion shown by the monks and nuns is impressive.

In Pokhara, Nepal's second city, you are overwhelmed by Tourism. Every morning, devotees to this cause  wake up late, go to a "German" bakery* and order a croissant and coffee. Later, purged of the sins of the night before, followers would tour endless shops, bartering for special clothes, jackets, walking sticks - all with the mantra "The North Face" printed on them. Devotees knew that these clothes weren't "pukka", but they continued. They must look the same as each other.

We've definitely had chance to emerse ourselves in all of the above. Personally I feel the most empathy with (and I am most interested by) Hinduism, and plan to read and learn a lot more about it over the coming weeks.

We hope to be spending a few days in Bodhnath, a pilgrimage site for Buddhists next week, which will be really interesting, and we'll hopefully learn a lot more about Buddhism. Every time I think I understand something, I realise I really don't.

*Before coming to Nepal, I didn't know that Germany was famous for its pastries. A lot of places here really make a big deal about being German. Odd then that they serve loads of Croissants and Danish Pastries...