Везде
Country, Where the Gods are More than People
Table of contents
Annotation Estimate Publication content
References Comments
Share
QR
Metrics
Country, Where the Gods are More than People
Annotation
PII
S032150750007662-0-1
DOI
10.31857/S032150750007662-0
Publication type
Article
Status
Published
Authors
Margarita F. Albedil 
ORCID: 0000-0002-8805-2184
Occupation: Leading Research Fellow, Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, RAS
Affiliation: Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, St. Petersburg
Edition
Issue 12
Pages
80-83
Abstract

The article deals with the confessional situation in Nepal and its distinctive features. Now the state is secular, but until 2008 the country was a Hindu kingdom, so most of the inhabitants consider themselves adherents of this religion. Nepali Hinduism differs from the common Indian model. Here, the cult of the living goddess Kumari, formerly associated with royal authority, is still preserved. Nepali Hinduism retains many archaic features. They are expressively manifested, for example, in the veneration of the ancient deity Indra, who lost his importance in Indian Hinduism, but retained in Nepal. The festival dedicated to him, Indra Jatra, is one of the most popular and crowded in the Kathmandu Valley.

Buddhism does not dominate in Nepal, but plays an important role in the social and cultural life of the country. To begin with, here is the birthplace of the founder of the doctrine of the Buddha Shakyamuni, therefore Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world rush here. Buddhist and Hindu traditions are so closely intertwined in Nepal that it is sometimes difficult to find the border between them. Nepal is a multi-ethnic country, therefore, each nation Buddhism has its own local flavor. Nepali Buddhism is caste in nature, although Buddhism is not initially compatible with castes. Legally abolished in 1963 castes continue to exist in modern ethnographic reality. Of particular interest is Buddhism, which is practiced by the Nevars, the indigenous inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley. Probably, it developed under the noticeable influence of Tibet, more precisely, the tantric Buddhism of the Vajrayana. This complex ethno-confessional panorama of Nepalese life is practically not investigated in Russian oriental studies.

This article is based on fieldwork of the author.

Keywords
Nepal, Hinduism, the kingdom, Buddhism, ethnic and religious situation
Date of publication
13.12.2019
Number of purchasers
75
Views
2820
Readers community rating
0.0 (0 votes)
Cite Download pdf
Additional services access
Additional services for the article
Services benefits
100 RUB / 1.0 SU
Additional services for the issue
Services benefits
800 RUB / 16.0 SU

References

1. Севастьянов Д.В., Осадчева Ю.М. Непал: древняя страна на пути обновления // Вестник СПбГУ. Сер. 7. 2012. Вып. 3. С. 110-123. (Sevastyanov D.V., Osadcheva Yu.M. 2012. Nepal: an ancient country on the road to renewal // Vestnik SPbGU. Ser. 7) (In Russ.)

2. History of the Kings of Nepal. A Buddhist Chronicle. Himalayan Traditions and Culture Series No.5. Kathmandu: Social Science Baha, Himal Books. 2015. 194 p.

3. Kooij K. R. Religion in Nepal. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers. 1978. 33 р.

4. Ледков А.А. Непал: Таледжу // Древо индуизма. М., 1999. С. 392-425. (Ledkov A.A. 1999. Nepal: Taleju // Tree of hinduism. M.) (In Russ.)

5. Альбедиль М.Ф. Культ Таледжу Бхавани и живая богиня в Непале: женское лицо верховной власти // Арабские маршруты в азиатском контексте. СПб, МАЭ РАН, 2016. С. 339-359. (Albedil M.F. 2016. The cult of Taleju Bhavani and the living goddess in Nepal: the female face of supreme power // Arabian Routes in the Asian Context. SPb) (In Russ.)

6. Allen M.R. The Cult of Kumary: Virgin Worship in Nepal. Katmandu: South Asia Books. 1975. 166 p.

7. Шрестха К.П. Культ Индры в фольклоре и религиозной традиции Непала (к 60-летнему юбилею установления дипломатических отношений между Россией (СССР) и Непалом) // "Белые пятна" российской и мировой истории. 2015, № 6. С. 56-72. (Shrestha K.P. 2015. The cult of Indra in the folklore and religious traditions of Nepal (on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia (the USSR) and Nepal // "Belye" pyatna rossiiskoi i mirovoi istorii) (In Russ.)

8. Anderson M.M. The Festivals of Nepal. London: Georg Allen & Unvin Ltd. 1974. 288 p.

9. Альбедиль М.Ф. Будда: жизнь в истории и мифе // Восточная коллекция. 2015, № 2. (Albedil M.F. 2015. Buddha: life in history and myth // Vostochnaya kollektsiya) (In Russ.)

10. Вертоградова В.В. Надписи Ашоки // Хрестоматия по истории Древнего Востока, в 2-х частях. Ч. 2. М., Высш. школа, 1980. С. 329-350. (Vertogradova V.V. 1980. Inscriptions Ashoka // Reader on the history of the Ancient East: Textbook, in 2 parts. M.) (In Russ.)

11. Bajracharya М., Michaels A. On the Historiography of Nepal: The "Wright" Chronicle reconsidered // European Bulletin of Himalayan Research. 2012. № 40. Pp. 83-99.

12. Gellner D.N. The Anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism. Weberian Themes. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. 2001. 397 p.

13. Торчинов Е.А. Введение в буддизм. СПб. Амфора, 2013. 430 с. (Torchinov E.A. 2013. Introduction to Buddhism. SPb. Amphora, 2013) (In Russ.)

14. Locke J.K. Buddhist monasteries of Nepal. Tripureswar, Kathmandu: Sahayogi Press Pvt. Ltd. 1985. 542 p.

Comments

No posts found

Write a review
Translate