![]() Maya Devi Temple, Lumbini marking the Buddha's birthplace | |
Total population | |
---|---|
c. 2.4 million (8.2%) in 2021 census[1][2][3] | |
Founder | |
The Buddha | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Throughout Nepal | |
Religions | |
![]() | |
Languages | |
Nepali and other languages |
Part of a series on |
Buddhism |
---|
![]() ![]() |
Buddhism in Nepal started spreading since the reign of Ashoka through Indian and Tibetan missionaries. The Kiratas were the first people in Nepal who embraced the Buddha’s teachings, followed by the Licchavis and Newar people.[4] Buddhism is Nepal's second-largest religion, with 8.2% of the country's population, or approximately 2.4 million people, identifying as adherents of Buddhism in a 2021 census.[2]
Shakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini in the Shakya Kingdom. Besides Shakyamuni Buddha, there are many Buddha(s) before him who are worshipped in different parts of Nepal. Lumbini lies in present-day Rupandehi District, Lumbini zone of Nepal.[5][6] Buddhism is the second-largest religion in Nepal. According to 2001 census, 10.74% of Nepal's population practiced Buddhism, consisting mainly of Tibeto-Burman speaking ethnicities and the Newar.[7] However, in the 2011 census, Buddhists made up just 9% of the country's population.[8]
It has not been possible to assign the birth year of Prince Siddhartha, the birth name of the Buddha, with certainty; it is usually placed at around 563 BCE.[9] In Nepal's hill and mountain regions Hinduism has absorbed Buddhist tenets to such an extent that in many cases they have shared deities as well as temples. For instance, the Muktinath Temple is sacred and a common house of worship for both Hindus and Buddhists.[10]
Buddhism is currently experiencing a decline in Nepal with latest census showing 8.21% of Nepal's population professing Buddhism, a decline of 2.5% from 2001. A surge of Christianity among native population may be the cause of this decline. [11]
{{cite web}}
: |last=
has generic name (help)
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search