Religious practices are an important part of the lives of the Nepalese people. Mythologies of various Hindu gods and goddesses abound in this country and cultural values are based on the philosophies of holy books like the Gita, Ramayana, etc.

Women and children visit neighbourhood shrines at dawn to offer worship to the gods. Holding plates of rice, flowers, and vermilion powder, they perform puja by lighting incense, ringing the temple bell, and applying ' tika', a red paste, on their foreheads. Passers-by stop at temples and show their reverence to the gods by spending a few minutes praying. Occasionally, groups of' men sit near temples playing music and singing hyms until late night.

In Nepal, Hinduism and Buddhism are the two main religions. The two have co-existed down the ages and many Hindu temples share the same complex as, Buddhist shrines. Hindu and Buddhist worshippers may regard the same god with different names while performing religious rites.

Though Nepal is the only Hindu Kingdom in the world, many other religions like Islam, Christianity, and Bon are practiced here. Some of the earliest inhabitants like the Kirats practice their own kind of religion based on ancestor worship and the Tharus practice animism. Over the years, Hinduism and Buddhism have been influenced by these practices which have been modified to form a synthesis of newer beliefs.

As a result, visitors to this country may often find the religious practices in Nepal difficult to follow and understand. But this does not prevent one from enjoying the -different traditional ceremonies and rituals of Nepalese culture. It is indeed a totally new experience of religious fervour.

Hinduism

Thousands of gods and goddesses make up the Hindu pantheon. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the three major Hindu gods who have their own characteristics and incarnations. Each god has his own steed which is often seen kneeling faithfully at the feet of the deity or sometimes outside that god's temple. Symbolic objects are carried by the multiple hands of each deity which empowers them to perform great feats.

Buddhism
Sakyamuni Buddha is the founder of Buddhism who lived and taught in this part of the world during the sixth century BC. The great stupas of Swayambhunath and Bouddhanath are among the oldest and most beautiful worship sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

The spinning of prayer wheels, prostrating pilgrims, collective chants and burning butter lamps are some Buddhist practices often encountered by tourists. A slip of paper bearing a mantra is kept inside the wheels so that prayers are sent to the gods when the wheel is spun. Scenes from the Buddha's life and Buddhist realms are depicted on thangka scroll paintings which are used during meditation and prayer ceremonies. Many Buddhist followers are seen performing these practices in Swayambhunath, Bouddhanath and at other Buddhist sites around the Valley.

The first civilizations in Nepal, which flourished around the 6th century B.C., were confined to the fertile Kathmandu Valley where the present-day capital of the same name is located. It was in this region that Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born c. 563 B.C. Gautama achieved enlightenment as Buddha and spawned Buddhist belief.

Nepali rulers' early patronage of Buddhism largely gave way to Hinduism, reflecting the increased influence of India, around the 12th century. Though the successive dynasties of the Gopalas, the Kiratis, and the Licchavis expanded their rule, it was not until the reign of the Malla kings from 1200–1769 that Nepal assumed the approximate dimensions of the modern state.

The kingdom of Nepal was unified in 1768 by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who had fled India following the Moghul conquests of the subcontinent. Under Shah and his successors Nepal's borders expanded as far west as Kashmir and as far east as Sikkim (now part of India). A commercial treaty was signed with Britain in 1792 and again in 1816 after more than a year of hostilities with the British East India Company.

In 1923, Britain recognized the absolute independence of Nepal. Between 1846 and 1951, the country was ruled by the Rana family, which always held the office of prime minister. In 1951, however, the king took over all power and proclaimed a constitutional monarchy. Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah became king in 1955. After Mahendra died of a heart attack in 1972, Prince Birendra, at 26, succeeded to the throne.

In 1990, a pro-democracy movement forced King Birendra to lift the ban on political parties. The first free election in three decades provided a victory for the liberal Nepali Congress Party in 1991, although the Communists made a strong showing. A small but growing Maoist guerrilla movement, seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and install a Communist government, began operating in the countryside in 1996.

On June 1, 2001, King Birendra was shot and killed by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra. Angered by his family's disapproval of his choice of a bride, he also killed his mother and several other members of the royal family before shooting himself. Prince Gyanendra, the younger brother of King Birendra, was then crowned king.
King Gyanendra dismissed the government in October 2002, calling it corrupt and ineffective. He declared a state of emergency in November and ordered the army to crack down on the Maoist guerrillas. The rebels intensified their campaign, and the government responded with equal intensity, killing hundreds of Maoists, the largest toll since the insurgency began in 1996. In Aug. 2003, the Maoist rebels withdrew from peace talks with the government and ended a cease-fire that had been signed in Jan. 2003. The following August, the rebels blockaded Kathmandu for a week, cutting off shipments of food and fuel to the capital.

King Gyanendra fired the entire government in Feb. 2005 and assumed direct power. Many of the country's politicians were placed under house arrest, and severe restriction on civil liberties were instituted. In Sept. 2005, the Maoist rebels declared a unilateral cease-fire, which ended in Jan. 2006. In April, massive pro-democracy protests organized by seven opposition parties and supported by the Maoists took place. They rejected King Gyanendra's offer to hand over executive power to a prime minister, saying he failed to address their main demands: the restoration of parliament and a referendum to redraft the constitution. Days later, as pressure mounted and the protests intensified, King Gyanendra agreed to reinstate parliament. The new parliament quickly moved to diminish the king's powers. In May, it voted unanimously to declare Nepal a secular nation and strip the king of his authority over the military.

For quite a few years I had been dreaming of going to Mustang. Erica and Tsedo had told me how special it was, and Norbu had mentioned that May would the best time to visit. When I ran into Richard last March: “Have you been to Mustang? You’ve GOT TO GO”, this was it, I was on my way to Mustang!

The first week took us from village to village. It is hard to tell which one is the most beautiful and their names were ringing like the bells around the Tibetan horses’ necks: Kagbeni, Chele, Gheling, Tsarang...

Mustang is a desert. It is hot, cold, dry and to say it’s windy is an euphemism. Travelers must be ready to hide their faces and photo equipment in buffs (a light neckgaiter you can wear many different ways). At times I thought I was back in Arizona or Utah, until I would see a village with prayer flags and piles of wood on top of the roofs, green buckwheat fields around and some Himalayan peaks towering the landscape at a distance. A movie maker could not design a better set...

One favorite stop was Geling. We arrived early so I decided to tour the village with Pasang, my Sherpa guiding friend, as translator. We ran into two little girls playing at the door of the kindergarten built by AHF. It was Saturday, so there was no school.  After a few songs and ABCs, our little guides took us to the main building where we met Tashi, a teacher who had been there for 6 years. The children attending Geling Boarding school come from poor families in nearby villages. I was impressed to see how well organized everything was: weekly schedules, menus, neat classrooms, tidy dormitories and a green house.  Thanks to AHF and other NGO helping Geling, children can receive basic education and good care. We arrived during a prayer time just before the afternoon snack: popcorn today. What a sweet visit.

I had purposely set my travel dates so I could attend TIJI, a three- day festival celebrated since the 15th century. I know that a few years ago, the Gompa was falling apart and the Lobas were struggling, losing their culture, therefore a reason to live there. Thanks again to AHF support of the restoration of the Gompa, funding of the school and of Luigi’s painting restoration, Tiji and Lo are well alive.

Lo was very crowded because of Tiji. Lobas had come from all over Mustang, young monks were most happy with their new shoes and candies, and there were a lot of visitors like me. Everybody gathered tightly around the courtyard where the lead monk- the Tsowo- led the long ceremony which would kill the demons. I sat next to Lama Tashi and felt so fortunate to be watching this old tradition from so close.

After Tiji, we returned to Jomoson via the East route, more remote and less traveled.  The lunar landscape had received a dusting of snow overnight, making it even more dramatic. Views of Annapurna, the Nilgiris and Daulaghiri were surreal.

Of my first trip to Mustang I will always have incredible memories: the landscape, the villages, the home stays and the people. Language is a barrier, but smiles, gestures and teas can go a long way. Thanks to everybody for your amazing work in Mustang, precious advice, specially to Bruce for finding me lodging in Lo!