Each of the major Hindu deities has an associated animal known as their "mount." Depictions of the god or goddess will usually include a direct or indirect reference to the mount.
It is hard to travel very far in lowland Nepal without coming across a lingam like this, almost always covered with powders and dried flowers offered by the devout.
Perhaps the most striking difference between life in the West and life in Nepal is the degree to which religious observance is a daily, public, constant matter of course.
The temple of the Tantric goddess Baghalamukhi on Durbar Square in Patan, which has recently developed the reputation as a place of great spiritual power.
Here a long line of petitioners, mostly women, waits to enter the temple on a Thursday, the most auspicious day to visit this goddess.
Here I am in the window of the old Malla palace of Keshav Narayan Chowk, Patan.
This old palace now houses the wonderfully informative
and beautiful Patan Museum.
Visible through the window is the Shiva temple on Durbar Square.
Photo: Rajendra Khadka
Two brothers keep streetside shops near Durbar Square. A customer showing serious interest in singing bowls will be invited to a room around the corner and upstairs to view a larger and older selection.
Among the traditions of the Hindu festival Dasain, celebrating the triumph of good over evil, is the sacrifice of a goat, sheep or buffalo, commemorating the triumph of the goddess Durga over a devil that took the form of an animal.
Nagarjun is a royal forest and hunting preserve west of Kathmandu, now open to the public. Different entry fees are charged according to whether you are travelling by foot, by car, by motorbike, by horse, or by elephant.
