The Chariot Festival of Karunamaya Lokeswor

Abstract

Nepal Mandala – the ancient name of Kathmandu Valley is indeed
a cradle of civilization that has continued for centuries making it the center
for cultural and religious evolution of Nepal. Nepal Mandala the valley of
Kathmandu was said to be a great lake which was drained by Manjushree
by cutting a hill on the southern part of the lake to form the inhabitable
valley. The earliest inhabitants of the valley were the “Nears” and through
centuries the development of the Newar civilization created the most
architecturally endowed city- the Nepal Mandala. The original Newars
were Buddhists though Hinduism also developed with the migration and
settlement of various other ethnic groups. The original Buddhist religion
and traditions of the Newars were slowly infiltrated by Hindu culture
depending on the strength of the ruling clans controlling the city
nation. However, history has been a witness to a peaceful coexistence of
Buddhism and Hinduism among the people of this valley further enriching
the social, traditional, religious and ritualistic diversity of the city.
Kathmandu Valley is truly a city of gods with temples, stupas, and
statues in every corner of the city. There is never a month that one or
the other kind of religious ceremony is celebrated by the people in the
valley. The life style of the people is definitely a living culture and
tradition that has helped to conserve the religion and tradition of Buddhism.
Any researcher or anthropologist researching on Nepal cannot complete
his studies without studying the ‘Newar’ people and their culture.