Himalaya Region
Himalaya Region The Himalayas span a vast geography that and western Nepal are Hindu. Small communi- includes regions within the present-day countries ties of Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians of Afghanistan, → Pakistan, India, China, → Nepal, do exist in these areas, but they are vastly out- and Bhutan. The highest snow peaks are mostly numbered by Hindus. For instance, the town of situated along the southern border of Tibet, Dharamshala in Himachal is the present-day seat though some run through → Kashmir. These snow of the Tibetan government in exile and therefore peaks demarcate the northernmost extent of has a large Tibetan Buddhist population. How- purely Hindu cultural practice. Beyond them, in ever, Buddhist populations in regions nearby are Tibet and in parts of Kashmir and Himachal, extremely limited. Much farther to the east, in Tibetan Buddhist practices predominate. In this central and eastern Nepal, Buddhist populations way, Hindu populations are largely limited to the are again significant, although the majority popu- southern fringe of the Himalayas as located in the lation is still Hindu. To the east of Nepal, the countries of India and Nepal. region of Sikkim, which is in present-day India, Distinctions between Hinduism and Buddhism, in many ways reflects the Nepali situation, with a however, are not easily made. In particular, a majority Hindu population mixed with Buddhist. blend of Buddhism and Hinduism (particularly Still farther to the east, the country of Bhutan is Śaiva traditions) is practiced by many Nepalese, largely Tibetan Buddhist, and beyond that, the particularly the Newari population, and this is Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh presents a dif- often referred to as Naipāladharma (religion).
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