KATHMANDU, NEPAL, December 29, 2008: Beginning in January, breaking a 300 year tradition, Nepalese priests will conduct the worship ceremonies at Nepal’s famous Pashupatinath Temple. One of the most famous sites in Hinduism, the temple has experienced a significant break with tradition. Its prayers always used to be led by priests recruited from south India. But now they have been replaced by local priests – ending centuries of tradition and long-held rituals. The development can be seen as a reflection of wider changes that have swept Nepal over the past year.
Since 1747 the kings of Nepal had engaged priests from southern India to serve in the temple. This was due to the belief that following the death of the king, all Nepalese had to observe a period of mourning which made them unfit to worship the Gods, and Indians would keep the temple going. After the dethronement of the King, the fiercely secular communists have few qualms about dispensing with these services.