This dramatic ecological gradient supports exceptional biodiversity and frames some of the world’s most iconic landscapes, including eight of the fourteen peaks above 8,000 meters. Historically situated along trans-Himalayan trade routes between India and China, Nepal has evolved as a sovereign nation-state with distinct socio-politico-cultural contexts. Its more than 120 ethnic groups form a living mosaic of languages, rituals, arts, and architectural forms. The country’s religious fabric reflects a deeply syncretic interplay of Hinduism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Kirat, Animistic and indigenous traditions, giving rise to vibrant pilgrimage circuits, monumental temple and monastery complexes, and daily ritual practices. Sacred sites such as Pashupatinath, Lumbini, and Muktinath, along with the highland monasteries and marvelous architectural heritage of Kathmandu Valley, embody centuries of knowledge explosion, cultural origin-development-expansion, art and architectural craftsmanship, and philosophical discourse, all framed by the authentic legacy of the great ascetics who practiced their intense and disciplined efforts for spiritual purification, self-transformation, or realization
