Editing Nepal (section)

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in Nepal}}
[[File:Sadus at Pashupatinath temple.JPG|thumb|[[Sadhu]]s in [[Pashupatinath Temple]]]]
Nepal is a secular country, as declared by the Constitution of Nepal 2012 (Part 1, Article 4), where secularism 'means religious, cultural freedom, along with the protection of religion, culture handed down from time immemorial ({{Langx|hi|सनातन|label=none}})'.<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 September 2015|title=The Constitution of Nepal|url=https://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/np/np029en.pdf|access-date=7 May 2021|work=Nepal Gazette|archive-date=15 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215043835/https://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/np/np029en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Constitution of Napal (in Nepali)|url=https://mohp.gov.np/downloads/Constitution%20of%20Nepal_2072_Nepali.pdf|access-date=7 May 2021|website=mohp.gov.np/|archive-date=27 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427084728/https://mohp.gov.np/downloads/Constitution%20of%20Nepal_2072_Nepali.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The 2011 census reported that the religion with the largest number of followers in Nepal was [[Hinduism in Nepal|Hinduism]] (81.3% of the population), followed by [[Buddhism in Nepal|Buddhism]] (9%); the remaining were [[Islam in Nepal|Islam]] (4.4%), [[Kirat Mundhum|Kirant]] (3.1%), [[Christianity in Nepal|Christianity]] (1.4%) and ''Prakriti'' or nature worship (0.5%).{{sfn|2011 National Census|pp=4, 184}} By percentage of population, Nepal has the largest population of Hindus in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/religion101/2012/11/hindu-demographics-denominations-part-one.html|title=Hindu Demographics & Denominations (Part One)|date=28 November 2012|website=Religion 101|language=en|access-date=21 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821130245/https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/religion101/2012/11/hindu-demographics-denominations-part-one.html|archive-date=21 August 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Nepal was officially a Hindu Kingdom until recently, and [[Shiva]] was considered the guardian deity of the country.<ref>''Anthologia anthropologica. The native races of Asia and Europe;'' by James George Frazer, Sir; Robert Angus Downie</ref> Although many government policies throughout history have disregarded or marginalised minority religions, Nepalese societies generally enjoy religious tolerance and harmony among all religions, with only isolated incidents of religiously motivated violence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/22579/|title=Eid highlights Nepal's religious tolerance|last=KHADKA|first=UPENDRA LAMICHHANE and BASANT|website=My Republica|language=en|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-date=13 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813212544/https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/22579/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://np.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/79/NEPAL-2018-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf|title=Nepal-2018-international-religious-freedom-report|publisher=US Embassy Nepal|access-date=1 December 2019|archive-date=21 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721111738/https://np.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/79/NEPAL-2018-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nepal's constitution does not give anyone the right to convert any person to another religion. Nepal also passed a more stringent [[anti-conversion law]] on 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nepal: Nepal: Bill criminalises religious conversion|url=https://www.csw.org.uk/2017/08/21/press/3676/article.htm|access-date=5 February 2021|website=csw.org.uk|archive-date=11 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111121259/http://www.csw.org.uk/2017/08/21/press/3676/article.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Nepal has the second-largest number of [[Hindu]]s in the world after India.<ref name="PewDec2012">{{cite web|url=https://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/|title=The Global Religious Landscape|date=December 2012|publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=5 November 2018|archive-date=26 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926222120/http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/|url-status=live}}</ref>

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