Why it matters here
In many countries, the great religious monuments have become museums. In the Kathmandu Valley they have not. The same courtyards that appear in guidebooks are where families bring their morning offerings, where priests perform rituals for births, weddings and deaths, and where festivals have run on the same calendar for centuries. You are a guest in someone's place of worship, often in someone's neighbourhood.
The good news is that people here are used to visitors and forgiving of honest mistakes. Hindu and Buddhist practice sit side by side, often at the same shrine, and the rules are few and simple. Follow what local people do, ask your guide when unsure, and a smile and a namaste solve most awkward moments.
A licensed local guide is the easiest way to get it right. Guides know which shrines are open, when prayers start, where to stand at a festival and how to ask a priest a question.
Dress and shoes
Cover your shoulders and knees at all religious sites, men and women alike. Light trousers, long skirts and T-shirts with sleeves are fine; very short shorts, vests and see-through clothes draw stares and can get you turned away from monasteries. Carry a scarf or shawl, which can cover shoulders in a moment and keeps off dust and sun.
Take off your shoes before entering any temple building, monastery hall or the inner platform of a shrine, and wherever you see a pile of shoes outside. Slip-on shoes make this much easier. Socks are usually fine. Some Hindu shrines do not allow leather items such as belts and bags inside. In monasteries, remove hats and sunglasses. When you sit, tuck your feet beneath you or to the side rather than pointing them at an altar, an image or a person.
At Hindu temples
Some Hindu temples are open only to Hindus. These include the main courtyard of Pashupatinath and the Taleju temples of the three Durbar squares, and there are signs or guards at the gates. Respect them without argument; you can usually see a great deal from outside. Elsewhere, you are welcome to walk around the outside of temples and into many smaller shrines.
Walk clockwise around a temple or shrine, keeping it on your right. Do not touch the images of gods, the offerings of flowers, rice, red powder and food left in front of them, or the small leaf plates laid on the ground; step around them, never over them. It is fine to ring the temple bells as local people do, and if a priest offers you tika, the red mark on the forehead, you may accept it and leave a small donation.
Animal sacrifice still takes place at some temples, especially goddess shrines such as Dakshinkali and during Dashain. If you choose to watch, stay back and do not photograph without permission.
A planner can turn what you are reading into days, nights and a price.
At stupas and monasteries
At Buddhist stupas such as Boudhanath and Swayambhunath, always walk clockwise. The circuit around a stupa is called the kora, and walking it is itself a form of prayer, so join the flow rather than cutting across it. Spin prayer wheels clockwise with your right hand as you pass. Keep mani stones and small chortens on your right, and never sit or climb on them.
Many monasteries welcome visitors in their main halls. Go in quietly, take off shoes and hats, and if prayers are under way, sit at the back or along the side. Do not walk between monks and the altar, touch ritual objects or point at images. It is respectful to leave a small donation in the box or with the butter lamps. Ask before photographing monks or nuns, and never use flash inside a hall.
Lighting butter lamps at a stupa is open to everyone and a lovely thing to do. Lamp houses beside Boudhanath and Swayambhu sell them for a small fee.
Photos, cremations and the Kumari
Photography is allowed in the open squares and around the stupas, but not always inside temples and monasteries; look for signs and ask. Ask before photographing people at prayer, sadhus, children and the elderly, and accept a no gracefully. Some sadhus at Pashupatinath and in Kathmandu Durbar Square ask for money in return for a photo; agree before you shoot.
At Pashupatinath, families cremate their dead in the open at the ghats on the Bagmati. Visitors watch from the east bank, and that is acceptable, but keep your voice low, do not photograph mourners or bodies at close range and never approach the cremation platforms. Imagine how you would feel at a funeral of your own family.
The Kumari, the young girl worshipped as a living goddess in Kumari Ghar, must not be photographed. If she appears at her window, enjoy the moment and keep your camera down. The same rule applies to many sacred images in Newar shrines.
Do and avoid at a glance
A quick reminder you can keep on your phone.
| Situation | Do | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Entering a temple or monastery | Remove shoes and hats; cover shoulders and knees | Leather items where not allowed; shorts and vests |
| Walking around a stupa or shrine | Go clockwise; spin prayer wheels clockwise | Walking anticlockwise or cutting across the kora |
| Offerings on the ground | Step around them | Stepping over or touching them |
| Monastery prayers | Sit quietly at the back or side | Flash, walking in front of monks, pointing feet at altars |
| Cremations at Pashupatinath | Watch from the east bank, quietly | Close-up photos of mourners or bodies |
| The Kumari | Watch from the courtyard | Any photograph of her |
| Non-Hindu restrictions | Respect signs at Pashupatinath and Taleju | Arguing with guards or sneaking in |
Everyday courtesies
Greet people with namaste, palms together, rather than a handshake, especially with elders and women; handshakes are common among men in business. Use your right hand to give, receive and eat, as the left is traditionally used for washing. The head is considered sacred and the feet impure, so do not touch anyone's head, including children's, and avoid pointing your feet at people or shrines.
Food and water touched by your mouth become jutho, or impure, so do not offer food from your plate or drink from a shared bottle by touching it to your lips. Public displays of affection beyond holding hands are frowned upon, particularly at religious sites. Raise your voice rarely; patience and a smile carry much further than complaint.
Be wary of people dressed as monks or holy men who press flowers or blessings on you and then ask for large donations. Genuine monks do not do this. A polite refusal is enough.
Festivals and crowds
During festivals such as Bisket Jatra, Indra Jatra, Dashain and Shivaratri, temples and squares are crowded and the usual rules still apply, with extra care. Chariots, processions and crowds can surge without warning, so keep to the edges and follow your guide. Leave room for devotees to reach the shrines; you are watching their festival. If you are invited to join, for example to pull a chariot rope, accept with pleasure. Some festival rituals are private to particular families or communities, and your guide will tell you when to step back.
After a festival, you may be offered prasad, food that has first been offered to a god, such as fruit, sweets or beaten rice. Accept it with your right hand, or both hands together, and eat a little or keep it; refusing it outright can cause offence. The same applies to tika and flowers given by a priest. Leave a small coin or note at the shrine if you wish, and say dhanyabad, thank you, as you go.
Questions
What should I wear to temples in Kathmandu?
Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, such as light trousers or a long skirt and a T-shirt with sleeves. This applies to men and women. Avoid vests, short shorts and see-through fabrics. Carry a scarf for extra cover, wear slip-on shoes for easy removal and leave leather belts and bags outside shrines that do not allow leather.
Do I need to remove my shoes at temples in Nepal?
Yes, before entering temple buildings, monastery halls and the inner platforms of shrines, and wherever you see shoes left outside. You can usually keep shoes on in open squares and on the outer kora around stupas. Socks are generally acceptable. Some places have a shoe minder who expects a small tip.
Which way should I walk around a stupa?
Always walk clockwise, keeping the stupa on your right. This applies at Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and every Buddhist shrine, chorten and mani wall in Nepal, and also when circling Hindu temples. Spin prayer wheels clockwise too. Join the flow of people rather than stopping in the middle of the path.
Can non-Hindus enter temples in Kathmandu?
Most temples can be visited from outside, and many small shrines are open to all. Some important temples are reserved for Hindus, including the main courtyard of Pashupatinath and the Taleju temples in the Durbar squares, which are marked with signs or guarded. Non-Hindus can still see much from the surroundings and the east bank at Pashupatinath.
Is it okay to photograph cremations at Pashupatinath?
Watching from the east bank is accepted, but photographing mourners or bodies at close range is disrespectful. If you take photographs, keep to wide shots of the temple and river from a distance, never use flash and never approach the cremation platforms. Many visitors choose not to photograph at all, which families appreciate.
Can I photograph the Kumari?
No. Photographing the Kumari, the living goddess of Kathmandu, is forbidden. She sometimes appears briefly at a window in the courtyard of Kumari Ghar on Kathmandu Durbar Square, and guards and onlookers will ask you to lower your camera. You may photograph the building and courtyard when she is not present.
Can I go inside monasteries in Boudha?
Yes, many monasteries around Boudhanath welcome visitors in their main halls, particularly outside prayer times. Remove shoes and hats, move quietly, do not use flash and ask before photographing monks. If prayers are under way, sit at the back or side. A small donation is appreciated but not required.
How should I greet people in Nepal?
Say namaste, with palms pressed together at chest height and a slight bow. It works for greetings and goodbyes, with anyone. Handshakes are common among men in business and in cities, but namaste is safer with women and elders. Use your right hand when giving or receiving things, especially money and food.
Should I give money to sadhus or monks?
Sadhus at Pashupatinath and Kathmandu Durbar Square often ask for money if you photograph them; agree an amount first, usually small. Real monks do not approach tourists with flowers or blessings and then demand donations. If you want to give, use the donation boxes in temples and monasteries or support established local charities.
