Eleventh International Conference on The Image

Abstract

The Kathmandu valley provides a vast field for study, with a large number of stūpas and vihāras, votive caityas, Buddhist images in stone, metal and wood, paintings and manuscripts that have been found related to the pre modern history of the region. The customs, ritual and life patterns of the people here also exhibit enormous diversity. A study of ancient and early medieval Buddhism in the valley is important to add a deeper dimension to the anthropological studies of Newari Buddhism.

The proposed work will evaluate the pattern of evolution of religious institutions in Kathmandu Valley and the relative contribution of endogenous and extraneous influences. The work will be carried out by using the synchronic and diachronic study of the available sources of information i.e artistic, architectural and historically significant material including inscriptions, epigraphy, myth, and legends. In this way, the work proposes the method of triangulation incorporating historical qualitative approach to different materials while using critical phenomenological approach sources i.e epic, legends, myths and legends.

Institutions are the bedrock for the new world that we live in. The participating democracy requires a large number of institution to manage human affairs today. Study of religious institution in a context of Nepal will allow us to see the way our own institution has contributed to coming up of the institutions in the neighboring lands. This is extremely important today with the crisis of institutional and their regular collapse. A study therefore instructive as well as illustrative for contemporary India.