_ritual / artisans
The first Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was born in current-day Nepal. Of the Shakya clan, the prince would eventually renounce his noble birth and embark upon a spiritual journey. In his search for the alleviation of suffering, he would create one of the world’s primary religious philosophies- Buddhism.
Members of the Shakya clan still inhabit Nepal's Kathmandu valley with many of them laboring in wood, stone and metal. By many, these Newari artisans are considered to be the finest producers of Buddhist iconography in the world.
Men throw dye across Bouddhanath stupa, emulating a lotus flower, in Bouddhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal on January 19, 2020.
A Buddhist monk prays over statues of Buddha in a consecration ceremony. The ritual is said to "awaken" the Buddha.
