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Newar Buddhism

Newar Buddhism is the form of Buddhism practised by the Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. It preserves Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions in Sanskrit, with a hereditary, married clergy of Vajracharyas and Shakyas who serve monastic courtyards called bahals. It developed alongside Hinduism under the Licchavi, Thakuri and Malla kings and is one of the last Sanskrit-based Buddhist traditions.

Newar Buddhism
Image: Kamal Ratna Tuladhar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Thakuri dynasty

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Newar Buddhism. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/newar-buddhism
MLA
“Newar Buddhism.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/newar-buddhism. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Newar Buddhism.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/newar-buddhism.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Newar Buddhism’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/newar-buddhism (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻