As a Hindu, I was outraged by Hemlata Rai's article "Who is a Hindu?" (#16). It is indeed shameful that a country that prides itself on being the only Hindu kingdom in the world will not allow the world's Hindus into Pashupati. And I haven't ever heard a more absurd statement than the one attributed to the chief priest that only people who are born in India and Nepal are Hindus. So, if you are a Zoroastrian born in India that automatically qualifies you as a Hindu, but if you are a Brahmin from Bali you're not? His reasoning defies logic and shows just how irrational and arbitrary the entry procedures of the temple are. It's time the protector of the world's Hindus acted to remove this discredited chief priest.

S Arjel
Austin, Texas

Hindu pilgrims from Indonesia were turned back from the gates of Lord Shiva, what else could be more humiliating than this for them, and for us as Nepalis? This incident has not only revealed the monopoly of Mul Bhatta but also his despicable thoughts. It is really ridiculous as well as sad to hear about such profane actions from a so-called holy person.

Naran Malla
Bhaktapur

What Hemlata Rai's excellent article "Who is a Hindu?" (#16) lacked was an analysis about whether the practice of barring non-Hindus is a Hindu practice. We can argue until we are blue in the face about whether Indonesians or Malaysian Hindus are qualified to worship Lord Pashupatinath. But the much more fundamental (fundamentalist?) question here is whether even non-Hindus should be barred in the first place. India has many Hindu temples, and non-Hindus are not barred from entering them. I'm not saying that Hinduism should do what other religions do, but what is wrong with being inclusive and welcoming all religions to your place of worship? Isn't that better than having an exclusionist, outdated and Brahmanical attitude about who is "pure" and who is "impure"? As Ms Rai points out, how do you in this day and age distinguish a Hindu from a non-Hindu? We suffered an Indian blockade for not allowing Sonia Gandhi into Pashupatinath, maybe it is time to lift the blockade on our holy sites.

Ashok Sharma
Kathmandu