ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the ambivalent tensions surrounding the claim that Buddha was born in Nepal through an ethnographic analysis of personal conversations and observations, media artifacts, and unfolding events. Nepal's claim to Buddha's birthplace gives it a unique status among the nations of the world, and thus can be a source of nationalist pride and identity, akin to and often coupled with the boast that Mt. Everest is in Nepal. By analyzing the ways in which the claim that "Buddha was born in Nepal" is leveraged for divergent political purposes, the chapter focuses on the larger debates over secularism and Nepali national identity. Furthermore, tracing the Buddha claim through the various forums in which it is debated – not only in face-to-face interactions, but also on television, in newspapers, and in online social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Change.org – offers insight into Nepal's rapidly expanding and diversifying media landscape.
