▁many ▁Buddh ist ▁shr ines ▁located ▁throughout ▁the ▁country ; ▁Buddh ists ▁accord ed ▁H indu ▁shr ines ▁the ▁same ▁respect . ▁Bud d ha ' s ▁birth place ▁is ▁an ▁important ▁pil gr image ▁site , ▁and ▁his ▁birth day ▁is ▁a ▁national ▁hol iday . ▁However , ▁some ▁Christian ▁groups ▁reported ▁that ▁H indu ▁extrem ism ▁increased ▁in ▁recent ▁years , ▁especially ▁since ▁the ▁Parliament ary ▁declaration ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁as ▁a ▁" sec ular ▁state " ▁instead ▁of ▁a ▁" H indu ▁Kingdom ." ▁Of ▁particular ▁concern ▁were ▁the ▁local ▁affili ates ▁of ▁the ▁India - based ▁H indu ▁political ▁party ▁Sh iv ▁S ena , ▁locally ▁known ▁as ▁P ash up ati ▁S ena , ▁Sh iv ▁S ena ▁Nep al , ▁and ▁Nep al ▁Sh iv s ena . ▁This ▁group ▁was ▁accused ▁of ▁playing ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁violence ▁in ▁the ▁T era i , ▁the ▁southern ▁area ▁of ▁Nep al ▁along ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁India , ▁in ▁late ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁Some ▁citizens ▁were ▁w ary ▁of ▁pros ely t izing ▁and ▁conversion ▁by ▁Christians ▁and ▁viewed ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁Christian ity ▁with ▁concern . ▁There ▁were ▁un conf ir med ▁reports ▁that ▁Ma o ists ▁suppress ed ▁religious ▁observ ance ▁in ▁areas ▁under ▁their ▁control ▁through ▁int im id ation ▁and ▁har ass ment . ▁ ▁Those ▁who ▁chose ▁to ▁convert ▁to ▁other ▁relig ions , ▁in ▁particular ▁H indu ▁citizens ▁who ▁converted ▁to