Hindus who have been accusing a pastor in Nepal for two months for forced conversions compelled to shut down a church last week, sources said.

Pr. Tufani Bhar’s church, Pakhluwa Eternal Life Church, in Palpa District in Nepal was shut down by Brahmins, the high-caste Hindus.

Since the time the church was established about nine months ago, there has been opposition, the 53-year-old pastor Bhar said.

Last week, the church attendance fell from 30 to 15 due to fear. When the church members resorted to gather in homes, the Brahmins issued threats to anyone found meeting anywhere, including in houses, he added.

“It is shocking that we are not allowed to meet in homes and pray,” Bhar told.

“The Hindu-Brahmins are resorting to every method possible to scare us, threaten us and not let us meet,” he added.

Initially the villagers opposed to the use of guitar and drums in the church service.

“We resorted to worshipping silently without the use of any instrument,” he said.

“But then they objected to the Lord’s Supper that we partake of once a month,” he added.

Bhar said that the increase in persecution against Christians in Nepal is due to the influence of Hindu extremist groups from India on Nepal’s Hindus.

“Before there was no persecution, but Shiv Sena from India has been working among the Nepalese people and radicalizing them,” he said.

“They want Nepal to become a Hindu nation, but we have all religions in our country, and not just Hinduism,” he added.

Bhar started the mother church, Eternal Life Church, eight years ago and had established four branches, including the Pakhluwa Eternal Life Church.