Religion in Nepal encompasses a wide diversity of groups and beliefs; however, Nepal's major religion is Hinduism which accounts for 81.3% of the overall population as of 2011. According to a survey, Nepal is the most religious Hindu country throughout the world, with most of the important Hindu pilgrimage centers concentrated in this country. It is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious nation through democracy. Shiva is widely regarded as the guardian deity of Nepal. Nepal is home to the world-famous Pashupatinath Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where Hindus throughout the world come for pilgrimage purposes. According to Hindu mythology, the goddess Sita of the epic Ramayana was born in the Mithila Kingdom of King Janaka Raja. The national animal of Nepal is the cow, which is considered a sacred animal in Hinduism. Because of this, the slaughter of cows is illegal in Nepal.