Nepal: Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Nov 2024

Built around the 14th century, Boudhanath Stupa is said to have been created just after the passing of the Buddhla.  It is also called Chorten Chenpo which translates to “Great Tower” or “Great Stupa”.  Boudhanath Stupa, at 36-meter high, is the largest stupa in Nepal and became one of the most important centers of Tibetan Buddhism after many Tibetans fled after the 1959 Chinese invasion.  The stupa consists of a giant dome with a Buddhist pyramid tower, all built on steps shaped like mandalas.  There is a pair of stylized eyes on each cardinal side of the stupa.  Devotees walk around the stupa in a clockwise direction while spinning the prayer wheels and chanting mantras.  Boudhanath has become synonymous with Nepal as that’s the first thing we normally see in travel guides and tourist brochures.

Boudhanath Stupa

 

Boudhanath Stupa

Boudhanath Stupa

 

Boudhanath Stupa

Boudhanath Stupa

 

Just as famous and sacred as the Boudhanath Stupa is the Swayambhunath Monkey Temple located on a large hill once believed to have been an island when Kathmandu valley was filled with water thousands of years ago.  Swayambhu literally means “self-existent one”.  The Buddhist stupa believed to date back to 460 AD is said to be the oldest and holiest in all of Nepal.  It is called Monkey Temple because many monkeys roam the temple grounds so be sure not to carry any food with you.  Legend has it that Manjushree, the bodhisattva of wisdom, was in the process of raising the temple hill when the lice in his hair fell and transformed into these monkeys.  The iconic whitewashed stupa on the hilltop is 20 meters wide with 9 subsidiary shrines embedded against its sides.  On top of the stupa is a harmika crown with a 13-ring finial and ceremonial parasol.  The sides of the harmika are painted with stylized pairs of eyes thought to symbolize the all-seeing Buddha.  There are statues and shrines of both Buddhist and Hindu deities at the stupa complex demonstrating the religious harmony in Nepal.  There are 365 steep steps leading up to the temple or there is a road where you can drive up and then take a short walk to the temple.

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

 

Views of Kathmandu from Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

Love how the stylized eyes on this stupa look sad compared to the other ones.

Next up is the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple complex whose exact age is unknown but legend suggests that it dates back to 400 BC.  Situated on the banks of the holy River Bagmati that flows into the holy River Ganges, it is one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites in the world.  The complex includes 518 temples and structures with the main pagoda-styled temple guarded by the Nepalese army.  Inside the main temple covered with copper and gold sheets is the statue of Pashupatinath, a form of Lord Shiva.  The main temple complex is open only to the Hindus with cameras forbidden inside.  There are also cremation ghats here where one can witness the Hindu cremation ceremonies with bodies burnt in public view like that at the ghats of Varanasi in India.  It is believed that those who die in Pashupatinath Temple can be reborn as humans regardless of their sins.

Pashupatinath Temple

You can catch a glimpse of the back of Shiva’s bull inside Pashupatinath Temple

Cremation ghats at Pashupatinath Temple

Cremation ghats at Pashupatinath Temple where the ashes are swept into the holy Bagmati River.

Cremation ghats at Pashupatinath Temple

Cremation ghats at Pashupatinath Temple

Cremation ghats at Pashupatinath Temple

 

Pashupatinath Temple

\

 

Sadhus at Pashupatinath Temple