Boudha Stupa
The center of all activity in Boudha is the great stupa, Boudhanath. The stupa is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. Built sometime after 600 CE, when the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, converted to Buddhism. In terms of grace and purity of line, no other stupa in Nepal comes close to Boudhanath.
Swayambhunath Stupa
The Swayambhunath Stupa (meaning the “self-created” stupa; also known as the Monkey Temple) is found on a hilltop to the west of Kathmandu. Second in importance only to the Boudhanath Stupa, the Swayambhunath complex, founded by King Manadeva during the fifth century, contains a stupa, temples, shrines, a Tibetan monastery, a museum, and a library. The Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the crowning glories of Kathmandu Valley architecture.
Triten Norbutse Monastery
The Triten Norbutse Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal was founded by H.E. Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche in 1987. The monastery is located on a hill facing the great Stupa of Swayambhu in Nepal, which was said to have been miraculously blessed by the Buddha-Tönpa Shenrap.
Monasteries in Boudha
Boudha is the home to some 50 monasteries from all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Principal among these are Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling (the White Gompa), the monastery of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche (Mingyur Rinpoche’s eldest brother); HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s Shechen Monastery; Thrangu Rinpoche’s monastery; the monastery of Jamgön Kongtrul Rinpoche, Pullahari; and the well-known Gelugpa monastery, Kopan Gompa.
Thamel
Since the 1960s, Thamel has been the home to the backpacker crowd coming to Kathmandu from all over the world. While the architecture is superb, and the shopping is spectacular, Thamel is a bohemian hub for tourists from around the globe. Thamel is a must visit while in Kathmandu.
Asan Tole Market
Asan Tole is the very heart and soul of Kathmandu and the center of the life of its residents. A walk through Asan will give you a glimpse into everyday life in Nepal. Asan is just a short walk from Thamel.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Kathmandu’s Durbar Square was where the city’s kings were once crowned and legitimized, and from where they ruled (durbar means “palace”). As such, the square remains the traditional heart of the old town and Kathmandu’s most spectacular legacy of traditional architecture.
The Village of Boudha
Boudha is the heart of the Tibetan community in Kathmandu. It is bustling with activity at all hours, both sublime and mundane. It is the home to manyof the teachers and their monasteries in the Kathmandu Valley. It also offers some of the best shopping for Buddhist statues, paintings, and Himalayan crafts in the region.
Pashupatinath Cremation Ghats
Near Boudha, on the banks of the sacred Bagmati, are the burning ghats (funeral grounds) of Pashupatinath. Pashupatinath is the Nepalese equivalent of Varanasi on the sacred River Ganges. The cremation ghats along the Bagmati are used for open-air cremations and are constantly in use. The architecture of the small temples in the surrounding area is beautiful. Pashupatinath is also the place where many of the Nepal Hindu Sadhus (mendicants) live.
Patan Durbar Square
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the beautiful city of Patan lies south of Kathmandu across the Bagmati River and is home to Nepal’s finest collection of temples and palaces. Founded in the 3rd century, Patan is the home to the Newari people, the earliest inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley and the earliest Buddhist practitioners in Nepal. The Newari craftsmen produce the finest Buddhist statuary in the world. More information
Golden Temple – Kwa Bahal
Untouched by the earthquake, this unique Buddhist monastery is just north of Durbar Square. It was allegedly founded in the 12th century, and it has existed in its current form since 1409. The temple gets its name from the gilded metal plates that cover most of its frontage, and it is one of the most beautiful in Patan. The Shakyamuni Buddha that is the heart of the Golden Temple is considered to be the most historically important and beautiful statue in Nepal.
Namo Buddha Stupa
Namo Buddha is one of the important pilgrimage spots in the Kathmandu valley. According to the Jatakas and several sutras, Mahasattva was one of Buddha Shakyamuni’s former incarnations. He was the youngest of the three sons of king Maharatha. One day as the three brothers were walking through the forest, they saw a tigress with the five cubs she had given birth to. She was so hungry she could hardly move. The three princes went away, but Mahasattva decided to go back and started to cut his flesh to give it to the tigress to eat. When his brothers went to look for him they found only his bones and hair. The stupa was built on top of these remains.
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