Swayambhunath Temple

Commonly known as “The Temple of Monkey” among tourists, Swayambhunath temple is a reflection of peace,humanity and unity. Swayambhu means self-arisen.It is named after the belief that the stupa is self-created. The temple was founded 2000 years ago.It is believed that Manjushree, when he first saw the stupa between the ponds was mesmerized and cut the Chobhar hill to drain out the water and make the stupa accessible for others. The earliest written record of the Swayambhunath Stupa’s existence is a 5^th century stone inscription. Swayambhunath is situated at the top of a hill in the west of Kathmandu. If one enters from the eastern entrance, s/he needs to climb 365 steps to reach at the top. The staircase has three painted Buddha statues from the 17^th century; and another group which are believed to be from early 20^th century. The staircase has numerous Mani stones encrypted with the Tibetan mantra“Om manipadme hum”and runs through a beautiful forest populated with hundreds of monkeys that gave the temple itsnickname,“The monkey temple”. The feeling of satisfaction one gets when s/he reaches at the top and turns around to look at Kathmandu is priceless. Swayambhunath has a charming yet calm atmosphere. You can’t help but feel the pure pleasure of being in peace. The western entrance consists of a fountain where there’s an image of Buddha standing on a lotus which is known as the “World Peace Pond”. The buildings and decorations of the temple are filled with Buddhist symbolisms.Swayambhunath is considered to be a very important temple for the Buddhists all over the world. Swayambhunath has the feeling   of tranquility and peace. The serenity and calmness one can experience in this temple is invaluable. This temple is considered to be one of the most important and sacred temple in Nepal and is a symbol of unity among people of Nepal. Swayabhunath, being one of the oldest temple in Nepal, has an ancient atmosphere.