Swayambhu Nath Stupa
The Buddhist temple of Swayambhunath, situated on the top of
a hill, west of Kathmandu, is one of the most popular, holy and instantly
recognizable symbols of Nepal. The temple is colloquially known as the 'monkey
temple' because of the large tribe of roving monkeys who guard the temple.
Fast Facts
|
Location
|
Kathmandu Valley |
|
Importance |
UNESCO World Heritage Site |
|
Era |
Befor 5th Century |
|
Unique Features |
365 steps lead to the Temple that is believed to be self-created or
self-existence |
|
Category |
Cultural |
Major Attractions
The Stupa
Swayambhunath Stupa is a golden spire crowning a conical
wooded hill. It is the most ancient and enigmatic of all the holy shrines in
Kathmandu Valley. It has a lofty white dome and a glittering golden spire that
are visible from all sides of the valley. Historical records found on a stone
inscription give evidence that the stupa was already an important Buddhist
pilgrimage destination by the 5th century A.D. i.e. before the coming of
Buddhism in the valley.
Area Surrounding The
Stupa
The surroundings of Swyambhunarayan Stupa consists of
chaityas, temples, painted images of deities and numerous other religious
objects.
Harati Temple
The temple is dedicated to the goddess of smallpox and other
epidemics. The presence of the Harati Devi temple signifies the intermingling
of the pantheons of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal.
Palace Of Peace
Atop Syambunath hill is another fascinating, though less
visited temple, Shantipur, popularly known as the 'Palace of Peace'. It is said
that inside the secret underground chamber of the temple lives the 8th century
Tantric master, Shantikar Acharya. The master, it is believed, has lived
through centuries and has full control on the weather and the King of Kathmandu
must go to him in times of drought.
Architecture
Amazing to look at, the architectural beauty of Swayambunath
Temple gives way to the feelings of reverence and adoration. The stupa consists
of a dome at the base and a cubical structure with eyes of Buddha looking in
all the four directions. There are pentagonal Toran present above each of the
four sides with statues engraved in them. Behind and above the torana there are
thirteen tiers. Above all the tiers, there is a smallspace above which the
Gajur is present.
Mythology
According to Swayambhu Puran, the entire Kathmandu valley
was once filled with an enormous lake, out of which grew a mystical Lotus. The
valley came to be known as Swayambhu, meaning 'Self-Created' or
'Self-Existent'. The Bodhistava Manjushri had a vision of the lotus at
Swayambhu and traveled there to worship it.
In order to make the site more accessible to human pilgrims,
Manjushri cut a gorge through the mountains surrounding the valley. The water
drained out of the lake, leaving the valley in which Kathmandu now lies. The
lotus was transformed into a hill and the flower become the Swayambhunath
stupa.
Symbology
The dome at the base represents the entire world. When a
person gets free (represented by eyes of mercy and self knowledge) from the
bonds of the world, the person reaches the state a bit higher. After that, the
person has to cross thirteen stages represented by the tiers before attaining
Nirvana (salvation).
How To Reach
There are two ways to reach the top of the monkey temple:
the first and the most common is to get there with a car but the most beautiful
way to reach the top of this amazing temple is to climb the 365 stairs of the
temple.
| 
