Swayambhunath

The famous stupa of Swayambhunath is located on a scenic hillock almost two miles west of Kathmandu city. Trees on the declivity with restless monkeys swaying and jumping from branch to branch creat a natural environment around here. Nepali Buddhists worship Swayambhunath as Adibuddha.

It is a wide-spread belief that when Kathmandu valley was a lake Adibuddha appeared on his own accord from among the lotus. As it appeared all by itself, it is called Swayambhu or the Self Existent One. A prayer wheel encircles the stupa of Swayambhu with the incantation Om Manipadme hum inscribed on it. In all the four directions of the stupa stand four images of Adibuddha Aksyobhya to the east, Ratnasambhunath to the south, Amitabha to the west and Amoghasiddhi to the north. The dome of Swayambhunath is surmounted by a square projection, each of the four sides of which bears a pair of unwinking eyes with a peculiar nose below. In the Buddhist treaties these are described as Tantradi, Mantradi, and Yantradi which are supposed to operate the whole universe. This square projection upon the dome is crowned by tympanums and thirteen rings, each smaller in size than the one below. Each of the tympanums bears the images of Adibuddha like the base of the dome. The thirteen rings, according to Mahayana Buddhist sect, indicate of thirteen heavens. And just above these rings sits a pinnacle. Manasteries, images, temples and stupas strewn about in this area also include the seventeenth century's temples in sikhara style. One can easily reach to Swayambhunath by taxi.