By the name itself you can understand that this place has
link with the religious matters. It is a religious intricate situated on the
top of a hill in the Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu valley is in the west of
Kathmandu city. An ancient temple named as Swayambhunath is also known as the
Monkey Temple as you could see the monkeys around the temple. You will get a
number of different trees on the hill.
 |
| Swayambhunath Temple |
The Swayambhunath complex comprises of various shrines and
temples which is called as a stupa named during the Licchavi period. Today, the
complex comprises of a Tibetan monastery, museum and library as well. You will
find Buddha’s eyes and eyebrows painted on the stupa. Even you will find shops,
restaurants and hostels here. You can enter at this site by two distinct ways.
One is the stairway to the east where you will have to climb 365 steps and the
other is through the car road around the hill entering through the southwest
direction. Once you reached at the top of the stairway the first sight could be
seen is of the Vajra.
Vajra is from the Vajrayana tradition of Newar Buddhism. Most
of the iconography of Swayambhunath came from the same tradition.
If you go through the mythology, you will get to know the
creation of this temple and also the valley. As per the Swayambhu Purana, the
valley was entirely filled with a lake from which a lotus was grown. After that
the valley was named as the Swayambhu which means ‘Self created’. The monkey’s
roaming around is called as the holy monkeys because the Manjushree called as
the bodhisattva of wisdom and learning was actually raising the hill. His hair
was supposed to be left tiny but he developed his hair long out of which head
lice was grown and that head lice was converted into these monkeys. There is
much more things in depth that will lead you to the mythological facts.
In Nepal, Swayambhunath is one of the oldest religious
sites. It was said that the Swayambhunath was found by the great-grandfather of
king Manadeva during the 464-505 CE and at the early 5th century CE by the king
Vrsadeva. King Manadeva made the temple through a damaged stone found at the
location in 640 CE.
Later, Emperor Ashoka visited this location during the third
century BCE and built a temple on the hill but was further destroyed. It was
also said that the Buddha visited Swayambhunath and gave teachings at the same
place for prior to two hundred years.
Even if the location is considered Buddhist, it is still
worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus. Many king Hindu followers paid
respects here that includes Pratap Malla who was the influential king of Kathmandu.
This king was built the eastern stairway during the 17th century.
 |
| Swayambhunath Temple Complex |
You will find the carving of five Buddhas on every sides of
stupa. Along with this, you will also find statue of the Buddhas at the bottom
of the stupas.
Once you reach at the top of the hill you can have a magnificent
sight of Kathmandu. This hill could be seen from the miles away in Kathmandu. A
fantactic viewpoint worth visiting where holy monkeys could be found on the top
of the hill! To reach at this great place you have to climb or travel by car to
the top of the green hill and worship the Deity in the Swayambhunath temple.
You can click photographs of this temple and hill and also click for the best
site from the top of the hill where you will get fantastic scenery of
Kathmandu.
You will get hotels, restaurants and much more places where
you can book your accommodations. As it is a religious site you will have
plenty of options to stay and rest. Here you can reach by flight to the nearest
airport named Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. So if you are a
religious king of person or love to visit the holy places then think for this
wonderful location where you can visit the temple and also enjoy your trip to
the hill and sightseeing as well.
0 comments:
Post a Comment