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Highlights

• The Dewa Dharma Monastery noted for a bronze icon of Buddha and traditional Tibetan paintings
• The huge gold plated Vajra ‘thunderbolt’ set in the east side of the stupa
• Buddha statue on the west side of Swayambhu
• The Sleeping Buddha
• The temple dedicated to Harati, the goddess of all children. It is said that she was an ogress before Lord Buddha converted her to be the caretaker of all children.

Legend has it that Swayambhu was born out of a lotus flower that bloomed in the middle of a lake that once spread across the Kathmandu Valley once was. The largest image of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepal sits on a pedestal on the western boundary of Swayambhu. Behind the hilltop is a temple dedicated to Manjusri or Saraswati – the Goddess of learning. Chaityas, statues, and shrines of Buddhist and Hindu deities fill the stupa complex. The base of the hill is almost entirely surrounded by prayer wheels that were recently installed. Devotees can be seen circumambulating the stupa at all times.

The stupa sits atop the hill and the exceedingly steep stone steps leading up to the shrine is quite a challenge. However, there is also a road going up almost to the top and you can drive up. A large number of Buddhists and Hindus alike visit Swayambhunath throughout the day. Swayambhu is perhaps the best place to observe religious harmony in Nepal. Learn more about this trip on our sister travel website Osho Adventure or you can chat with us on messenger to book this trip.

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