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When I visited Kathmandu, one of the highlights was the Swayambunath Stupa Buddhist pilgrimage site tour. It is a vast complex that consists of a central stupa, several temples, shrines, and the enormous, mysterious Buddha eyes on top of the dome that stares over the entire valley. There were numerous guides at the site, and I did not hesitate to sign up for one to guide me around. I was informed that Swayambunath is more than an ancient religious site, but an active living one with pilgrims performing clockwise circumambulations around the stupas. The stupas are hemispherical structures, focal points for worship and meditation. I did climb the long flight of stairs, despite the monkey's erratic behaviour at every corner along the way, which most visitors found to be a pest. Still, one is rewarded once you reach the top and view the thirteen golden pinnacles that symbolise the thirteen enlightenment stages of Buddhahood. The four million residents in this city rub shoulders amongst the different religions and seem to abide in good spirits. A vast majority of the population is Hindu, followed by Buddhist and small followers of other faiths. Once out of the main drag the outlying districts are choked with motor vehicles, motorcycles, plenty of garbage and heavy pollution, plus cattle and stray dogs that seem to roam around at free will. Apart from the general chaos all day, the people are kind, generous and extremely hospitable. We walked around soaking the views, inhaling the incense, watching pilgrims making donations, and praying to the enlightened one. Apart from being the hopping off point for many trekkers to the Himalayas, Kathmandu is an essential cultural experience not to be missed.…
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Date of experience: March 2020
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Swayambhunath is something everyone must visit while at Kathmandu. The city view from the top is mesmerizing. This place carries equal significance for Buddhism and Hindus. As it's one of the major heritage site listed in UNESCO it's an important destination.
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Date of experience: January 2021
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We have visited this beautiful place and it is really memorable time for us. Specially its a peace and great view of kathmandu.
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Date of experience: February 2021
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I didn't like much about the place because we were not sure what is the best time to visit. We visited the Swayambhu Temple in evening and there were a lot of people. Place is a bit nasty and some of the part is under construction. You will find a lot of monkeys and Dogs roaming around . You can go there and click few pictures and come back.…
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Date of experience: January 2021
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amazing temple at a great height. great specimen of art and architecture. you need to climb up 200 steps to reach the stupa. a must visit place.
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Date of experience: December 2020
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