Buddhism in Kathmandu

Luka — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:31:35 +0000

Praying wheels at Swayambhunath stupa.

Although Nepal is officially a Hinduist country it has a significant number of Buddhists. Buddhism here has a long tradition and there are some nice legends of how the temples and stupas were created. There is also a large number of Tibet refugees and some monasteries are run by monks from Tibet. I visited Swayambhunath and Bodhnath stupas and both places are quite nice places to hang around. If you are visiting Kathmandu you should consider visiting at least one of these two temples.

Prayer scrolls at Swayambhunath.

Buddha with third eye on his forehead. It symbolises enlightenment in both Buddhism and Hinduism.

Monk holding a bowl for receiving alms.

A detail from the Golden temple (Kwa bahal), Patan – one of the historical capitals.

Buddha’s all-seeing eyes.

Bodhnath stupa is the holiest place for Tibetan Buddhists in Nepal. This is really a pleasant place to visit, especially late afternoon when there is a beautiful light and a lot of pilgrims. The atmosphere is fantastic with so many people praying, chanting, burning incenses…

Prayer flags in the sky above the Bodhnath stupa. You can buy them here.

A monk resting.

The Bodhnath stupa from a Photographer’s point of view.

Praying wheels for sale.

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Luka Esenko's blog » Nepal

Buddhism in Kathmandu

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