Swayambhunath Kathmandu | Swayambhunath Temple Kathmandu Nepal | Swayambhunath Stupa | Nepal | 4K

Swayambhunath Kathmandu is situated on top of Semgu Hill. Swayambhunath Temple Kathmandu Nepal also known as Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the oldest temples in the Kathmandu Valley. With a white dome and several temples, this place attracts a large number of tourists. One has to climb about 365 steps to reach the temple. It is a common practice among visitors to circumambulate the temple in a clockwise direction and spin the prayer wheel as it is believed to wash away all sins. Many monkeys have made the area around the temple their home, due to which this temple is also known as "Monkey Temple".

The Swayambhu Purana states that the Kathmandu Valley was filled with a lake which attracted a large number of sages. One day Buddha Vipassana visited the lake and threw lotus seed into the water. This seed grew into a large lotus, in the center of which appeared a stupa. Hence the place was named Swayambhunath, which means 'self-made'.

The Swayambhunath Temple is a symbolic structure. The stupa has a large round shaped base, which represents the whole world. There are Buddha statues at the bottom of the base and prayer wheels around the base. Above is a structure with the eyes of Lord Buddha in all the four directions. These eyes symbolise wisdom and compassion. The nose is Nepali number one which symbolizes unity and the third eye symbolizes the wise insight of Buddha. The 13-level structure above represents the stages that a human being must experience in order to attain nirvana. And the prayer flag fluttering at the top adds to the beauty of the structure and is believed to carry the prayers of the devotees to heaven.

Inside the temple complex is a traditional Nepali pagoda style shrine where the goddess Hariti, also known as "Ajima", resides. Goddess Haiti is also known as Sitalamaju, the deity of smallpox. Once upon a time, a powerful female Yaksha was causing trouble for the local people by stealing their children and eating them. Due to this the local people became very frightened and fell into a state of despair and distress. People ran to the Buddha, requesting him to save them from the demon Yakshini Hariti. The Buddha then went to the abode of Hariti and hid her son Dhanbhaju. When Hariti returned and could not find her son anywhere, she searched for him everywhere. She wept for a long time and finally she approached the Buddha to find out where her son was. Buddha then told her that children are very dear to every parent, it is bad to cause suffering to people by eating their children. Hariti then took a vow that she would never again harm or steal other's children, but would protect them. On this Buddha returned her son. The presence of Harati Devi Temple symbolises the intermingling of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal. Devotees worship here to protect their children from diseases or epidemics.

Shantipur or the 'Place of Peace' is another small temple on top of the hill. Inside the temple is a secret, locked chamber where lives the 8th century Tantric Shantikar Acharya. It is believed that the techniques of meditation have preserved his life over the centuries and he lives there even now. There are many small structures, shrines and idols of various gods and goddesses around the stupa.

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