Centuries-Old Swayambhunath Temple
In this article, you will come to know about Swayambhunath Temple. it’s an introduction, Where it is located?
By the name itself, you can understand that this place has a link with religious matters. It is a religious intricate situated atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu Valley is in the west of Kathmandu city. An ancient temple named Swayambhunath is also known as the Monkey Temple as you can see the monkeys around the temple. You will get some different trees on the hill. Swayambhunath is a sacred place for the Buddhist pilgrimage and engages a central point for the Buddhist Newars whose origin is from the myths and continues their religious practices.
The Swayambhunath complex comprises various shrines and temples which are called stupas named during the Licchavi period. Today, the complex comprises 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 this site in 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 reach 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 Swambhunath 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 filled with a lake from which a lotus was grown. After that, the valley was named the Swayambhu which means ‘Self-created’. The monkeys roaming around is called holy monkeys because the Manjushree called the bodhisattva of wisdom and learning was raising the hill. His hair was supposed to be left tiny but he developed his hair long out of which head lice were grown and those head lice were converted into these monkeys. There are 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 founded by the great-grandfather of King Manadeva during 464-505 CE and in the early 5th century CE by 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 it was further destroyed. It was also said that the Buddha visited Swayambhunath and gave teachings at the same place for 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 built the eastern stairway during the 17th century.
The stupa is comprised of a dome down the bottom and this dome symbolizes the complete world. You will find the carving of five Buddhas on every side of the stupa. Along with this, you will also find statues of the Buddhas at the bottom of the stupas.
If you want to experience this ancient temple then try to climb the stairway where at the entrance you will find two lions guarding there. Once you reach at the top of the hill you can have a magnificent sight of Kathmandu. This hill could be seen from miles away in Kathmandu. A fantastic viewpoint worth visiting where holy monkeys could be found on the top of the hill! To reach 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 the 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 kind of person or love to visit holy places then think of this wonderful location where you can visit the temple and also enjoy your trip to the hill and sightseeing as well.