treasures of nepal

Swayambhu Maha ChaityaKathmandu Valley has also some very importantand highly venerated Buddhist sites. As oneenters the valley, the first sight to catch thevisitor’s eye is the hemispherical white dome(stupa) of the Swayambhu Maha Chaitya perchedmajestically atop a hill on the western fringeof the Kathmandu Valley. The stupa symbolisesthe body of the Buddha, which is nothing otherthan the cosmos itself. The Swayambhu MahaChaitya with the semi-closed eyes of the Buddhaoverlooking the valley from all four directionsis the most prominent monument and landmarkof the valley. The historical origins of this greatstupa are obscure, but it is believed to havebeen built during the Lichchhavi period. Themain stupa is a huge white dome in the formof a flattened hemisphere. Around the circularbase - the garva (womb) - are installed the fivecelestial Buddhas with their respective femalecounterparts. In the vicinity are numerousmonuments. These include the twin Shikharastyletemples of Pratappur and Anantapur builtby King Pratap Malla; Basupur, with the image ofGoddess Basundhara, the bestower of prosperity;Vayupur, the god of wind; and the artistic goldentemple of the Goddess Ajima or Harati, theprotector of children.The Swayambhu Maha Chaitya is a veritabletreasure house of valuable artefacts of bronzeand stone images and miniature chaityas. On thewestern side of the stupa in front of the Haratitemple, there is a stone pillar on top of whichare some very striking bronze statues. On theeastern side, atop a Mandala, there is a massiveVajra, or thunderbolt. This golden Vajra, knownas dorje in Tibetan, is the symbol of VajrayanaBuddhism. In the vicinity of the great stupathere are Tibetan, Bhutanese and Nepalesevihars and gumbas, as well as a museum wherenumerous religious manuscripts and bronzeand stone images of both Buddhist and Hindudeities are on display. Indeed, the entire site is aunique open-air museum, unparalleled elsewherein the world.Boudhanath StupaThe great Stupa of Boudhanath is the principalcentre of Tibetan Buddhist worship in theKathmandu Valley. It has long been a majordestination for pilgrims from the Himalayas,Tibet and southeast and east Asia. It is oneof the largest and most magnificent Buddhistmonuments in the world. Lichchhavi KingManadeva I (reign 464-505 A.D.) is credited tohave built this great stupa.LumbiniThere cannot be a more revered pilgrimagesite for Buddhists than Lumbini, the birthplace of Shakya Muni Buddha. Buddha, theprince of peace and non-violence, was bornat Lumbini in 623 B.C. For centuries, pilgrimstravelling from afar revered the spot at theLumbini garden where Gautama Buddha wasborn, building stupas, monasteries and othertypes of monuments. The most notable andimportant is the stone pillar erected by EmperorAshoka Maurya in the 3rd century B.C., whichauthenticates the exact spot where Queen MayaDevi gave birth to the blessed one. Today, thesite is being developed as a major internationalpilgrimage destination with the assistance of20