The Monkey Temple is another name for the Swayambhunath Stupa, a Buddhist shrine situated in Kathmandu valley, Nepal. I was born here in Kathmandu in a place with close proximity to this world renowned monument. Yet, I never had a chance to go there until this last Saturday. I had rode through the same road that leads to this beautiful monument thousand of times but I don't know myself why I didn't bother to go there for at least for the first time. And when the time come where I will be going abroad for my study, time favoured me to visit there once. And it was with my wife who also visited the peaceful monument for the first time in her life.
Talking about Swayambhunath Stupa, it occupies second rank as a place of worship for Buddhist people. The Boudhanath Stupa occupies the first place. The stupa is estimated to be around 2500 years old and was enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List in 1979. In the ancient days, Kathmandu was a huge lake. The hill where the stupa stands today was a small island in the middle of lake. A Buddhist monk came here and threw a lotus seed at the water after realizing that a powerful mighty force exists here. Realizing that the place would be great for human settlement and civilization, Manjushree, a Buddhist saint, cut the ridge at Chovar with his sword allowing the water from the lake to drain. He also noticed the shining lotus and decided to raise it to form the current hill. The name of the stupa implies self-created, self-risen, self-existed or self-evolved.
In order to reach the stupa, one need to travel through 365 steps. The stupa also contains a peaceful amalgamation of both Hindu and Buddhist shrines. There are many temples built in Pagoda and Shikhara style of architecture depicting Hindu religion. From the top of the stupa, the magnificient panoramic view of Kathmandu can be seen from all directions. When the weather is clear, people can even enjoy the gorgeous mountains peaks. There are souvenir shops from where one can buy Buddhist antiques and relics like Thangka Art painiting. People can also buy goods depicting Hindu culture. As it was already evening, other shops were already closed.
Talking about the main stupa, the base of the stupa is in a dome shape. The top of the dome had the cubical shape of Buddha's eyes overlooking Kathmandu valley in every four directions. The 13 steps enclosed in a triangular shape represents the path to Nirvana, a Buddhist preaching for attaining spiritual life and enlightment. Above the thirteen steps is a golden spire that can be seen from anywhere in the valley as it is located in the top of the hill. After the devastating earthquake in 2015, the golden pinnacle at the top was refurbished with 20 kilograms of gold. The prayer wheel is also in cylindrical shape enclosing the Stupa from the outside. Wishes are believed to come true by rotating those wheels.
Around the vicnity of the stupa, there are Tibetan museum, monastery and library. Manjushree hair grew long while raising the hills and the lice fell from his head which later turned into monkeys. That's from where monkeys until now can be seen around the stupa but one must be careful with them as they are very naughty animals seizing food or any other items from your hand. When the night arrives, diyo batti is lit around the stupa, chaityas and temple around the perimeter. The light signifies the peace and getting rid of negative energy or other demon. The place is always crowded with people every day.
There is a small pond that is called "World Peace Pond" right at the entrance to the Swayambhunath before starting a stair walk. There is a statue of Lord Buddha made of brass. You can see a globe made of silver where the name of the pond is written. Right at the statue of the Lord Buddha, there is a bucket with small hole. People try to throw a coins at this hole. It is believed that a successful throw will make one wish come true. You can also notice a huge coins sinking in the pond.
