International travel has many benefits. One of which is learning about new cultures. Our recent trip to Nepal gave us the opportunity to learn about the Buddhist religion and the Nepalese culture by visiting a stupa or two or three.
Religion in Nepal
While visiting Nepal, we discovered that religion occupies an integral position in Nepalese life and society. According to the 2001 census, 80.62% percent of Nepalese were Hindu and 10.74% were Buddhist with several other religions making up the remaining 8.64%. There is, however, a great deal of interweaving of Hinduism, Buddhism and other beliefs.
Exploring the Kathmandu Valley we noticed that there were temples, stupas, alters, and prayer wheels of various sizes everywhere. We saw them interspersed in the neighborhoods, in palace squares and even in places of business. Several of these are pilgrimage sites for Hindus and Buddhists. As the nationals pass the temples going about their daily life, they often stop to pray, light a candle, or present an offering.
While in Nepal we visited numerous stupas, three of which are the largest and most important to Buddhists. These three are all designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A stupa is a Buddhist place of meditation and prayer. Monks and Buddhists from around the world ritually circle the stupa clockwise spinning numerous brass prayer wheels which are printed with their “Om Mani Padme Hum” prayer mantra.
Kathesimbhu Stupa
Dating around 1650, Kathesimbhu Stupa is a small copy of the famous Swayambhunath Stupa. Its location in a hidden courtyard, just a couple of minutes walk south of Thamel, made it easily accessible to us. When it was built, this placement made it accessible to those who could not make the long pilgrimage to Swayambhunath.
Also in the courtyard, is a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. The entry area of this monastery contains a room that houses a good example of a huge prayer wheel. On our first visit, we observed the Monks at prayer with their chants, drums and gong resounding throughout the area. The next time we were there, the room was empty so we were able to enter to view the many Buddha statues and wall murals.
Boudhanath Stupa
The 5th century Boudhanath Stupa, also known as Boudha, is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and the holiest outside of Tibet. From the base the stupa measures 275 ft. in diameter and 118 ft. high. Its impressive white dome with the swaying prayer flags is beautiful any time of day. We arrived just before dusk so were able to view it in sunlight. As the sun set and the sky turned a lovely shade of purple we got a beautiful photo. Later as darkness descended, we got a great view of the lit stupa from the balcony of a restaurant that overlooked the area.
Many Buddhists from around the world make pilgrimages to Boudhanath and others live in the area monasteries. We observed monks and others in prayer as they ritually walked clockwise around the stupa spinning the numerous brass prayer wheels that circle it.
Swayambhunath Stupa
Perched on a hilltop with great views of the valley below, the Swayambhunath Stupa is a highlight of Kathmandu. For Newar Buddhists, it is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudha.
This stupa is also referred to as the Monkey Temple because of the large troop of Rhesus monkeys roaming the grounds.
Southern Entrance
We chose to have our taxi let us off at the southern entrance to avoid climbing the 365 steps that lead to the main platform at the east entrance. After paying the visitor fee, we entered near the World Peace Pond. Colorful prayer flags flapping in the wind surround the small monuments in this area. In the center of the pond there is a gilded Buddha stature. Visitors throw coins in the pond for good luck. We saw a number of monkeys in this area. 
They drink from the pond, so the nickname is the “monkey pond.” Our travel mates, Terry & Shelly, saw one steal a bag of pink cotton candy from the vendor. It then scampered away to a tree to enjoy the treat.
Main Stupa
From there, we climbed a few flights of steps toward the main area with the great white stupa. The giant eyes painted on all four sides of the upper portion of the stupa are very noticeable. There is not much agreement on the meaning of the eyes. One belief is that they are the directional guardians of the universe. However most people think they are simply the eyes of Buddha gazing out over the valley.
Besides the main stupa this is a great place to view numerous other temples, shines, a large golden Buddha statue and the resident monkeys. It was interesting watching the monkeys swipe food out of the trash cans. They even steal from the food offerings left for the gods. I took a photo of one smaller monkey and got too close. It started chattering and fussing at me and several others came running to help out. Kevin, Landon (our son-in-law) and I backed up and hurried away from the area. Those situations can be scary and get bad fast.
Cultural Experiences
Part of our enjoyment of international travel is that we get to learn about new cultures. Things such as music, dance, clothing, food, and religious customs are all things that help us better understand the people and their way of life now and from the past. Visiting these famous stupas in Nepal was a good way to better understand the Buddhist religion and the culture of the Nepalese.
Click here to read about our other experiences in Nepal.