Boudhanath Stupa

Boudhanath is among the largest stupas in South Asia, and it has become the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. Colored white, it rises thirty-six meters overhead. The stupa is located on the ancient trade route to Tibet, and generations of Tibetan merchants rested and offered prayers here over many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many of them decided to live around Boudhanath. They established many gompas, and the "Little Tibet" of Nepal was born. This "Little Tibet" is still the best place in the Valley to observe Tibetan lifestyle. Monks walk about in saffron robes, Tibetans walk with prayer wheels in their hands, and the rituals of prostration are presented to the Buddha as worshippers circumambulate the stupa in a clockwise fashion on their hands and knees, bowing down to their lord.

Many people believe that Boudhanath was constructed in the fifth century, but definite proof is lacking. It was almost certainly built during the Licchavi period (300-879 AD), in an isolated location or in a town that later crumbled away. An archive credits Manadev I (ruled 464-505) while Gopalaraja Vamsali, chronicle of Gopala Kings compiled by the fourteenth century, credits Sivadeva I (ruled 590-604) for erecting the original Bodhanath Stupa. Whereas, the Tibetans who settled around the area believe that the stupa is of Tibetan foundation. The most probable explanation will be that the stupa was originally built by Manadev I, then a shell, entirely covering the dome, was laid by his successor, Sivadev I, and then another layer was added to the dome when the Tibetans arrived in Kathmandu through the trade route. This explanation suits the traditional construction of a stupa as successive layers are added by donors to make the stupa dome bigger and stronger. A legend has it that a woman requested a Valley king for a donation of ground required to build a stupa. She said she needed land covered by one buffalo's skin. The king consented to give it to her. She cut a buffalo skin into thin strips and circled off a fairly large clearing. The king had no choice but to give her the land. This spot is also said to be how and where the Boudhanath came to be built.

The whole area is rich of Tibetan culture and displays some of the finest forms of Tibetan art that can be seen in the Kathmandu Valley. Colorful thangkas, Tibetan jewelry, hand-woven carpets, masks, and khukuri knives are sold there in stalls. Smaller stupas are located at the base. Although similar in design to its smaller counterpart, Swayambhu, Boudha has a rounded top to its dome whereas Swayambhu's is flat.