Kathmandu: visit Boudhanath Stupa, a magnet for Tibetan Buddhists at the center of a community of monasteries and prayer flags. The giant stupa is grand in architecture, a large white inverted dome adorned with saffron water lotus-shaped petals and topped by the all-knowing eyes.
All of the important Buddhist processions take place here, including Tibetan New Year “Loshar.” Join the scores of Tibetans young and old on a circumambulation of the stupa, earning merit for the next life with spins of the prayer wheels. Climb near the top of the tapered dome for views and sounds of the nearby monasteries, where monks chant evening prayers.
Later in the morning, visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, one of three durbars (royal palaces) in the Kathmandu Valley. It was initially constructed in the 16th century, although subsequent additions were made in the Shah (Gurkha) dynasty in the 18th century and by the Rana rulers in the 19th century. The palace is decorated with elaborately carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuvan Memorial Museum, dedicated to the monarch (the present king’s grandfather) who opened Nepal to the outside world.
After lunch visit Pashupati Temple (Pashupatinath), the valley’s most important Hindu temple. Hindus from the Indian subcontinent, Nepal, Pakistan, and across Asia come to Pashupati to pay their respects to the Lord Shiva, another of the Hindu trilogy. This vast complex straddling the holy Bagmati River features a pagoda style gold-plated roof temple, with silver doors and fine woodcarvings, and everywhere, the linga, phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. The temples are surrounded by jungle where rhesus monkeys and songbirds live and play, often amidst the temples. Sadhus (holy men) who follow the life style of Shiva can be seen (though some prefer not to be photographed) at Pashupati temple. They paint their bodies with ashes, wear loincloths, and are adorned by tika and rudraksha malla (beads). Some claim that smoking ganga enhances their communications with the heavens.
Kathmandu: Rise early and join pilgrims from across the Himalaya to visit Swayambhunath, the most ancient and enigmatic of all the valley’s shrines, lying one mile west of Kathmandu. The golden spire of Swayambhunath stupa crowns a wooded hillock, which has been a holy site since ancient times. Historical records of its existence date back to the 5th century but the stupa’s origins may go back even further. It is one of the most recognizable Buddhist symbols in Nepal, and is a World Heritage Site. The stupa is a magnificent backdrop for photographing the morning devotions, and a overlook onto a city awakening. Hotel
