Swayambhu Nath Stupa is popular temple in Kathmandu valley for both
religious people of Buddhist and Hindus, lies 3km west . It is located 77m above the sea level of the
Kathmandu valley.Swayambhunath Temple
also called the `Monkey Temple' because of the many
hundreds of monkeys who scamper around the temple. Swayambhunath's
worshippers include Hindus, Vajrayana Buddhists of northern
Nepal and Tibet, and the Newari Buddhists of central
and southern Nepal. Each morning before dawn, hundreds
of pilgrims will ascend the 365 steps that lead up the
hill.
It
was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Monument List in 1979.The history of the Valley, according to the legends,
the lotus mysteriously radiated a brilliant light, and
the name of the place came to be Swayambhu, meaning
'Self-Created or Self-Existent'. Bodhisattva Manjusri
came across a beautiful lake during his travel. He saw
a lotus that emitted brilliant light at the lake's center,
so he cut a gorge in a southern hill and drained the
waters to worship the lotus. The lotus was then transformed
into a hill and the light became the Swayabhunath Stupa.
Men settled on the bed of the lake and called it the
Kathmandu Valley. From then on, the hilltop of the Self-existent
Lord has been a holy place.
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