Kathmandu’s Great Boudha Stupa – Still There after the Earthquake

One of the most beautiful sites in Kathmandu, Nepal is its Great Boudha Stupa (or Boudhanath Stupa).  First and foremost, it is a beautiful statement of faith, the largest such Buddhist structure in Nepal and the largest outside of any in Tibet.  That Kathmandu’s Great Boudha Stupa is pleasing to my eyes is a far second from that but, still, for this first time visitor to areas with a strong Buddhist influence, its physical beauty is indeed powerful. 

Sadly, I only got to see if after the earthquake of April 2015 so I missed seeing the stupa tower, the lotus, and the umbrella portions of the stupa which came tumbling down with the quake.

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The Great Boudha Stupa

The stupa:  a place for faith

The stupa is very large in diameter.  The faithful, and those of us who respect them, walk around in a clockwise direction turning the prayers wheels with their prayers and stopping at different points for prayer.  The faithful believe one of the earlier Buddhas is buried under the dome of the structure.

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People stopping for prayers along the way
Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, marigold, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism
Marigolds everywhere add color
Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, prayer wheel, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism
The prayer wheels
Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, prayer wheel, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism
Turning the wheel while saying the prayer

There are some monasteries around it but the buildings around it also house shops and workshops where local artists create their pieces.

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The district around the stupa
Lhakhang, monastery, Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism
Lhakhang Monastery
Lhakhang, monastery, Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism
Entrance to the Lhakhang Monastery

My favorite visit was to a shop with its associated workshop on the second story.  We got a nice explanation of the “emblematic” paintings we laymen just associate with Tibet and saw a few of the artists at work, painstakingly working on their creation.

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Artist at work

The stupa:  a place of beauty

Halfway around our walk, we got up and a little closer to the dome which still remains unapproachable due to damage for the quake and on-going repairs to the site.  From there, one gets to higher ground to look around and get closer to the items near the dome.  I leave you with some final photos that are evocative of the beauty of the entire site!

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The damage to the dome is evident
Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, dome, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism, color
Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, dome, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism, color
Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, dome, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism, color

Comments

  1. Still an impressive structure post quake, so I can only imagine how beautiful it was beforehand. I would love to check out some of the Buddha relics in Nepal and compare with Thailand.
    Traveling Ted recently posted..Colombia Amazon River photo essayMy Profile

    • I have not been to Thailand, Ted, so can’t compare. However, I can say that the beauty was simple. The setting either majestic in the mountains, or simply curious-and-neat in the city.
      Raul recently posted..Happy 2016!My Profile

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