22 March, Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu Nepal

If someone asked me where my favourite place in Kathmandu is, if I had to pick a place that represented the beauty, rich culture and unbelievable energy and atmosphere of the valley,  that place would be Boudhanath Stupa. Boudhanath Stupa is known as one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Asia.  I remember flying into Kathmandu my first time and the one thing that stood out to me was this site, which dominates the skyline.

The stupa itself is the largest in Nepal. It is the centre of Tibetan culture in the Kathmandu valley and is rich in symbolism, culture and is of sacred importance to Buddhists in the valley.  As we walked around the stupa in a clockwise direction with the Buddhist mantra echoing from all directions 'Om Mani Padme Hum' (Hail to the jewel in the lotus), I could not help but notice and observe in awe the Buddhist worshippers walking around the stupa praying and following ancient old traditions.  Around the base of the stupa in desginated areas and also on the ground around the stupa itself, Buddhist pilgrims prostrate themselves.  Pilgrims travel the route around the stupa by laying face down on the ground in worship, then rise and take a few steps before dropping back down again.  They then repeat the whole thing over again and again around the dome - or as I like to call it, the Tibetan version of 'hail marys'. 

The huge white dome has the "all seeing eyes" painted in red, yellow ands blue on all 4 sides. There are 108 small images of the Buddha (108 is an auspicious number in Buddhism) and 147 prayer wheels around the stupa. From the top of the stupa to the four corners of the stupa there are traditional multi-coloured Tibetan prayer flags blue (symbolising the sky), white (wind), red (fire), green (water) and yellow (earth).

As Randy, Beth and I walked around, taking in the splendor of Tibetan culture, we stopped and shopped at some of the local stores. If anyone reading this is ever in Boudha and would like to get their hands on a great thangka or a nice unique piece of Tibetan furniture PLEASE let me know. I know a great place for both and Boudha has loads of other local tchotchkes (prayer wheels, prayer beads temple horns and .....) 

We then stopped and had a local beer at the "Heavenly View" roof top restaurant, where we had a chance to introduce Beth to a Tibetan local treat - momo - which can be compared with a chinese steamed dumpling.  The only difference is this treat comes in a variety of chicken, vegetables and  water buffalo (my favourite). 

For me there is something about this place, and a magic that you just cannot overlook or ignore. You can be sure that in the coming weeks, I will be telling you more and more about Boudha :-)