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| Swayambhunath |
Swayambhu (Devanagari:
स्वयम्भू स्तूप; Newar: स्वयंभू;
sometimes romanized Swoyambhu)
is an ancient religious architecture atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley,
west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan name for the site
means 'Sublime Trees' (Wylie: Phags.pa
Shing.kun), for the many varieties of trees found on the hill. However, Shing.kun may be a corruption of the local Nepal Bhasa name for the complex, Singgu, meaning 'self-sprung'. For the Buddhist Newars in whose mythological history and
origin myth as well as day-to-day religious practice, Swayambhu occupies a
central position, it is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism,
it is second only to Boudha.
The Swayambhu complex consists of a stupa, a variety of
shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan monastery,
museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's eyes and
eyebrows painted on. Between them, the number one is painted in the fashion of
a nose. There are also shops, restaurants and hostels. The site has two access
points: a long stairway with 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform
of the temple, which is from the top of the hill to the east; and a car road
around the hill from the south leading to the southwest entrance. The first
sight on reaching the top of the stairway is the Vajra.
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