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Boudhanath Stupa - Kathmandu - Nepal
The Boudhanath Stupa with 36 meters high with dome in the east of Kathmandu is the biggest stupa of Nepal. Built in the 5th century it is also one of the oldest stupas of Nepal.
The Boudhanath Stupa is surrounded with more than 50 tibetan monastries and is a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979. In the outer ring of the stupa people circumbulate and you can find here small shops, restaurants selling Momos and Thupka, a few monestries. Make sure you dine on one of the rooftops and see the sun set. Every full moon there are celebrations at Boudhanath Stupa.
Myths about the origin of the Boudhanath
Mandala Magazine published an article about how a poor woman with her four son built the Boudhanath Stupa. The story says that in later lives the four sons played an importent role in the spreading of buddhism.
Read the Story of the Boudhanath Stupa of Manadala Magazine.
A Newari myth is that the Boudhanath stupa is made by the Licchavi King Manadeva who lived 464-505 AD. The story goes that the stone sprouts in the Narayan Hiti palace suddenly ran dry. His father King Dharmagata asked advise with astrologers and his consultants and they told him that he needed to sacrifice a human who has all the 32 virtues. The problem was that in the whole country only he and his son had this 32 virtues and so King Dharmagata decided to offer himself. He told his son to go to the pond by midnight and chop of the head of the man there that was wrapped in clothes. The prince did what his father told him, went to the pond and chopped of the head of what appeared to be his father. The sprouts inmeditatly started flowing water again. But the son felt terrible for beheading his father and he sought refuge at the Vajrayogini temple at Sankhu. After years of meditation Vajrayogini apeared to him and told him to built a huge stupa to honor the Buddha. And so King Manadeva did. Because of another drought it took him more than 12 years to built the stupa because the stones were wetted with clothes that became wet because they were spread in the fields at night and the dew moisted the clothes. In newari language dew = Khasuti and that is why Newars call the Bhoudhanath stup Khasuti Chaitya.
