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Swayambhunath (Monkey) temple - Kathmandu Valley
Swayambhunath is a buddhist temple beautifully located on the top of a hill in the north west of Kathmandu in Nepal.
The temple is also known as monkey temple after the monkees that live on the hill. Swayambunath togheter with the Boudhanath stupa are the most import stupas for Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The main shrine is a massive white dome with a golden "crown" and big buddha eyes painted on it. Because of its color and hilltop location you can see Swayambhunath from miles away.
Two pillar temples on each side of the main dome were erected in the 17th century by king Pratap Malla. One of them got damage with lighting in February 2011.
How Swayambhunath Hill rised in the Kathmandu Valley
Read about the origin of the Swayambunath temple, how a strange lotus grew and was worshipped by a bodhisatva who drowned the lake that use to cover the Kathmandu Valley until a budha builds a temple to protect the lotus from the sinfull eyes of the current Kali Yuga.
A blue lotus is growing in lake Nagabassa
ancient times (according to the Swayambu Purana 19 eons) the Kathmandu Valley used to be a lake called Nagabasa. (Home of the serpents). At one day a heap of ground started to grow in the lake, slowly forming a small hill. On top of the hill a beautiful radiant blue lotus flower grew. The news of this miracle spreaded fast and came all the way to Manchuria (current day Shanxi in north east China) where sage Manjushri (recongnisable at his huge sword, and seen in many shops in Kathmandu was sitting in a meditation on Mount Wutai / Watai Shan). When Manjushri heard the news he inmediatly recognised the Adi-Buddha (the first and prime Buddha, who is depicted blue). Manjushri decides to whorship this blue lotus and travels to the Nagabasa lake on his blue lion.
When Manjushri arrives at the lake he discovers the blue lotus on the hill but it is quite fare away from the shore of the lake to have a good look. In his attempt to come closer to the lotus flower Manjushri decides to slice a cut in the rocks so that the water will be released and he is able to walk to the hill. With his burning sword Manjushri creates the current day Chobar gorge (close to Kirtipur in the south west of the Kathmandu Valley) after which the water releases. For the naga's / serpent Manjushri creates a new lake (the current taudaha lake is a little bit further up on the way to Dashinkali from the chobar lake. The taudaha lake is now a bird conservation area and a place for migratory birds). It's is said that the serpent king Karatoka lives at the depth of the Taudaha lake in a palace full the most beautifull jewlery. (There is another lake (on the way from Satobato to Chapagaon), that is called Kartoka lake and has a temple with Kartoka's image.) The festival to whorship Karatoka yearly takes place at Taudaha lake so that is a bit confusing).
In the Nagabasa lake lived another deity called Cheppu. An ugly Creature with normal hands and a face but a disgusting under body. When Manjushri asks Cheppu to leave the lake, Cheppu give the condition that Manjushri should close his eyes so that he won't see his ugly forms. Manjushri agrees, but when Cheppu is leaving the lake Manjushri becomes so curious he peaks with one eye. Cheppu inmeditaly notice this and ducks under water again. Manjushri, aware of his terrible mistake beggs Cheppu to come out. To please him Manjushri promises Cheppu a place in each temple he will built. And so he does. Nowadays we can see Cheppu in many temples arround the Kathmandu Valley.
When Cheppu and all the water is gone from the lake Manjushri whorships the blue lotus flower.
Kanak Mani Buddha built the Swayambunath temple
Just before the Kali yuga starts Kanak Mani Buddha hides the blue lotus in what is now the Swayambunath temple. (Scientific evidence claims that inscriptions say the temple was built in 300 AD, though it is very good possible that the hill was a place of whorship long before that time.) Kanak Mani Buddha built Swayambunath to prevent sinful eyes from the Kali yuga looking at the blue lotus. It is said that until today nobody ever could open the Swayambunath stupa. Even the Mughul invaders in 1347 were unsuccesful in opening the stupa although they tried badly.
Hindu's have their own legend about how the lake of the Valley was drown.
In kathmandu between thamel and durbar square is a stupa called Kathesimbu Chaitya. This is a copy of the swayambunath stupa and can be visited by people who are unable to take all the stepps up to Swayambunath.
Notes:
1; An is an era like the hinduist yuga's, the Buddha explains that one eon is almost uncountable long, longer than if you would count all the sand grains of the rivers)
Sources:
Born in Nepal - A Miscellany of Buddist Stories, Legends and Traditions. - Susan Höivik
Viharas and the Buddhist: Past of the Kathmandu Valley - ECS Magazine
