swayambhunath

Swayambhu literally means 'Self-Existent One.' Swayambhunath is believed to have been established more than 2,500 years ago. An inscription dated 460 A.D. Swayambhu literally means 'Self-Existent One.' Swayambhunath is believed to have been established more than 2,500 years ago. An inscription dated 460 A.D. states that the construction was carried out by King Manadeva. By the thirteenth century Swayambhunath had developed into an important Buddhist learning site. The largest image of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepal is in a monastery next to the stupa. Behind the hilltop is a temple dedicated to Manjushri and Saraswati - the goddess of wisdom. Statues and shrines of Buddhist and Hindu deities dot the stupa complex. The stupa is atop a hill; the choice exists of walking uphill stair cases or taking the road right up to the base.