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Swayambhunath -
Pashupatinath -
Bodhnath
Temples in Kathmandu 2004, 2005
Swayambhunath -
click to enlarge
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Page 1 Kathmandu City Page
2 Around Durbar
Square
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Page 3
Swayambhunath,
Pashupatinath,
Bodhnath
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Page 4 Ghats, markets, suburbs & Thamel
Swayambhunath
The Buddhist temple of Swayambhunath, situated on the top of a hill
three km west of the city, is one of the most popular symbols of
Nepal. The temple is colloquially known as the 'monkey temple' after the
large tribe of monkeys which guards the hill.
It is said that Emperor Ashoka paid a visit to the site
over 2000 years ago. An inscription indicates that King Manadeva ordered
work done on the site in 460 AD and by the 13th century it was an
important Buddhist centre.
The painted eyes on all four sides of the stupa symbolize
the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha.
What looks like a nose is the Nepali
number one, which represents the unity of all things.
Swarms of pilgrims and red-clad monks circle the complex spinning the
prayer wheels. Interestingly the temple complex is scattered with
shrines and statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities, and the assortment of
pilgrims from both faiths characterises the country’s unique religious
harmony. From the stupa there is an excellent view of Kathmandu Valley
and the surrounding mountains.
Swayambhunath
stupaen
i den
vestlige del af Kathmandu ligger på en 77 m høj bakke i dalen.
Den er er måske det helligste buddhistiske tempel i Nepal.
Templet siges at være 2000 år gammelt, men allerede da
Kathmandu-dalen var en stor sø blev bakken betragtet som hellig.
Geologists believe that the Kathmandu valley was once a lake.
The history of the Kathmandu
Valley, according to legends, begins here.
Legends
relate that the hill on which Swayambhunath stands was an island
in that lake. In
times uncharted by history, Boddhisatwa Manjusri came across a
beautiful lake during his travel. He saw a lotus that emitted
brilliant light at the lake’s center, so he cut a gorge in a
southern hill and drained the waters to worship the lotus. Men
settled on the bed of the lake and called it the Kathmandu
Valley. From then on the hilltop has been a holy place.
Pashupatinath
Cremation
Pashupatinath
is
located on the holy river, Bagmati, 6 km east of Kathmandu.
It is a sacred place where Hindus come (to die
and) to be cremated. The Hindu religious belief is that dying
and being cremated in Pashupatinath and having your ashes
scattered in the Bagmati river will give you salvation. The
water of the Bagmati is holy because it eventually flows into
the holy Ganges river. In this way, the Hindu will be released
from the cycles of rebirth. Along the river side, there are
several ghats used for both cremations and purification baths.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
NB: Klik på billedet for forstørrelse / Click on photos to
enlarge
Lingam-Yoni, symbols of the male and female sex united.
The lingam is worshipped as a symbol of Shiva.
The bull, Nandi, is Shiva's divine vehicle
Bodhnath /
Boudha
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This huge Buddhist stupa is located about 7 km east of
Kathmandu. It stands on a massive mandala style platform and has
features similar to the Swayambhunath. It is said that this
stupa was built during the 5th century A.D.
Today Bodhnath is the center of Tibetan culture in Nepal. When
refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to
live around Bodhnath.
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Bodhnath-stupaen
i udkanten af Kathmandu er med ankomsten af
tusindvis af tibetanske flygtninge blevet et center for
den tibetanske kultur i Nepal.
Stupaen
er den største i Nepal og blev genopført efter moghulernes
ødelæggelse af den i 1300-tallet |
·
Page 1 Kathmandu City Page
2 Around Durbar
Square
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Page 3
Swayambhunath,
Pashupatinath,
Bodhnath
·
Page 4 Ghats, markets, suburbs & Thamel
Last update January 07
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