On my first full day in Kathmandu I decided to trek to the Swayambhunath Stupa - better known as the "Monkey Temple". It is located on a mountain top which is the highest point in Kathmandu. I say "trek" because what I thought would take a couple of hours took 4+ hours to complete - going was all uphill for I would guess 3 to 4 miles. The stupa area was established about 2,500 years ago and is comprised of many different shrines and small temples..jpg)
The last part of the trek to the stupa is 365 stone steps - many pilgrims will crawl up these steps. And believe me, they would never pass an OSHA inspection - risers range from less than 1" to 13+", and treads from just a few inches to a few feet. It was a brutal climb - especially at the climax of a few miles of uphill walking!
This pic is proof that I DID make it to the top to see the impressive stupa. Note my new North Face down jacket and long pants. Although you can't see them - I am wearing my new Crocks WITH socks <- first time in 6+ months that I've worn socks!
Th[1].jpg)
is is as good a pic as I could get of the all seeing eyes of supreme Buddhahood gazing from beneath the Monkey Temple's stupa's gilded pinnacle with its 13 rings and crowning parasol. The nose (appearing like an incomplete question mark) of the all seeing eyes is unique to Nepal - is the Nepalese number "1", ek, which is a symbol of unity.
Yes there are monkeys at the Monkey Temple - hundreds of them. They are not very friendly and people seem to tolerate rather than welcome them. They are notorious for snatching whatever they can from people.
A typical major street in Kathmandu.
Trekking to the Monkey Temple I stumbled upon an infant being cremated at a public crematoriun. Both Hindus and Buddhists cremate their dead. In Kathmandu, like many Buddhist/Hindu cities, there are public sites available where the poor can cremate their deceased loved ones at no cost.
Posts
|