Nepal, a predominantly Hindu country supplemented by Buddhism and Islam, has a high respect for animals. They believe that animals are messengers of God and want their souls to go to heaven after death. Respect them, offer to feed the animals, and build temples for them. Therefore, Nepal is known as the "paradise of animals"!
Kathmandu as an ancient city with a history of more than 1,200 years, naturally has many historical monuments and temples, most of which are still Hindu temples, but there is a very old Buddhist temple: Swayambunat Temple, because the stupa base in the temple is painted with eye patterns on all sides, so it is also called the "Four Eyes Heavenly Temple", which has a very long history, with a history of more than 2,000 years, and is one of the oldest Buddhist sacred sites in the world.
The mountain, known as Swayambu, is located on the outskirts of Kathmandu and is famous for the Swayambunat Temple at the top of the mountain. Built in the 3rd century BC, Swayambhuat Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist shrines in Asia.
Swayambunat Temple, located on a hilltop in western Kathmandu, has many myths and legends about it, and it is said that worship is very spiritual and popular with locals and foreign tourists alike.
The mountain is not very high, there are many local Nepalese people on the mountain to sell handicrafts, these crafts are more ethnic, but the workmanship is relatively rough, the materials are not very good, good quality and low price, buy some can be used as souvenirs.
There are so many monkeys on this hill, whether on the steps up the mountain or in the mountains, monkeys can be seen everywhere, so it is also called the "monkey temple".
Seeing that the monks in the temple are very similar to the Tibetan region of the mainland, the overall temple style is similar to Tibetan Buddhism, and it is said that there are still a large number of Tibetan compatriots living here in Nepal.
The main building of Swayambunat Temple is a giant stupa with a conical shape and a square base with an eye pattern painted on all sides, the "eye of wisdom", symbolizing the boundless power of the Buddha's eye and the ability to see every corner of the world.
The stupa consists of a conical 13-layer phase wheel with a surface plated with copper sheets and gold leaf. The tower is topped by a complex canopy with a gold vase high above it, and a huge gemstone embedded in the crown. Around the main tower, there are also small stupas and prayer wheels.
Each of the five tiers of stupas has a profound meaning: the circle on the first floor of the pedestal symbolizes "earth"; The second layer is square, symbolizing "qi"; The third layer is a triangle, symbolizing "water"; The fourth layer is umbrella-shaped, symbolizing "fire"; The spiral shape of the fifth layer symbolizes "birth".
The most cute thing is that these monkeys live here, and the flagship store "Huaguo Mountain" of the Great Sage can compete with it, not only with the careful care of believers, but also the regular feeding of the monks, the monkeys who do not worry about eating and drinking, busy with their nature every day, enjoying the quiet of the years, no time to rob the believers, all the way up the mountain, I feel that the monkeys are the real little masters here.
In fact, it is impossible to know when these monkeys began to settle here, they have multiplied from generation to generation, endlessly, and have become the "temple keepers" of the ancient temple, like the "Qi Tian Great Sage" who has not yet been transformed, jumping up and down in front of the gods and Buddhas, scratching their ears and scratching their cheeks, and the little monkeys look like they don't care, which is really pleasing to tourists and has helped them take pictures. The monkeys in the monkey temple give the temple too much spirituality, making people take a sharp increase in interest in the temple!
Tips:
1. Monkey Temple ticket: price 200 ni
2. Transportation: Monkey Temple Route: Walk from Tamil through Chhetrapati Square and cross the Vishnumati River to the west, which can be reached in about 30 minutes. The taxi fare is 300 ni dollars, you can go to the scenic gate, and then climb more than 300 steps to the ticket purchase point, that is, the entrance of the monkey temple.
3. The monkey temple is also known as Swayambhunath Temple. It is located on a small hill 2 km west of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Leaning on the fence of the monkey temple, you can overlook the entire city of Kathmandu. It is the oldest Tibetan Buddhist shrine in Nepal, dating back more than 2,500 years.