While the stupa at Bodhnath is the most sacred site in Kathmandu for Tibetan Buddhists, Swayambhunath is the favorite of the Newari Buddhists. Supposedly, this stupa is the one used as a pattern for the stupa at Chendebji in Bhutan. Pilgrims approach the hilltop stupa via a flight of 365 stairs. Tourists like me use the car park near the top of the hill.
Stairway to Swayambhunath Stupa
The oldest inscription on the many temples and monuments on the hilltop is from AD460, but most historians believe the sacredness of the site dates much earlier. The stupa was undergoing a major restoration when I was there in March, 2010.
The Swayambhunath stupa towers over the other temples on the hilltop
Note the man on the left side of the dome
Note the man on the left side of the dome in the above picture. He’s creating the gold petal outlines on the dome.
Painting the stupa dome's golden leaves
The thirteen gold-covered rings that make up the pinnacle represent the thirteen stages that man must pass through to achieve nirvana.
The thirteen stages to nirvana
And, like at all Buddhist stupas, four pairs of eyes are watching you.
Buddha's eyes