When was Bouddhanath Stupa Built
Nepal, a country that is situated in the South Asia is one of the most admired countries in the world for its rugged beauty and rich culture and history. There are many things that represent Nepal like Mount Everest, Lord Buddha (Siddhartha Gautam), temples and natural beauty.
Also, Buddhism, the religion that now dominates the Asian countries is believed to have been started from Nepal. Along with this, there are many Buddhist stupas that are famous all over the world.
One of the most famous, beautiful and the biggest stupa is the Bouddhanath Stupa. Bouddhanath stupa is one of the biggest and holiest Buddhist pilgrimage place for all Buddhists all over the world. It is situated in the east of Kathmandu city and is regarded as the world’s biggest stupa.
History
Boudhanath Stupa is believed to have been built by the Licchavi King of Kathmandu Sivadeva in fifth century AD. However, Tibetan sources also claim that a mound was excavated in the 15th century and the bone of Late king Amshuvarma was found there. There are various other myths in among Tibetan and Nepalese regarding the origin of the stupa, however, the record and excavation reveal that it was built in 5th century AD.
The symbolism of the stupa
Boudhanath Stupa, located at the heart of Kathmandu valley is the most beautiful and holiest site for Buddhist pilgrims. Every part of this stupa symbolizes the Buddha’s path to gaining enlightenment. The base represents earth, the dome shape represents water and the square tower represents fire. The thirteen levels of the pinnacle signify the stages of the human life that one goes through in the process to get ultimate nirvana.
At the base of the Bouddhanath Stupa, there are 108 images of Dhyani Buddha and a ring of prayer wheels, set in groups of four or five in 147 niches. While some say it was built to contain the relics of Past Buddha (Kashyapa), others also believe that it consists the bones from the skeleton of Siddhartha Gautama, the Historic Buddha.
The surroundings of the stupa are the streets and alleys with varied colorful homes, monasteries and street vendors. All in all, it is a nice place to spend a day.
UNESCO enlisted
Boudhanath Stupa is one of the many sites that are enlisted by UNESCO as the world heritage site.
Other sites include Pashupati Nath temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square and much more.
Events and Festivals
Being one of the most important religious sites for Buddhists all over the world, during the festival of Losar, Bouddhanath hosts the largest celebration in Nepal. Similarly, on Buddha Purnima also, it hosts celebrations.
This famous stupa that resides at the heart of Kathmandu city is the most visit place in Nepal. The stupa itself is very unique and huge. More than that, the atmosphere of the entire place opens and lightens up with fragrance through the air. Chanting of monks and creaking of prayer wheel can be heard while strolling around the base.