Swayambhunath

Swayambhunath (Devanagari: स्वयम्भू स्तूप; Nepal Bhasa: स्वयंभू; Swayambhu Great Stupa, or Swayambu or Swoyambhu) is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. The Tibetan and Sanskrit name for the site means 'self-arising' or 'self-sprung'. The hill on which the stupa stands has been an ancient pilgrimage place considered the home of the primordial Buddha known as the Adi-Buddha. For the Buddhists throughout the world, the stupa is venerated as one of the most ancient and important stupas in the world, having hosted numerous Buddhas of the past: Koṇāgamana Buddha, Kakusandha Buddha and Kassapa Buddha. For its outstanding universal value, Swayambhunath was designated a UNESCO's World Heritage Site in Nepal in 1979.

For the local Newari people, the day-to-day religious practice at Swayambhu occupies a central position, and it is among the three most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudha. Much of Swayambhu's iconography comes from the Vajrayana tradition of Newar Buddhism. The complex is an important site of pilgrimage and reverence for Buddhists of many schools and is also revered by Hindus. The stupa stands as a symbol of religious harmony with Hindu temples and deities incorporated in this ancient Buddhist site with thousands of Buddhists and Hindus visiting the site in cultural unison. The temple complex and hill-site is also home to families of wandering monkeys and is also therefore nicknamed as 'the Monkey Temple'.