MONKEY TEMPLE KATHMANDU (SWAYAMBHUNATH STUPA)

Monkey Temple Kathmandu is the most ancient and one of the crowning glories of Kathmandu Valley architecture which is allocated at the north-west of Kathmandu city on the top of the wooden hill. The Stupa has a huge size with the white colour in its lower part and golden colour in its top part like a crown.

Because of its huge size, it can be seen from afar place of Valley. Swayambhunath stupa is also called the `Monkey Temple’ because of the many hundreds of monkeys who scamper about the temple at night after the pilgrims and priests have departed.

Nearby the Swayambhunath hill is other important temples such as the Shiva Jyotir Linga temple of Pashupatinath, Boudhanath stupa, Changu Narayan, Dakshinkali, and Budhanilkantha. This Stupa holds both historical and architectural importance. The hill where Stupa is located has varieties of trees that is why Tibetan name for the site is ‘Phags.pa Shing.kun’ which means Sublime Trees. This Buddhist pilgrimage site is probably the most sacred site for Buddhists after the birthplace of the Lord Gautam Buddha.

This site is not only popular for Buddhists but also Hindus because of the different ancient temple of god and goddess of Hindu religion around Stupa. The Stupa rises through a whitewashed dome to a gilded spire, from where four iconic faces of the Buddha stare out across the valley in the cardinal directions. On the Stupa eyes of Buddha is painted with one (in Devanagari script) written in between eyes.

HISTORY

Since Monkey Temple Kathmandu is one of the oldest religious sites, there is a long history. According to the Gopalrajvamsavali, it was founded by the great-grandfather (King Vrsadev) of King Mandev about the beginning of the 5th century CE. It was confirmed due to the damaged stone inscription which was found around the site. It indicates that King Vrsadev ordered work done in 640 CE. However, it is also said that Emperor Ashoka has visited the site in the third century BCE and built a temple on the hill which was later destroyed.

It is said that the site was not only for the Buddhists but also for Hindus as many Hindu followers are known to have paid their homage to the temple. Among many people, it is said that Pratap Malla, the powerful king of Kathmandu, also paid homage to the temple. He is also the one who constructed the eastern stairway in the 17th century.

After a long period of 1,500 years since it was built, its first major renovation took place in May 2010. The dome was re-glided using 20 kg of gold which was funded by the Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center of California. It took two years of time for the completion as the fund for the renovation was funded; the work began in June 2008.

Pratap Temple around Monkey Temple Kathmandu (Swayambhunath Stupa) was damaged from a lightning strike during a sudden thunderstorm which was happened around 5 am on 14th Feb 2011. Again in April 2015 Nepal earthquake, the stupa complex was damaged.

MYTH ABOUT MONKEY TEMPLE KATHMANDU (SWAYAMBHUNATH)

A collection of legends about the site, the 15th century Swayambhu Purana, tells of a miraculous lotus. It is planted by a past Buddha, which blossomed from the lake that once covered Kathmandu valley. The lotus mysteriously radiated a brilliant light, and the name of the place came to be Swayambhu, meaning ‘Self-Created or Self-Existent’. Saints, sages, and divinities traveled to the lake to venerate this miraculous light for its power in granting enlightenment.

During this time, the Bodhisatva Manjushri was meditating at the sacred mountain of Wu Tai Shan and had a vision of the dazzling Swayambhu light. Manjushri flew across the mountains of China and Tibet upon his blue lion to worship the lotus. Deeply impressed by the power of the radiant light, Manjushri felt that if the water were drained out of the lake Swayambhu would become more easily accessible to human pilgrims. With a great sword, Manjushri cut a gorge in the mountains surrounding the lake.

The water, draining away, left the valley of present-day Kathmandu. The lotus was then transformed into a hill and the light became the Monkey Temple Kathmandu. Atop Swayambhunath hill is another fascinating, though smaller and less visited the temple. This is Shantipur, the ‘Place of Peace’, inside of which, in a secret, always locked, underground chamber lives the 8th century Tantric master Shantikar Acharya.

When the valley of Kathmandu is threatened by drought, the King of Nepal must enter the underground chamber to get a secret mandala from Shantikar. Soon after the mandala is brought outside and shown to the sky, rain begins to fall. Frescoes painted on the inside temple walls depict when last this occurred in 1658. The small temple has a powerful atmosphere; it is mysterious, stern and slightly ominous.

ARCHITECTURE AND SYMBOLISM

The structure of the complex is unique with its massive size. The dome at the lower part of the complex represents the entire world as for the upper part. It is cubical shaped painting with eyes of Buddha looking in all directions represents the eyes of wisdom and compassion. Above the pentagonal toran, there are three pinnacles which symbolizes that sentient beings have to go through the thirteen stages of spiritual realizations to reach enlightenment. Above those thirteen pinnacles, there is a small space and Gajur at the top of the stupa. Inside the stupa, there are many artifacts relating to Buddhism.

THIRD EYE

There is an eye above the eyes in the pentagonal toran, the third eye. It is said that cosmic rays emanate from the third eye which acts as messages to heavenly beings. So that those interested can come down to earth to listen to the Buddha. Whenever Buddha preaches and also helps the hellish beings to feel relief from the suffering through these cosmic rays. Rather than that, there is a number one in between two eyes symbolizing the nose and also is the sign representing the teaching of Buddha for the only path of enlightenment and the unity of all the living beings.

SURROUNDING OF SWAYAMBHUNATH

Swayambhunath’s worshippers include Hindus, Vajrayana Buddhists of northern Nepal and Tibet, and the Newari Buddhists of central and southern Nepal. Each morning before dawn, hundreds of pilgrims will ascend the 365 steps that lead up the hill. File past the gilded Vajra (Tibetan: Dorje) and two lions guarding the entrance, and begin a series of clockwise circumambulations of the stupa (Newari Buddhists circle in the opposite, counterclockwise direction). The area surrounding the stupa is filled with chaityas, temples, painted images of deities and numerous other religious objects.

There are many small shrines with statues of Tantric and shamanistic deities, prayer wheels for the Tibetan Buddhists, Shiva lingams (now disguised as Buddhist chaityas and decorated with the faces of the Dhyani Buddhas). And, a popular Hindu temple dedicated to Harati, the Goddess of smallpox and other epidemics.

The presence of the Harati Devi temple signifies the intermingling of the pantheons of Hinduism and Buddhism in the development of the religious trends of Nepal. As Buddhists had no deity in their pantheon to protect against dreaded smallpox, they adopted Hindu deity for assistance.

THE ATTRACTION OF STUPA AND SURROUNDINGS

The major attraction for the place is undoubtedly Swayambhunath Stupa. Besides Stupa, there are several temples and ancient complexes which are worth the attraction. The temples are designed in Pagoda style which is one of the famous styles for building complexes since ancient times. Ethnic Newari people are living in this area. People can come here to observe the tradition and culture of the people living in this area. You can see different natural views that are mesmerizing.

Here the monkeys are also said to holy because of the myth. A proper view of the Kathmandu Valley can be seen from here. And, also different mountain peaks such as Ganesh Himal, Langtang Range, and many more other mountains. People living in this area are kind and quite friendly to the visitor. The hospitality for the people coming to this site is good which makes this place more attractive and friendly.

The stupa represents Buddha’s mind. To visit a stupa is said to be the same as meeting a Buddha in person. It offers peace, freedom and joy to the whole world and ultimately helps us to obtain perfect enlightenment. Just seeing, hearing about, reflecting upon, or touching a stupa fosters peace and even spiritual release. The stupa pacifies physical and mental difficulties such as sicknesses, famine and conflicts in all areas and directions.

THE KARMA RAJA MAHA VIHARA MONASTERY

The ShriKarma Raja Maha Vihara Monastery, situated on the northern side of the stupa, is the main seat of H.H. The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje in Nepal, directed by the abbot Sabchu Rinpoche. The current monastery has been continuously improved since its establishment, with the support of many Buddhist donors.

In the 1970s, the 16th Karmapa stayed here for months conducting special empowerments, teaching, and giving the audience to hundreds. Afterwards, the monastery continued the traditional monastic curriculum and meditation practices under his direction.

After the 16th Karmapa passed away, the 14th Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche (the second-highest lama in the Karma Kagyu lineage, whose responsibilities include identifying the reincarnations of the Karmapas) looked after the monastery, later passing it on to H.H. the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Trinley Thaye Dorje. At present, sixty monks are accommodated in the monastery.