This article is about the architecture. For the Sanscrit word, see
Swayambhu.
Swayambhunath (
Devanagari: स्वयम्भू स्तूप;
Newari:
स्वयंभू; sometimes
Swayambu or
Swoyambhu) is an ancient religious architecture atop a hill in the
Kathmandu Valley, west of
Kathmandu city. The Tibetan name for the site means 'Sublime Trees' (
Wylie:
Phags.pa Shing.kun), for the many varieties of trees found on the hill. However,
Shing.kun may be a corruption of the local
Nepal Bhasa name for the complex,
Singgu, meaning 'self-sprung'.
[1] For the Buddhist
Newars,
in whose mythological history and origin myth as well as day-to-day
religious practice Swayambhunath occupies a central position, it is
probably the most sacred among
Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of
Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to
Boudha.
The complex consists of a
stupa, a variety of shrines and temples, some dating back to the Licchavi period. A Tibetan
monastery,
museum and library are more recent additions. The stupa has Buddha's
eyes and eyebrows painted on. Between them, the number one (in
Devanagari script) is painted in the fashion of a nose. There are also
shops, restaurants and hostels. The site has two access points: a long
stairway with 365 steps, leading directly to the main platform of the
temple, which is from the top of the hill to the east; and a car road
around the hill from the south leading to the south-west entrance. The
first sight on reaching the top of the stairway is the
Vajra.
Tsultrim Allione describes the experience:
We were breathless and sweating as we stumbled up the last steep
steps and practically fell upon the biggest vajra (thunderbolt scepter)
that I have ever seen. Behind this Vajra was the vast, round, white dome
of the stupa, like a full solid skirt, at the top of which were two
giant Buddha eyes wisely looking out over the peaceful valley which was
just beginning to come alive.[2]
Much of Swayambhunath's
iconography comes from the
Vajrayana tradition of
Newar Buddhism. However, the complex is also an important site for
Buddhists of many schools, and is also revered by
Hindus.
Mythology
According to
Swayambhu Purana, the entire valley was once filled with an enormous lake, out of which grew a
lotus. The valley came to be known as
Swayambhu, meaning "Self-Created." The name comes from an eternal self-existent flame (
svyaṃbhu) over which a sūpa was later built.
[3]
Swayambhunath is also known as the
Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in the north-west parts of the temple. They are holy because
Manjushri, the
bodhisattva
of wisdom and learning was raising the hill which the stupa stands on.
He was supposed to leave his hair short but he made it grow long and
head lice grew. It is said that the head lice transformed into these
monkeys.
Manjusri had a vision of the Lotus at Swayambhu and traveled there to
worship it. Seeing that the valley can be a good settlement and to make
the site more accessible to human pilgrims, he cut a gorge at
Chovar.
The water drained out of the lake, leaving the valley in which
Kathmandu now lies. The Lotus was transformed into a hill and the flower
became the stupa.
History
Swayambhunath is among the oldest religious sites in
Nepal. According to the
Gopālarājavaṃśāvalī , it was founded by the great-grandfather of
King Mānadeva (464-505 CE),
King Vṛsadeva,
about the beginning of the 5th century CE. This seems to be confirmed
by a damaged stone inscription found at the site, which indicates that
King Mānadeva ordered work done in 640 CE.
[3]
However,
Emperor Ashoka is said to have visited the site in the third century BCE and built a temple on the hill which was later destroyed.
Although the site is considered Buddhist, the place is revered by
both Buddhists and Hindus. Numerous Hindu monarch followers are known to
have paid their homage to the temple, including Pratap Malla, the
powerful king of Kathmandu, who is responsible for the construction of
the eastern stairway in the 17th century.
[4]
The stupa was completely renovated in May 2010, its first major renovation since 1921
[5][6]
and its 15th in the nearly 1,500 years since it was built. The dome was
re-gilded using 20 kg of gold. The renovation was funded by the Tibetan
Nyingma Meditation Center of California, and began in June 2008.
[7]
Pratapur Temple in the Swayambhu Monument Zone of the Kathmandu
Valley World Heritage site, Nepal suffered damage from a lightning
strike at around 5 a.m. on 14 February 2011, during a sudden
thunderstorm.
The temple complex suffered damage in the
April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
[8]
Architecture
The
stupa consists of a dome at the base, above which is a cubical structure painted with eyes of
Buddha looking in all four directions. There are pentagonal
Toran
present above each of the four sides with statues engraved in them.
Behind and above the Torana there are thirteen tiers. Above all the
tiers there is a small space above which the
Gajur is present. The
stupa has many artifacts inside it.
Symbolism
The
dome at the base represents the entire world. When a person awakes
(represented by eyes of wisdom and compassion) from the bonds of the
world, the person reaches the state of enlightenment. The thirteen
pinnacles on the top symbolize that sentient beings have to go through
the thirteen stages of spiritual realizations to reach enlightenment or
Buddhahood.
There is a large pair of eyes on each of the four sides of the main
stupa which represent Wisdom and Compassion. Above each pair of eyes is
another eye, the third eye. It is said that when Buddha preaches, 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. The hellish beings and beings below the human realm cannot come
to earth to listen to the Buddha's teaching, however, the cosmic rays
relieve their suffering when Buddha preaches. Between the two eyes (also
called Wisdom Eyes), a curly symbol, symbolizing the nose, is depicted
which looks like a question mark, which is a Nepali sign of number
figure one. This sign represents the unity of all things existing in the
world as well as the only path to enlightenment through the teachings
of Buddha.
[9]
There are carvings of the Panch Buddhas (five Buddhas) on each of the
four sides of the stupa. There are also statues of the Buddhas at the
base of the stupas. Panch Buddhas are Buddha in a metaphorical sense in
Tantrayana. They are Vairochana (occupies the center and is the master
of the temple), Akshobhya (faces the east and represents the cosmic
element of consciousness), Ratna Sambhava (faces the south and
represents the cosmic element of sensation), Amitabha (He represents
cosmic element of Sanjna (name) and always faces the West) and
Amoghsiddhi (He represents the cosmic element of confirmation and faces
the north).
Each morning before dawn hundreds of Buddhist (Vajrayana) and Hindu
pilgrims ascend the 365 steps from the eastern side that lead up the
hill, passing the gilded Vajra (Tibetan: Dorje) and two lions guarding
the entrance, and begin a series of clockwise circumambulations of the
stupa.
Swayambhu Purana
Swayambhu Purana (Devnagari: स्वयम्भू पूराण) is a
Buddhist scripture about the origin and development of
Kathmandu valley.
Swayambhu Purana gives detail of all the Buddhas who came to Kathmandu.
It also provides information about the first and the second Buddhas in
Buddhism.
These eyes are known as Lord Buddha's eyes
Gallery
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Stairs to Swayambhunath stupa
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Buddha's eyes of Swayambhunath stupa
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An evening view of Swayambhunath stupa
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Close-up of Swayambhunath stupa
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Shikhar style temple erected by king Pratap Malla
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Buddhist gompa, Swayambhunath
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Statue of Vairochana Buddha at Swayambhunath
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Sunset view from Swayambhu height
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Monkeys at Swayambhunath stupa
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A view of Cafe Restaurant at Swayambhu
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A view of Swayambhunath stupa
See also