Bodhnath and its surroundings

We left the comfort of Thamel and ventured on the outskirts of Kathmandu for more sightseeing. From Ratna park bus station, it was a short 30-minute journey to Bodhnath, Asia’s largest Stupa which adorns the cover of the Lonely planet. We joined the Tibetan exiles and monks on the kora (clockwise circuit) around the impressive Bodhnath Stupa. The eyes of the Buddha gaze down on worshippers from every side of the central tower above the huge whitewashed dome. The streets are decked with colourful Tibetan prayer flags and prayer wheels spun by pilgrims. Devotees in meditation trance coexist with hundreds of pigeons and photograph-avid tourists.

 

Tibetan prayer flags in Bodhnath

Bodhnath Stupa

After taking in the scenery, we started our exploration of the Kathmandu valley. There’s a pleasant walk between Bodhnath and Gokarna, via the Kopan Monastery which took us most of the day to complete. 

Inside the Buddhist nunnery

We walked for a couple of hours along the pine-clad hills offering views of the valley below. We grabbed spicy samosas for some extra energy and visited a nunnery, until reaching the famous Kopan Monastery, popular for learning the basics of meditation and Tibetan Buddhism. We drank a hot tea on the hill-top before our descent in the terraced fields along the Gokarna Forest. We visited the Gokarna Mahadev temple, dedicated to Shiva and set beside the Bagmati River. We surprised a huge macaque eating the food offerings on the temple shrines.

Local butchery

Kopan Monastery

Kopan Monastery

Kathmandu Valley

 Our mini-adventure gave us a nice glimpse into the local life, off the mainstream tourist circuit.