The holiest pilgrimage centre in the Kathmandu valley -Swayambhu

Swayambhu is one of the holiest pilgrimage centre in the Kathmandu valley equally venerable for the Buddhists as well as the Hindus. It is a great centre of reverence not only to the people of Nepal, India, Bhutan, china but also to all the peace loving people of the world

The Swayambhu hill is called as “Padmagiri” and "Vajrakuta" in ancient epigraphic sources. It is also called “Gopucchha” and ”Gosringa” hill because it looks like a tail or horn of a cow when one observes it from the Chobhar hill. Beautiful view of this Swayambhu hill can be observed from almost all parts of Kathmandu valley and the entire Kathmandu valley can be seen from the eastern side of the Swayambhu hilltop. Therefore, tourists love to observe the Kathmandu valley from this vantage point. The cultural as well as the natural heritages of this hill are very important and valuable. It is situated in the west of Kathmandu city.

The site is most graceful. The greenery of age old botanical species which grow on this hill and it has been the habitat of the monkeys through the ages.

The story of Swayambhu is closely associated with the origin of Kathmandu valley. According to the Swayambhupurana, the valley in the beginning was a big and beautiful lake known as “Kalidaha”. The legend further explains that the Vipaswi Buddha came here and sowed a lotus seed in this beautiful lake which grew up and bloomed with thousand petals. On that very flower a dark-blue flame emanated and it is known as Swayambhujoti which can be translated as self-originated flame. Having heard about this strange incident, pilgrims began to visit this lake to pay homage to this auspicious flame. Among the pilgrims Mahamanjushree from Mahachina came with his two spouses Varada and Mokshyada. After paying homage to the Swayambhujoti, he planned to drain the water out from the lake. Finally by cutting out the narrow slit in the hill at Chobhar with the help of his spouses Varada and Mokshyada, he drained the water of the lake and dried out lake was converted into a valley suitable for human settlement. Accordingly, a stupa was erected in the place where the Swayambhu joti had emerged. That very stupa has been known as the Swayambhu Mahachaitya.

There is a lack of proper historical and archaeological evidence to prove the legend based statement mentioned above. Although, the historical city of the origin of Swayambhu is not supported by proper evidences but the lacustrine origin of the valley is confirmed by the geological studies.