The Monkey Temple

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The day after the puja we woke up early in the morning, as Lilia is still suffering some jet lag. We decided to take a long
walk so we bundled up and headed off towards the monkey temple. At first Lilia decided to do some complaining, not yet
being in the habit of taking such an early walk. After we wound through the streets a bit, she became more enthusiastic.
Early morning Kathmandu is still wonderful, and we were able to walk unimpeded by cars, motorcycles, buses, and other sundry
vehicles that fight their way through the streets later in the day. En route to the monkey temple are several historic temples
to see, making the walk more interesting. Lilia particularly liked the cable bridge across the river. It swayed and jiggled as we were
crossing it.
The monkey temple, formally known as Swayambunath, is perched upon a prominent hilltop in the middle of the Kathmandu valley. The hill itself is a refreshing spot of green, completely covered in greenery with the exception of the Buddhist structures that are placed around it. Swayambunath is one of the oldest stupas in the Kathmandu Valley. In recent years it has become a destination for the many Tibetans
living in Nepal and they have contributed to its atmosphere by building up other Buddhist structures around the base of the hill.
There are now large statues of the Buddha and many smaller stupas for people to see before they make the ascent up to the
top of Swayambunath.
There are hundreds of stairs leading up the hill, steep and ancient, carved from stone. People who live near the stupa can be seen
walking or running up the stairs for exercise. This is refreshing because like everywhere else around the world, obesity is becoming a
real problem in Kathmandu. The people who exercise there have the double benefit of the climb itself and then the rich spiritual atmosphere that awaits them at the top. Along the way we even ran into Ben's brother who was himself having his morning walk. Lilia was very proud of her climbing abilities, and oohed and aahed at each successive round of steep stairs that she would have to climb.

The name monkey temple has been given to Swayambunath because of the large
clan of monkeys that live all over the hill. Monkeys are everywhere, and anyone with food has to be careful or a monkey will
swiftly descend and take it away. Monkeys in search of free food can be very aggressive, so if one comes asking for food the
smartest thing to do is to acquiesce. The monkeys themselves have a fascinating life there, and it is tempting to spend hours sitting on the stairs just watching them engaged in their activities. Baby monkeys clutching their mamas, and then running off, only to come back and climb onto mama again. Mama monkeys fiercely warding off intruding monkeys who might disturb their babies. Monkeys stealing food from each other, fighting, and then making peace.

Once we reached the top of the stupa, we circled around several times, as is the custom. Tibetan style prayer wheels circle the stupa,
while Newar style temples dot the area around it.The area directly around the stupa is a Newar community with a unique Newar flavor to the architecture and the surrounding buildings. The temple itself
is a stupa, which is a monument built in honor of the Buddha. Most stupas are actually burial mounds and contain the relics of a revered Buddhist saint or guru.
From the top of the hill there is a fabulous view of the Kathmandu valley, but it
was too foggy that morning to see anything. Lilia was hungry so we had breakfast at a local tea shop. For 3 cups of tea, 2 tortillas, an omelette, and 2 plates of potatos we paid $1.50. The price of food has skyrocketed here in the last few years, so we were sorry to consider how little profit the Tibetan woman who ran the shop must have been making on the food we had eaten.
Finally we were ready to return. Ben was holding a packet of
biscuits, which caught the eye of an opportunistic monkey that came running in our direction. Ben shooed it off before it became more optimistic at its prospects for free food.

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Photos

Temple in a Tree
This photo may be hard to see. It is one of the temples we passed in the early morning. The temple itself is built within the trunk of a tree. The tree grew over the temple site, and part of the tree is being held up by pillars that were put there to keep it in place. It is a wonderful image of old Kathmandu and the ingenuitiy of the Newars in incorporating all of their environment into their spiritual life.

Early Morning at the Foot of the Hill
At the foot of the hill of the Swayambunath temple, the Tibetans have contributed considerably to the spiritual wealth of the region. Although these structures are not historic like most of the other temples around the Kathmandu valley, they are a valuable addition to the urban environment. It is refreshing to see new stupas and temples, rather than more brick buildings, or storefronts.

Huge Buddhas
These huge Buddhas are also part of the new Buddhist development at Swayambunath. As new structures, they are not artistic masterpieces like many of the old statues and carvings are. Nonetheless they add to the rich atmosphere of the area.

The beginning of the ascent
The beginning of the ascent up the hill is dotted with small stupas and statues. Tibetan worships begin their pilgramage at these small stupas, by performing prostrations, often for hours at a time. (no photo of prostrations)

Anything can be a temple
In old Nepal, anything could be a personification of the divine. This interesting stone has obviously been here for a very long time. At some point someone felt that it carried a spiritual significance and and painted the eyes of the Buddha on it. In the background are an old Newar stupa and temple building.

The final climb
This last set of stairs climbs right up to the stupa, which can be seen in the background.

Monkey and stupas
The rows of stupas in this photo are characteristic of old Kathmandu, which is just filled with old temples, stupas, carving, and statues of all kinds. In those previous eras, people earned prestige by contributing to the spiritual wealth of their community. It is possible that those many stupas were built by different individuals or Buddhist communities over the years. In the meantime, a monkey is climbing around the stupas, enjoying its position as a sacred animal in the Buddhist and Hindu mythology.

The stupa itself
The Swayambunath stupa in the early morning is incomparable. The peak of the stupa is gilded, painted with the all knowing all seeing eyes of the Buddha. Prayer flags strung around the stupa send prayers into the air as the wind blows. Traditionally it is auspicious for a person visiting the stupa to walk around it counter clockwise at least one time.

The cable bridge
This cable bridge crosses one of the main rivers in Kathmandu. Lilia was very thrilled with the fact that it jiggled and shook as we crossed it.

Comments

[Bishwas]

Fabulous! Reminiscing! You took me right there
Swayambunath in the early morning. I am jealous. It was just the perfect spot for me to warm up and exercise. Maiju, did you count the rocketing-stairs? Now, a blur figure in my head, say around 325! Damn, I forgot. Anyways, I used to hastle non-stop to the top and skip (jump-rope) 200 times on the front balcony on the top and relax with the rising morning sun. I bet your walk was so reviving out of the rustle and hustle of busy Kathmandu. And a walk, good enough to make you lay down later. I must say, Lila, you are a brave little girl to walk that distance and up the stairs. Cheers. Is there any change in the surroudings? I believe they have well-preserved the trees. First morning of my return, what I would like to do is go for morning walk in that very right place. Great travel blog. You took me right there.

[Ruthe]

What a great story
Lathrop and I are following your adventures with keen interest. We're stunned at how grown up little moo is. She's a regular little lady! Please post a picture of the three of you if you get a chance!