The Great Stupa of Kathmandu
There are stupas that you approach through a lane of shops and then, as you turn a corner, the whole structure appears at once — white, enormous, its painted eyes looking out from the harmika with an expression that manages to be both serene and unsettling. Boudhanath is that stupa. It dominates everything around it, and the ring of monasteries, teahouses, and prayer-flag-strung rooftops that surrounds it has grown up in active relationship with its presence.
Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world. Its circular base extends roughly 100 metres in diameter; the entire structure, from the bottom of the stepped plinth to the tip of the spire, rises approximately 36 metres. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most significant centre of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal.
