Bouddha Kapan Monastery Tour Overview
Bouddha Kapan Monastery Tour is a Buddhist Cultural Heritage Trail Tour around the Kathmandu Valley. It takes you towards the northeast part of the Kathmandu Valley to show you the two most important Buddhist Shrines. This day tour around Kathmandu shows you with the wonderful view of Bouddhanath Stupa and Kapan Monastery. You can learn the Buddhist art and culture including the way of meditation for the peace of mind.
Situated around eleven kilometres away from Thamel area, Bouddhanath Stupa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This shrine was in the 5th century by the Lichchhavi King Mandev. It lies on the way to the ancient salt trading route between Nepal and Tibet. So, the Tibetan merchants used to spend the night at Bouddhanth and pay homage early in the morning. Being 145 feet tall, it is the biggest stupa of the SAARC countries in terms of its height and expansion.
The folks around the stupa narrate many stories behind the making of the shrine. Among them, the one accepted by all is that the stupa was made up of the morning dews as a redemption of an evil. The then king sacrificed his own father to get rid of the long drought causing starvation and epidemic. Therefore, the stupa is call ‘Khasti’ or ‘Khasa’ Chaitya in Newari dialect. In Newari language, ‘Khasu’ means ‘morning dews’ and ‘ti’ means ‘droplets’; as a whole meaning ‘the monastery made up of the droplets of the morning dews’.
Bouddha Kapan Monastery Tour price and Itinerary
Around three kilometers northwest lies another Buddhist monastery Kathmandu valley tour of the that is Kapan Monastery. The monastery built by FPMT (the Foundation for Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) founders, Lamas Thubten Yeshe and Zopa Rinpoche in 1970 as a Tibetan Buddhism learning center. Nowadays, it is the home for around 750 monks and nuns from all over the remote parts of the country. It has been an important centre for learning Tantric Buddhism in Nepal.
The followers of Tibetan Buddhism residing at the monastery take care of the nuns and monks living there. Thousands of the national and international visitors to get the deep insights of practical Buddhism. Recently, Kapan Monastery is taking initiatives to protect the Tibetan culture in its true form and conducting FPMT Education Programs, special worshipping and caring animals.
In the recent days, the gompa has been a popular recreational center for the local people and the foreign tourists. They can see the beautiful scenery of the Shivapuri National Park and Chandragiri Hill Station from here. On Saturdays, you can see thousands of people visiting the gompa for recreational purpose and to look at the beautiful gardens within the premises. The monastery is open for the public and visitors only on Saturdays.
Bouddha Kapan Monastery Tour Highlights
- Sightseeing around Bouddhanath Stupa, a 5th-century monastery
- Visiting Kapan Monastery for the true charm of Buddhist culture and tradition
- Beautiful scenery of the Kathmandu Valley and Shivapuri National Park
- Interaction with the nuns and monks living in the monastery
