Bodnath
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Bodnath

Bodnath

Kathmandu Valley suburb centred on Nepal's largest stupa and one of the great Tibetan Buddhist hubs.

Bodnath (also spelled Boudhanath) is a suburb just northeast of Kathmandu and easily reached by taxi or shared vehicle. Although the area is small, it contains the largest stupa in Nepal — a massive white dome topped with a golden spire and the watchful eyes of the Buddha, surrounded by hundreds of prayer wheels and lines of fluttering prayer flags.

The stupa was built by Tibetan Buddhists, and Bodnath has become one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist centres outside Tibet. Dozens of gompas (monasteries) ring the great stupa, including Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling directly beside it and Kopan Monastery on the hilltop to the north. The lanes around the stupa are lined with shops selling thangkas, ritual objects, and handicrafts. The atmosphere during morning and evening kora — the clockwise circumambulation of the stupa — is particularly striking, with monks, nuns, and pilgrims spinning prayer wheels as they walk.

The Taragaon Museum, housed in a striking circular modernist building, documents Nepal's heritage preservation history. If you are interested in Tibetan culture and religion, Bodnath is not to be missed. It pairs naturally with a visit to Pashupatinath, the great Hindu temple complex a short walk away.

Guide

Eating Out

The ring of restaurants and cafes surrounding the Boudha Stupa is one of Kathmandu's more pleasant places to eat. Most have rooftop terraces with views down onto the stupa and across the plaza. The food is a mixture of Tibetan staples — momos (steamed dumplings), thukpa (noodle soup), tsampa (roasted barley) — and international fare aimed at the steady stream of Western meditators and trekkers passing through. Prices are higher than in the backstreets of Kathmandu but the settings compensate.

Guide

Getting There

Bodnath is about 8 km northeast of central Kathmandu and is easily reached by taxi in 20–30 minutes, depending on traffic. Taxis are metered or negotiable; agree on a price before getting in. Shared microbuses run from Ratna Park in central Kathmandu toward Bodnath and are very cheap but much slower. Auto-rickshaws are also available for the last stretch. From Pashupatinath temple, it is a short walk or a quick taxi ride.

Guide

Things to Do

Almost everything worth doing in Bodnath centres on the great stupa and the ring of monasteries and lanes that surround it. Walk the kora in the morning when monks and pilgrims are active, visit one or two of the gompas, and allow time to simply sit at a rooftop cafe watching the circumambulation. Kopan Monastery, on a hillside north of town, is worth a half-day excursion for the views and the atmosphere.