Although much smaller than Bodnath, I have always thought that Swayambhunath, sitting on a steep hill west of Kathmandu, is far more beautiful and interesting. Whereas Bodnath is essentially a Tibetan design, this stupa is pure Newari. The platform around the stupa is littered with hundreds of shrines and statues, all jumbled together in a wonderful chaotic manner. Amongst this mess, pilgrims circumambulate the stupa endlessly, spinning the prayer wheels as they go and skillfully avoiding the monkeys which run riot here and merrily bite anyone who gets too close. According to one legend, the boddhisatva Manjushri (Avalokitesvara) had his hair cut on this hill - the monkeys grew from the fleas that jumped from his severed locks while the hairs themselves became the trees that cover the hill.
The four sides of the spire are each painted with the all-seeing eyes of Buddha. Everything about the structure is symbolic: the directions the eyes face, the 13 steps on the spire, the umbrella at the top, the 108 niches around the dome containing statues of Buddhist entities, the guardian statues at the northern doors, everything. And, of course, there are hundreds of prayer flags fluttering in the winds. http://www.flat3.co.uk/nepal/pages/961036. htm
The stupa also symbolizes the five elements and their relationship to enlightened mind. These are the essential attributes of a fully realised human being: the base of the stupa signifies earth and equanimity; the dome, water and indestructibility; the spire, fire and compassion; above the spire, wind and all-accomplishing action; and at the very top, the jewel represents space and all-pervading awareness. The stupa is a mandala, or sacred arrangement, containing all of these enlightened qualities."
3d Virtual Travel to Swayambhunath Stupa, Nepal. more 3D locations on www.vizerra.com
