Namobuddha is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal located 40 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu valley situated at an elevation of 1750 m above sea level. Namobuddha is one of the most visit places near Kathmandu valley, perfect for the short escape for relaxation as it is far from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, with no pollution, and the air is so fresh and cool. Along with Boudhanath Stupa and Swayambhunath Temple in Kathmandu, the Namobuddha Stupa is one of the three most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal,and one of the three main buddhist Stupas of Kathmandu valley.
The beautiful stupa of Namobuddha stands on the slopes of the Gandha Malla Hill and it believes that it was built on the bones and hair of prince Mahasattva. It believes that prince Mahasattva is one of the former incarnations of Buddha Shakyamuni. One day while walking around the jungle with his 2 other brothers prince Mahasattva encountered with a very hungry tigress that was close to death from starvation and unable to feed her cubs. His two other brothers went away but in an act of compassion prince Mahasattva allowed the hungry tigress to consume him, a deed that transported him to the higher realms of existence. When his brothers came back to look for him they found only his bones and hair. The stupa was built on top of these remains.
With the Namobuddha Stupa, The Mahakala Temple, The Dewachen Temple, beautiful monastery, small local villages, are the major attractions of Namobuddha. It also offers the beautiful view of the snow-covered Himalayan ranges. Namobuddha is not only the Buddhist pilgrimage sites, it is also one of the most popular destination for day hikes, famous for short and easy hikes. Hiking from Dhulikhel to Namobuddha, hike from Balthali village to Namobuddha, hike from Namobuddha to Panauti and hike from Namobuddha to Phulchowki are some of the popular hikes.
Namobuddha is also one of the best places near Kathmandu for relaxation. If you are looking for a place where you can spend your day easy, relaxing at the hotel, enjoying nature, mountain at peace environment, Namobuddha is for you.
Namobuddha is the place of great compassion. Why is that? Because the Buddha in a previous live as a prince wandered away from a royal party into the forest where he came across a starving tigress and her three cubs. The prince felt such great compassion for the hungry tigress who could not feed her cubs and he offered his body to her to eat. This is why Namobuddha is the place of Great Compassion.
The temple and other buildings were founded, designed and built by Khenchen Thrangu Tinpoche who is the senior master of the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. When Rinpoche why he built this fantastic monastery here, he replied in an interview: “there are three holy stupas in the Kathmandu valley. One of them is the stupa below this monastery which contains relics of the Buddha. As it is not so well taken care of and not in good condition, I decided to build something beautiful and beneficial. Now it has become a place of pilgrimage for many people."
Namobuddha monastery is a perfect place for relaxation but if you like to do some activities, there is a lot to see and do around the monastery. You can join the monks for their daily chanting. Everyday there are chanting in the morning and afternoon and you are welcome to join them. Besides joining monks for chanting session, you can spend your time walking around several temples located just above the main monastery. You can also go for short hiking around the villages near monastery.
Namobuddha is in the southeast of the valley, about 40km away from the heart of Kathmandu city. We can drive from Kathmandu to Namobuddha and takes about 2 hours scenic drive by private car. There are local buses too that departs from Kathmandu but travelling by private transport is highly suggested. If we travel by public bus, it takes about 4 hours of time as we have to take 2 different buses, once from Kathmandu to Banepa and second from Banepa to Namobuddha.
If you are interested in short walk, we can drive up to Dhulikhel and hike to Namobuddha monastery. It is about 4 hours of walk, suitable for all ages.
Namobuddha can be visited all year round. If you want to hike around the Namobnuddha, the months of June, July and August are not the best time. This is a monsoon period and it is not interesting to walk when it is raining. Visiting Namobuddha during the any Buddhist Festival and full moon is an amazing experience.
There is a guest house running by the monastery and staying at this guest house is an opportunity to experience the life at this monastery being there. The fee you pay for your stay and meals at the monastery guest house, it directly goes towards supporting the running costs of monastery. Accommodation at the monastery guest house is basic but you will have your private clean room, attached bathroom with the hot and cold water.
If you like to stay in comfort hotel, there is a beautiful resort is in 30 minutes walking distance from the monastery.
If you have any question or need our assistance to plan your visit to Namobuddha, please write us.
Getaway Nepal Adventure (P.) Ltd.
Thamel Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977 98510 38 908
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