The Bouddhanath Stupa is one of Nepal's most holy sites for the Buddhist faith. This remarkable structure, by far the largest of its kind in the nation, stands as a giant version of the smaller monuments lining the trails in the mountainous lands of the Sherpa people. No one is certain of the historical origin of the great structure, but it has been converging point for worshiping Buddhists in the region for centuries. It constructed as a monument to the Buddha, with a representation of his "all-seeing eyes" painted on the upper tower to watch the four cardinal compass directions. This tower, capped with a great pyramid, all sits atop a great dome and a base of 3 layers. The whole structure has a diameter of approximately 100 meters and a height in the range of 40 meters, which is immense in person. Prayer flag are draped from the top of the monument and fly in the breeze that clears the rooftops of the congested urban neighborhood. The site is located a few miles from the city center of Kathmandu, but this outlying section is still bustling with traffic and the din of street merchants. Tourists and faithful monks alike appreciate the hallowed ground that is a respite from the hectic city.
Bouddhanath is among the largest stupas in South Asia, and it has become the focal point of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal. The white mound looms thirty-six meters overhead. The stupa is located on the ancient trade route to Tibet and Tibetan merchants rested and offered prayers here for many centuries. When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many of them decided to live around Bouddhanath. They established many gompas, and the "Little Tibet" of Nepal was born. This "Little Tibet" is still the best place in the Valley to observe Tibetan lifestyle.
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