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Swayambunath Temple is one of the best cultural shrines of the city. The Swayambunath Temple brings to the forefront the rich cultural heritage of the city to the tourists. The Swayambunath Temple should definitely be included in the list of the famous Kathmandu Tourist Attractions. The Swayambunath Temple conveys the ethnic essence of two religions which have been able to establish their identity in the capital of Kathmandu. The Swayambunath Temple is actually a Hindu- Buddhist temple and situated on the top of a mound. The other name for the temple is the Monkey Temple.

The Swayambunath Temple has been built with tremendous dexterity of architectural skills and the artisans have toiled very hard to create this wonderful work of art. The temple has a very massive structure and one has to cross 400 steps in order to reach the corridors of it. After climbing the 400 high steps of the temple the visitors will come across a huge structure of a Shiva linga. The Shiva linga is one of the prominent pieces of architecture found in the temple and rises up to a height of 45 feet.

The Shiva linga which is found in the temple has many facets and is very intricately designed. The linga has four faces in all which looks towards four directions. The three eyes of Lord Shiva are found in the faces. The history of the Swayambunath Temple dates back to the fifth century and its fame has spread across the world. The fact that it is located on the top of a hill gives it a very commanding presence. The Swayambunath Temple has a legend which has been associated with it from the time when it was constructed.

The legend goes that a sacred lotus was found in the lake which is situated at a very close distance from it. The serene surroundings of the lake portrayed a very beautiful look which and the lotus was the center of attraction in the lake. The lotus was indeed quite special because it epitomized a spiritual presence with the dazzling white light. The people who used to live near the temple witnessed this miracle and named it as Swambhyu or self created.

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For more information on Temples in Kathmandu you can log on to the following sections:

Temples in Kathmandu
Degutale Mandir Kathmandu	Swayambunath Temple
Boudhanath Buddhist Stupa	Guhyeshwari Temple
Hanuman Dhoka Kathmandu shuvajit	Akasha Bhairava Mandir Kathmandu
Ichangu Narayan Kathmandu	Pharping - Vajra Yogini Temple Kathmandu
Matsyendranath Mandir Kathmandu