Namo Buddha lies approx. 38km. east of Kathmandu, it is very important Buddhist pilgrimage site. The stupa and shrines build in a little hill mark a very ancient holy site which signifies the place where a legendary prince named Mahasattva offered himself to a starving Tigress with its several underfed cubs. . This legendary episode is depicted in a very nice stone slab.
An anecdote goes – Mahasattva was one of Buddha’s previous incarnations. He was the youngest of the three sons of king Maharatha. Once while the three brothers were walking through a dense forest, they saw a tigress which had just given birth to five cubs. Feeble and hungry, the tigress could hardly move. The three princes ran away. But, Mahasattva decided go back and offer his body to the hungry tigress. He started chopping down his flesh to feed the tigress. When his brothers went back looking for him later, they found only his bones and hair as remains. The Stupa was erected on top of those remains.
Following the ridge to another hill on the same hill, there is another small Stupa which is said to be the spot of the den of the tigress. There, we see pilgrims lying down on the ground as if offering their bodies to the place. Pieces of cloth hung on the branches of the tree for protection.
Itinerary:
7:30 – Meet your guide at hotel and drive from Kathmandu for about one and half hours to the place called Panauti, which is 32 kilometers east of Kathmandu. Short sightseeing of Panauti village and then start hike and pass through many small villages with rice fields, which gives you a chance to see Nepalese village life. The trail goes steeply uphill for about an hour until to Namo Buddha, situated at an altitude of 1750m. above sea level.
Lunch at local restaurant and after Lunch hike an hour to Dhulikhel with the spectacular view of snow-capped himalayan range on the way.
15.00 hr. drive back to Kathmandu and transfer to hotel.
Remarks:
Don’t forget hiking shoe, sunglasses, a light jacket and a camera.