Where is Swayambhunath located?

Swayambhunath is located in Kathmandu, Kathmandu District, Bagmati Province, Nepal.

Nabin K. Sapkota · CC BY-SA 4.0

Swayambhunath

स्वयम्भूनाथ

Hindus and Buddhist holy place and tourist center in Kathmandu, Nepal

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Swayambhunath (Devanagari: स्वयम्भू स्तूप; Nepal Bhasa: स्वयंभू; Swayambhu Great Stupa, or Swayambu or Swoyambhu) is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city in Nepal. The Tibetan and Sanskrit name for the site means 'self-arising' or 'self-sprung'. The hill on which the stupa stands has been an ancient pilgrimage site considered the home of the primordial Buddha known as the Adi-Buddha. For the Buddhists throughout the world, the stupa is venerated as one of the most ancient and important stupas in the world, having hosted numerous Buddhas of the past: Koṇāgamana Buddha, Kakusandha Buddha and Kassapa Buddha. For its outstanding universal value, Swayambhunath was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Quick facts

Type: structure of worship, Buddhist temple wd
Located in: Kathmandu (city) › Kathmandu District (district of Nepal) › Bagmati Province (province of Nepal) wd
Area: 32.63 ha wd
Heritage status: part of UNESCO World Heritage Site wd
Official website: swayambhu.buddhism-foundation.org wd
Coordinates: 27.7150° N, 85.2900° E wd

About

For the local Newari people, the day-to-day religious practice at Swayambhu occupies a central position, and it is among the three most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudha. Much of Swayambhu's iconography comes from the Vajrayana tradition of Newar Buddhism. The complex is an important site of pilgrimage and reverence for Buddhists of many schools and is also revered by Hindus. The stupa stands as a symbol of religious harmony with Hindu temples and deities incorporated in this ancient Buddhist site with thousands of Buddhists and Hindus visiting the site in cultural unison. The temple complex and hill-site is also home to families of wandering monkeys and is also therefore nicknamed as 'the Monkey Temple'.

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Questions

Where is Swayambhunath located?: Swayambhunath is located in Kathmandu, Kathmandu District, Bagmati Province, Nepal.

Sources

Last updated 3 November 2026 · facts checked 7 November 2026

Cite this page

"Swayambhunath". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/places/swayambhunath. Retrieved 7 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Swayambhunath, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Swayambhunath 2018.jpg — Nabin K. Sapkota, CC BY-SA 4.0.