Buddhist Circuit of Nepal

Tengboche Monastery

टेङ्बोचे गुम्बा

The most famous Sherpa monastery in the Khumbu region, set against the dramatic backdrop of Ama Dablam, Everest, and Lhotse.

Solukhumbu, Koshi

Rudravarna Mahavihar (Okubahal)

रुद्रवर्ण महाविहार

An ancient 6th-century Newar Buddhist monastery in Patan with three interconnected courtyards, renowned for its exquisite stone and metal sculptures.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Mahabouddha Temple (Temple of a Thousand Buddhas)

महाबुद्ध मन्दिर

A unique shikhara-style tower entirely covered in terracotta tiles, each bearing a hand-carved image of Buddha, modeled after the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Nag Bahal (Nagbahal)

नागबहाल

One of Patan's oldest Buddhist courtyards and the gathering site for the Samyak Mahadan festival, where all Dipankara Buddha images from across Patan are assembled.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Bhinche Bahal (Mayurvarna Mahavihar)

मयूरवर्ण महाविहार

One of the 18 principal mahavihars of Patan, the 'Peacock-colored Monastery' is a well-preserved example of the traditional bahal pilgrimage circuit.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Tanga Bahal (Jestha Varna Mahavihar)

ज्येष्ठवर्ण महाविहार

One of Patan's oldest and most principal vihars, located opposite the Rato Machhindranath Temple's monastery near Mangal Bazaar.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Guji Bahal (Vaishravarna Mahavihar)

वैश्रवर्ण महाविहार

One of the 18 principal mahavihars of Patan, named after Vaishravana (Kubera), the Buddhist guardian king of the north and deity of wealth.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Bu Bahal (Yashodhar Mahavihar)

यशोधर महाविहार

An ancient monastery named after Yashodhara, wife of the Buddha, historically notable as founded by a converted Brahmin reflecting the Valley's fluid religious boundaries.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Itum Bahal (Keshchandra Mahavihar)

इटुम बहाल

Kathmandu's largest Buddhist monastery complex with hidden courtyards, brass plaques depicting the Gurumapa legend, and a golden window relic.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Musum Bahal (Manisingha Mahavihar)

मुसुम बहाल

A unique 'double bahal' in old Kathmandu with inner and outer courtyards, each counted as separate mahavihars, and an active center of Vajrayana Buddhist learning.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Om Bahal (Brahmachakra Mahavihar)

ओम बहाल

One of the 18 principal mahavihars of Kathmandu, the 'Wheel of Creation Monastery' lends its name to the surrounding neighborhood.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Tukan Bahal

तुकं बहाल

An old Newar Buddhist courtyard monastery at Hyumat Tole in inner Kathmandu, built by tradition as a 14th-century replica of the Swayambhu stupa.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Dhum Bahal (Gunalakshmi Mahavihar)

गुणलक्ष्मी महाविहार

One of the traditional 18 bahals of Patan, Dhum Bahal (Gunalakshmi Mahavihar) is a historic Newar Buddhist monastery courtyard in the old city of Lalitpur.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Wan Bahal (Bajra Kirti Mahavihar)

बज्रकीर्ति महाविहार

Bajra Kirti Mahavihar (Wan Bahal) is one of the 18 principal bahals of Patan, with an inscription dating to 1441 CE confirming its medieval origins.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Jyo Bahal (Jyoti Varna Mahavihar)

ज्योतिवर्ण महाविहार

Jyoti Varna Mahavihar (Jyo Bahal) is one of the 18 principal Newar Buddhist monastery courtyards of Patan, whose name evokes 'radiance' or 'light'.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Yachu Bahal (Baladhara Gupta Mahavihar)

बलधर गुप्त महाविहार

Baladhara Gupta Mahavihar (Yachu Bahal) is one of the 18 traditional bahals of Patan, a quiet Buddhist monastery courtyard in the old city.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Su Bahal (Jayamanohara Mahavihar)

जयमनोहर महाविहार

Jayamanohara Mahavihar (Su Bahal) is one of Patan's 18 principal bahals — the 'Monastery of Victorious Delight', a tranquil Buddhist courtyard.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Cuka Bahal (Chakravarna Mahavihar)

चक्रवर्ण महाविहार

Chakravarna Mahavihar (Cuka Bahal) is one of Patan's 18 principal bahals, believed to have been founded by the Licchavi king Manadeva I in the 5th century.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Ta Bahal (Dharma Kirti Mahavihar)

धर्मकीर्ति महाविहार

Dharma Kirti Mahavihar (Ta Bahal) is one of Patan's 18 principal bahals — the 'Monastery of Dharma's Glory', preserving Newar Buddhist traditions.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Dau Bahal (Dattanama Mahavihar)

दत्तनाम महाविहार

Dattanama Mahavihar (Dau Bahal) is one of the 18 traditional bahals of Patan, a Buddhist monastery courtyard preserving centuries of Newar heritage.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Si Bahal (Sri Vaccha Mahavihar)

श्री वच्छ महाविहार

Sri Vaccha Mahavihar (Si Bahal) is one of Patan's 18 principal bahals, housing a Pancharaksa manuscript dated to 1389 CE among its historical treasures.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Co Bahal (Kacchapal Giri Mahavihar)

कच्छपाल गिरि महाविहार

Kacchapal Giri Mahavihar (Co Bahal) is one of the 18 traditional bahals of Patan — the 'Tortoise Mountain Monastery', completing the sacred network of Newar Buddhist courtyards.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Yetakha Bahal (Bhaskarakirti Mahavihar)

यतखा बहाल

Home to the oldest known wooden torana in the Kathmandu Valley (radiocarbon-dated 900-1030 CE) and stunning yaksha struts — a vast monastery courtyard hiding in plain sight near Durbar Square.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Bhagwan Bahal (Vikramashila Mahavihar)

भगवान बहाल

Claimed to be the oldest monastery in the Kathmandu Valley, rebuilt by the great Indian master Atisha in 1041 CE and home to a 7-foot gold statue and a priceless Prajnaparamita manuscript.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Kwa Bahal (Maitripur Mahavihar)

क्व बहाल

The 'mother bahal' of Kathmandu's 18 principal monasteries, home to Kwapa Dya — the presiding deity of the entire mahavihar network — and one of the Valley's oldest scholastic centers for Vajrayana Buddhism.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Chusya Bahal (Gunakar Mahavihar)

चुस्या बहाल

A well-preserved 1662 monastery built by a Nepal-Tibet trader, one of the finest surviving examples of traditional Newar Buddhist monastic architecture in Kathmandu.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Boudhanath Stupa

बौद्धनाथ स्तूप

One of the world's great stupas and the heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal — raised, legend says, by a poultry-keeper and her sons, and rebuilt after 2015 by its own community.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Sikhamu Bahal (Shreekhanda Tarumula Mahavihar)

सिखमु बहाल

The only bahal in Kathmandu's Durbar Square quarter, associated with the legendary teacher Lila Bajra Bajracharya — one of four masters who shaped Valley Buddhism.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Kindo Bahal

किन्दो बहाल

A monastery at the foot of Swayambhunath hill that became the cradle of Nepal's Theravada Buddhist revival in the early 20th century, when monks defied government bans to teach.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Lagan Bahal (Kirtipunya Mahavihar)

लगन बहाल

One of the 18 principal mahavihars of Kathmandu in the historic Lagan Tole quarter, notable for its ancient Ranjana script stone inscriptions.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Takse Bahal (Suratshree Mahavihar)

ताक्से बहाल

A foundational monastery of the Kathmandu Acharya Guthi system — home to teacher Surat Bajra Bajracharya, from whom many Bhaktapur bahals trace their Buddhist lineage.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Jayakriti Mahavihar (Thatu Bahi)

जयकृति महाविहार

A Licchavi-era monastery in Bhaktapur's Itachhen quarter, host of the major Samyak Dan festival and home to ancient chaityas and a Panchabuddha gate.

Bhaktapur, Bagmati

Mangal Dharmadweep Mahavihar (Jhaur Bahi)

मंगल धर्मद्वीप महाविहार

A 13th-century monastery in Bhaktapur's Golmadhi Tole featuring rare wall paintings of various Buddhas and a Dipankar Buddha dressed in distinctive blue garments.

Bhaktapur, Bagmati

Indra Varna Mahavihar (Inabaha)

इन्द्रवर्ण महाविहार

One of the five major mahavihars of Bhaktapur, located at Inacho Chowk and housing a Dipankar Buddha — an important node in the city's Buddhist ceremonial network.

Bhaktapur, Bagmati

Lumbini — Birthplace of Buddha

लुम्बिनी

Birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Buddhists worldwide.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Hiranya Varna Mahavihar (Golden Temple)

हिरण्यवर्ण महाविहार

Patan's celebrated Golden Temple — a 12th-century Newar Buddhist bahal sheathed in gilded copper, with a rotating boy priest and an 800-year-old Prajnaparamita manuscript.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Asura Cave (Yangleshö)

असुर गुफा

A sacred Buddhist cave in Pharping where Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) is believed to have attained the realization of Mahamudra, one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara (Shanti Stupa)

विश्व शान्ति स्तूप

A gleaming white Buddhist stupa on the Ananda hill above Phewa Lake — one of the first peace pagodas built in Nepal and a favourite sunset viewpoint over Pokhara and the Annapurna range.

Kaski, Gandaki

Maya Devi Temple

मायादेवी मन्दिर

The sacred core of Lumbini — the shrine built directly over the exact spot where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautama in 623 BCE.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Ashoka Pillar, Lumbini

अशोक स्तम्भ, लुम्बिनी

The 249 BCE sandstone pillar raised by Emperor Ashoka beside the Maya Devi Temple — bearing the earliest known inscription identifying Lumbini as the birthplace of the Buddha.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

World Peace Pagoda, Lumbini

विश्व शान्ति स्तूप, लुम्बिनी

A 41-metre white Japanese peace pagoda at the far northern end of the Lumbini master plan — the climactic monument of Kenzo Tange's axis, reached by a long walk past the monastic zones.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Myanmar Golden Temple (Lokamani Pula Pagoda)

म्यानमार स्वर्ण मन्दिर

One of the oldest and most striking monasteries in the Lumbini monastic zone — a gilded Burmese-style complex whose tall corn-cob shikhara soars above the eastern canal.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Royal Thai Buddhist Monastery, Lumbini

रोयल थाई बौद्ध विहार

A striking all-white marble monastery in the East Monastic Zone — built by the Royal Thai government in classical Thai temple style, with a soaring multi-tiered roof and golden finials.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Korean Buddhist Temple, Dae Sung Shakya Sa

कोरियन बौद्ध मन्दिर

A large Mahayana monastery in the West Monastic Zone, built by the Korean Jogye Order — one of the biggest monastic compounds in Lumbini, with colourful painted eaves and a giant seated Buddha.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Cambodian Monastery, Lumbini

कम्बोडियन बौद्ध विहार

A Khmer-style Theravada monastery in the East Monastic Zone — a compact compound modelled on the great temples of Angkor, with a tiered pyramid tower and characteristic face towers.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Sri Lankan Monastery, Lumbini

श्रीलंकन बौद्ध विहार

The Sri Lankan Theravada monastery in the East Monastic Zone — a white Sinhalese-style *vihara* with a dagoba-shaped stupa and resident Theravada monks.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Tilaurakot (Ancient Kapilvastu)

तिलौराकोट

The archaeological remains of the ancient Shakya kingdom's capital — where Prince Siddhartha Gautama grew up before renouncing palace life, 27 km west of Lumbini in Kapilvastu district.

Kapilvastu, Lumbini

Namo Buddha (Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery)

नमोबुद्ध

One of the three holiest Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal, where legend says a prince offered his body to a starving tigress.

Kavrepalanchok, Bagmati

Kudan

A Kapilvastu Buddhist pilgrimage site traditionally associated with Buddha's return to meet his family after enlightenment.

Kapilvastu, Lumbini

Pyukha Bahal (Dharma Dhatu Mahavihar)

प्यूखा बहाल

A quiet branch monastery in Pyukha Tole off New Road — formally Shree Dharma Dhatu Mahavihar, also called Ashok Chaitya Vihar — built around a large central chaitya crowned with Swayambhu-style Buddha eyes. A Nepal Sambat 667 (c. 1547 CE) inscription records its founding.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Mu Bahal (Mulashree Mahavihar)

मू बहाल

Reckoned the most artistic of Kantipur's 18 great bahals, Mulashree Mahavihar in Watu Tole enshrines Akshobhya Buddha and once held its own line of Kumaris — held to be the valley's strictest — whose seat is still worshipped in the courtyard.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Dharmachakra Mahavihar (Tanga Bahal)

धर्मचक्र महाविहार

A Newar Buddhist monastery courtyard (bahal) in old Kathmandu near New Road, known in Newari as Tanga Bahal. Its name recalls the Dharmachakra, the Wheel of Dharma set in motion by the Buddha's first teaching.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Jirna Uddhar Mahavihar (Chidhya Bahal)

जीर्णोद्धार महाविहार

A Newar Buddhist courtyard monastery near New Road, known in Newari as Chidhya Bahal and said to date to the Licchavi era. Its kwapah-dyah is the Achhyom (Akshobhya) Buddha, and it also shelters a hidden Mahadev.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Sabal Bahal (Mantrasiddhi Mahavihar)

सबल बहाल

One of Kathmandu's eighteen Acharya Guthi bahals, Mantrasiddhi Mahavihar is a Newar Buddhist courtyard monastery near Indra Chowk, a short walk from New Road.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Karunapur Mahavihar (Musya Baha)

करुणापुर महाविहार

A Newar Buddhist courtyard monastery known locally as Musya Baha, in the Jyatha quarter of central Kathmandu, a short walk from Thamel.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Nhuche Baha (Bajradhatu Mahavihar)

न्हुछे बहाः

A Newar Buddhist courtyard monastery in the Sighal (Shree Gha) area of central Kathmandu, a short walk from Thamel and close to Dharmakirti Bahal and the Kathesimbhu Stupa.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Matepani Gumba

A Tibetan Buddhist monastery on a wooded hill east of Pokhara's old bazaar, founded by Manangi settlers in 1960 — a working monastic school and the quietest viewpoint in the city.

Kaski, Gandaki

Teta Thur (Eastern Ashoka Stupa)

टेटा थुर

The eastern of Patan's four Ashoka stupas, out past Gwarko on the road toward Imadol — the quietest of the four and the one most visitors never reach.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Ibahi Thur (Northern Ashoka Stupa)

इबही थुर

The northern of Patan's four Ashoka stupas, in the lanes above Kumbheshwar — the one embedded most deeply in the old Newar city.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Ha Bahal (Ratnakar Mahavihar)

रत्नाकर महाविहार

Ratnakar Mahavihar (Ha Bahal) is one of Patan's most significant bahals — the official residence of the living Kumari goddess of Patan, with exclusively Vajracharya membership.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Chilancho Bahal (Jagat Pal Mahavihar)

जगत्पाल महाविहार

A stunning hilltop Buddhist stupa and monastery in Kirtipur attributed to Emperor Ashoka, formally established as Jagat Pal Mahavihar in 1515 CE — one of the most archaeologically important Buddhist monuments in the Kathmandu Valley.

Kathmandu, Bagmati

Tom Bahal (Aadipadma Mahavihar)

टोम बहाल

The oldest bahal in Bhaktapur and starting point of the Samyak Mahadan and Panchara rituals — a living center of Newar Buddhist ceremonial life in the city.

Bhaktapur, Bagmati

Zhong Hua Chinese Buddhist Monastery

चिनियाँ बौद्ध मन्दिर

A grand Ming-style monastic complex in the West Monastic Zone — one of the largest and most elaborate monasteries in Lumbini, with ornate red-and-gold roofs and imposing gateway pavilions.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Great Lotus Stupa (German Monastery)

जर्मन बौद्ध विहार

The largest stupa in Lumbini — a dramatic Tibetan-style mandala stupa built by the German Tara Foundation, with a richly painted inner chamber and sweeping white outer walls.

Rupandehi, Lumbini

Pulchowk Ashoka Stupa (Pulchowk Thur)

पुल्चोक थुर

The western of Patan's four great grass-covered stupas — the *thur* that mark the old limits of the city and anchor every Buddhist circuit walked inside it, including Matya.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Lagan Thur (Lagankhel Ashoka Stupa)

लगन थुर

The southern of Patan's four Ashoka stupas, at the Lagankhel crossroads beside Saptapatal Pokhari — the busiest and most built-around of the four.

Lalitpur, Bagmati

Dharmakirti Bahal (Sighal Bahal / Kathesimbhu)

धर्मकीर्ति बहाल

A Newar Buddhist courtyard just south of Thamel, built around the 17th-century Kathesimbhu Stupa — a miniature replica of Swayambhu — and today home to the Dharmakirti Theravada nunnery.

Kathmandu, Bagmati