World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara (Shanti Stupa)

The World Peace Pagoda at Pokhara — commonly called the Shanti Stupa — sits atop the Ananda hill on the southern shore of Phewa Lake, at roughly 1,100 metres. It is one of around 80 peace pagodas built worldwide by the Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii and his Nipponzan-Myōhōji order, whose mission since 1947 has been to promote non-violence and peace through the construction of monumental white stupas.

Construction of the Pokhara pagoda began in 1973 but was repeatedly delayed by local political tensions; the stupa was finally completed and consecrated in 1999. The gleaming white dome is 35 metres in diameter and rises 35 metres high, ringed by four gilded statues of the Buddha — each depicting a key moment from his life: birth (from Lumbini, Nepal), enlightenment, first sermon, and parinirvana.

The pagoda is one of the best viewpoints in Pokhara: the platform looks north across Phewa Lake to the full sweep of the Annapurna range, with Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) the most prominent summit. It can be reached by a short but steep 30–45 minute hike from the southern shore of Phewa (most visitors row across the lake first), by car via the ring road, or as part of the Pumdikot circuit along the same ridge. Best visited in the late afternoon for clear mountain views and a spectacular sunset; bring a torch if you plan to walk down after dark.