Peace Stupa, Pokhara, Nepal

Pokhara Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist pagoda-style monument on a hilltop in Ananda hill of the former Pumdi Bhumdi Village Development Committee, in the district of Kaski, Nepal (now a part of the city of Pokhara).

Shanti Stupa in Pokhara was built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji monk Morioka Sonin with local supporters under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk and the founder of Nipponzan-Myōhōji. Shanti is a Sanskrit word meaning peace, also widely used in Nepali andHindi language, and Shanti Stupa means Peace Pagoda. Shanti Stupa is the shrine build as symbol of peace. The spot situated at the height of 1100 meters on the Ananda Hill was chosen by Nichidatsu Fujii and he laid the foundation stone as well with the relics of Buddha on the hilltop on 12 September 1973. Nepal has two of the eighty peace pagodas in the world: Shanti Stupa in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha and Shanti Stupa in Pokhara. Shanti Stupa in Pokhara has also become a tourist attraction. It provides a panoramic view of the Annapurna range, Pokhara city and the Fewa Lake.

Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur, Nepal

Patan Durbar Square is situated at the centre of the city of Lalitpur in Nepal. It is one of the three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of its attraction is the ancient royal palace where the Malla Kings of Lalitpur resided.

Patan, the oldest of all the three cities of Kathmandu valley. It is the best known for its artistic heritage. It is probably one of the oldest Buddhist City in the world. The city is situated on a plateau across Bagmati River. Another name of Patan, is Lalitpur. The city is surrounded by 4Stupas as 4 corners of Patan, one at each corner of its cardinal points. These stupas are said to have been built by the famous Emperor Ashoka. This is one of the most elegant architectural treasures of which Patan is very proud. About the beauty of Patan, a western lady writer has to say this - "Patan means eternity itself and Patan Durbar Square is the spectacular sight of Asia indeed". Really it is full of Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments with bronze gateways, guardian deities and wonderful carvings and many visitors come here to see these monuments. Patan Durbar square is the famous visiting place. The square is full of ancient places, temples, and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings.

The former royal palace complex is the center of Patan's religious and social life and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects. There are three main courtyards or chowks, so named central Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk in the square. The Sundari Chowk holds in its center a masterpiece of stone architecture, the Royal bath called Tushahity.

The Durbar Square is a marvel of Newa architecture. The Square floor is tiled with red bricks. There are many temples and idols in the area. The main temples are aligned opposite of the western face of the palace. The entrance of the temples faces east, towards the palace. There is also a bell situated in the alignment beside the main temples. The Square also holds old Newari residential houses. There are various other temples and structures in and around Patan Durbar Square built by the Newa People.

The square was heavily damaged on 25 April 2015 baisakh 12 by a major earthquake.

Birth Place of Gautam Buddha, Lumbini, Nepal

Lumbini that means 'The Lovely One' in Sanskrit is a famous Buddhist site in the Lumbini District Zone of Nepal. Lumbini is considered the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. Many a times referred as 'The Light of Asia', Buddha was the founder of Buddhism faith. His period is estimated to be approximately between 563 and 483 BC. 

Lumbini is located 25kms east of the municipality of Kapilvastu. Kapilvastu was the seat of governance of the then kingdom of Nepal. In the year 1896, the Indo-British archaeology team discovered a great stone pillar at the site. Later that pillar was attributed to Ashoka, the Mauryan ruler and propagator of Buddhism. The records maintained by Fa Hein were also taken in to consideration in the process. For Buddhists, this is one of four pilgrimage sites based around the life of Gautam Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath. Going by its cultural, religious and historical importance, UNESCO declared Lumbini, a world heritage site in the year 1997. 

The place is famous for Maya Devi temple. It is believed that the present temple has been built at the place where Queen Maya gave birth to lord Buddha. Another important structure is the Ashoka pillar. Apart from that Lumbini has ruins of various Stupas and monasteries. Then there is Pushkarni pond where Queen Maya took bath before giving birth to Buddha. 

The Lumbini region comes under Lumbini Trust, an NGO. Foreign pilgrims here have constructed new temples and monasteries. The Buddhist associations of China, Myanmar and Gautami Nuns have their separate pagodas. The ones by Japan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are under construction.