Destination: Namo Buddha
Location: East Kabhre, Kusum forest
Getting there: Local bus from Dapcha (Rs 30) or a half-hour trek
When to go: Visiting temples is good at any time but Kojagrat Poornima and other full moon days are the best. The view is beautiful in spring.
What to take: Butter lamps, light snacks (don't litter), warm clothes, and chapstick
What to do: Pay homage to Buddha, visit the Tibetan monastery, enjoy the natural beauty, and listen to fascinating tales about the temple from the local people.
In Dwapar Yug, Gautam Buddha visited a temple in the Kusum forest. He joined his hands in a reverent Namaskar and bowed, and so the temple was named—Namo Buddha.
The trip to Namo Buddha starts on the road to Bhaktapur, 14 km east of Kathmandu as we follow the Kodari highway into Banepa. The view from the road is beautiful at this time of year with paddy fields and terrace farms. From Dhulikhel, you can see the snow-capped ranges of Karyolung in the east to Himchuli in the west on a clear day. The bus glides by on the newly tarred road into Kabhre, which was built with support from the Chinese government. People say it will be connected to Janakpur.
We stop at Dapcha and wait for the bus that will take us to Namo Buddha. The ride is bumpy and dusty. It's a good idea to hike up the hill instead. Some 20 minutes or so later, we reach Namo Buddha. Hidden in the midst of the Kusum forest, the temple is on the top of Gandhaman hill. The stupa looks beautiful, adorned with the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha. We light butter lamps and talk to the priest, Manik Man Bajracharya, who tells us a fascinating tale.
Thousands of years ago, in Paanchal, there were three princes. The youngest, Mahasatwa, used to hunt here. One day, he came upon a starving tigress which had given birth to five cubs but wasn't able to feed her babies. The prince's heart melted. He forgot about hunting and lay down so that the tigress could eat his flesh instead. The tigress didn't touch a hair on his head. The prince then cut himself to feed the famished tigress. It is said that this temple has been set up from the remains of the prince.
Years later, Buddha visited the site and bowed in Namaskar. His followers asked him why. "If I hadn't done what I did long ago, I wouldn't be here today," he said. Mahasatwa was an incarnation of the Buddha.
Namo Buddha is a priority temple for Nepali Buddhist pilgrims, along with Swayambhunath and Bouddhanath. They gather here on full moon days to pay homage. Buddha might have come and gone, but his serenity can still be felt in the air here.
IMAGE GALLERY
> DIBESH SHRESTHA
  Statue of Mahasatwa feeding himself to the tigress.  Manik Man Bajracharya, priest. | |  Namo Buddha  People headed towards the Tibetan monastery.  An overcrowded bus returns from Kabhre. | | | |
