Volunteer Society Nepal : The best experience for volunteers, the best value for Nepal.
Nepal is a small and beautiful country. The country is blessed with natural beauty. It also has a unique cultural diversity. Our ancestors have handed over many religious and cultural sites. UNESCO has enlisted 10 of its heritage sites in the “World Heritage List”. Volunteer Society Nepal has been acting as a bridge to link volunteers with the country and the people. The volunteering fields can be in education, health, construction, physiotherapy, child care, women center and the disabled center. The language class run by the VSN is accompanied by afternoon tours of heritage sites. These are Boudhanath, Swoyambhunath, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu Durbar Square and Pashupatinath.
Here is a short description of Boudhanath to let you know about its history, location and its major attractions.
Nepal has always been tolerant of followers of every religion. Thus, any individual has the choice to follow Buddhism as they choose to. Nepal is also renowned as the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. The Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath dominates the skyline of Kathmandu and it is one of the largest stupas in the world. It is located about 11 km away from the center and Northern outskirts of Kathmandu Valley. The question mark on the top of the spire indicates unity and the third eye in the middle symbolizes the wisdom of Lord Buddha.
Hindu mythology says the stupa was established during the Lichhavi Dynasty. King Bikramadiyta instructed to construct a stone tap to solve the problem of a water crisis during this time period. However, seeing no sign of water, he consulted with astrologers. They suggested the King for the sacrifice of a man with 32 perfections or qualities. The king and his son turned out to be the right candidates for the sacrifice. The king ordered one of his sons to behead him. Following, the prince regretfully went to the top of the Bajrayogini temple and decided to fly a hen. He built the stupa where the hen decided to land. The hen landed in the same place where the stupa stands today. Since then Boudhanath has been a sacred place for all the Buddhist pilgrimages.
The earthquake badly damaged the stupa in April 2015. It severely cracked the spire. The structure above the dome and the religious relics it contained, were immediately removed. The stupa has been restored to its original beauty since November 2016.
Boudhanath is the major religious site for the Buddhists pilgrimage. It is a place of religious pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan Buddhists and local Nepali. Prayer wheels, Nepali handicrafts shop, religious chants, mantras and the monks praying are the major attractions of the place. You can also find a lot of Buddhist monasteries, street vendors, colorful houses and most importantly, busy streets full of tourists. There will be a grand celebration of Tibetan New Year during the month of February or March. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to come during those months, you can create some unforgettable memories of your life. For more information about volunteering please go here.