Bouddhanath stupa is another must visited place in Kathmandu valley. It is also one of world heritage site listed by UNESCO. It is the world’s biggest stupa located about 2 km to the north of Pashupatinath temple. This colossal stupa is known by the bouddhanath, the God of wisdom. It is difficult to assign a period to it as some believe that it was built during the reign of either Shiva dev or anshu verma in the 7th century A.D. the design is much similar the swayambhunath stupa. It attracts Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world. The Bouddhanath stupa, also called by many as Khasti Chitya, is one of the oldest stupas in the country. After 1959, many Tibetans arrived and settled in Bouddhanath area.

Structure
With diameter of about 100m and 40m height, Buddhanath holds its place among the largest stupas in the world. The Buddhanath stupa covers a vast area. It has a round path at the bottom while another path is made of three-tier plinth. The stupa resembles Swayambhunath stupa to some extent. The most impressive part of the stupa is the eyes of the Buddha which are painted with red, white and blue colors.

Festivals
Lhosar, the Tibetan new year festival, is the most popular festival celebrated at Bodhanath Stupa. Lhosar festival begins with prayers and worship. Thousands of Tibetans dress in traditional attire and dance after expressing reverence for Buddha. Number of Tibetans come from Laddakh, Sikkim, Bhutan to take part in this festival.

Attractions
In Buddhanath Stupa, there are many monasteries or Gompa attractions. They are all impressively adorned and colorfully painted. Anyone can visit the monasteries and take visuals. It is advisable to give small donation if you take photographs.