Charumati Stupa, Buddhist stupa in Chabahil, Kathmandu, Nepal
Charumati Stupa is a white shrine in Chabahil featuring four Buddha statues positioned on its sides and colorful prayer flags hanging from above. Miniature stupas are carved around its entire surface, creating an ornately decorated structure.
This shrine was built in the 4th century and founded by Charumati, daughter of Indian Emperor Ashoka, who married a Nepalese prince. Major restoration work in 2003 and 2015 uncovered buried objects and manuscripts from earlier periods.
Prayer wheels surround this shrine, inviting visitors to turn them as part of their visit, while locals light butter lamps at its base. These everyday acts of devotion happen throughout the day and give the site a lived-in quality.
The shrine sits east of Pashupatinath Temple and is straightforward to reach on foot. Morning and sunset hours tend to be quieter and work best for taking photos.
Excavations in 2003 uncovered a brick bearing Charumati's name inscribed in two ancient writing systems. This discovery provided direct evidence confirming who founded this site over 1500 years ago.
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