20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Swayambhunath

A journey up to the Buddhist temple and Unesco World Heritage Site of Swayambhunath is one of the definitive experiences of Kathmandu. Mobbed by monkeys and soaring above the city on a lofty hilltop, the ‘Monkey Temple’ is a fascinating jumble of Buddhist and Hindu iconography. Even the 2015 earthquake failed to topple Kathmandu's best loved temple, though a couple of outlying buildings crumbled in the tremor.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Camera: ILCE-7RM4
Copyright: © Ravindra Ranasinghe