We start at the white stupa in the village, where pilgrims spin the prayer wheels set into its base and circle clockwise, some reciting mantras on their beads. Your guide tells the Jataka tale here: three princes walking in the forest, a tigress too starved to feed her five cubs, and the youngest prince, Mahasattva, who cut himself so she would smell blood and then gave her his body. Buddhists teach that this prince was the Buddha in an earlier life, and the stupa is said to hold his relics.
From the stupa, a stone stairway climbs about 15 minutes through dense strings of prayer flags to the hilltop shrine, where a carved stone relief shows the prince lying before the tigress and cubs. Pilgrims light butter lamps, leave white khata scarves and add their own flags; you can buy both at stalls near the top for a few hundred rupees. The monastery buildings rise immediately above, and the views from here reach north to the Himalaya on clear mornings.
The walk finishes with the kora, the circuit path that loops around the hill past chortens, mani stones and more flags. The full circuit is about 2 km with roughly 100 m of climbing, easy for most visitors but stepped in places, so take care with young children and wet stones. Sunrise and the hour before sunset bring the softest light on the flags and the fewest day visitors. There is no fee for any part of the walk; check current status before you travel.
Good for
- Families
- Photographers
- Pilgrims
- First-timers
- Couples
Questions travellers ask
What is the story of Namo Buddha?
Namo Buddha marks a Jataka tale in which Prince Mahasattva, an earlier life of the Buddha, found a tigress starving with her five cubs and offered his own body so they could survive. The village stupa is said to hold his relics, and a stone relief on the hilltop marks where the offering happened. Tibetans call the site Takmo Lujin.
How long does it take to see Namobuddha?
Allow two to three hours for the stupa, the hilltop relief, the kora path and a visit to the monastery. With the drive from Kathmandu, a day trip takes six to seven hours. If you want to attend morning prayers or meditate, stay one night at Namobuddha or nearby Dhulikhel.
Can I hang prayer flags at Namobuddha?
Yes, visitors may add prayer flags on the hill, and stalls near the stupa and the hilltop sell sets for a few hundred rupees. Tie them high where they can catch the wind, never on trees that are already overloaded, and do not cut or remove existing flags. Your guide can explain the meaning of the five colours.
