The sacred Boudhanath Stupa is one of the world’s largest spherical stupas. Surrounded on all sides by a vibrant shroud of Tibetan prayer flags (lungta), the wind sways them, carrying blessing mantras in all directions and purifying space, granting luck to pilgrims. It is not the stupa’s size or lungta that makes it so memorable, but its striking supernatural eyes that can be seen from any angle, drawing your gaze even from a side street.

So, you have approached! What’s your destined experience? Chaotic and, at the same time, cosmic—ordered circumambulation (Kora in Tibetan, Pradakshina in Sanskrit) in a never exhausting stream of monks, pilgrims, and visitors, that revolve prayer wheels, chant mantras and make prayerful prostrations. This movement is exciting and captivating! How many prayer circles will you make: three, eight, or one hundred and eight? It should be said that at night in chilly December, it inspirits and heats. A large, circular plaza is home to wonderful shrines, guesthouses, shops, restaurants, and cafés. When you get tired and want to grab a bite, or a cup of unique of Himalayan coffee, head upstairs and take a seat outside or near an open window: you will be rewarded with a breathtaking that immerses you in contemplation!

The plaza offers a microcosm of Nepal, its trade flows under the watchful gaze of the mysterious, inhuman eyes. Oddly enough, neither the crowds of pilgrims, nor the bustle, nor the brisk trade disturbs the prevailing peace. Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that all the squares are designed according to Vastu. A sense of inner comfort is invariably present in all of Katmandu’s squares and intensifies the longer you stay. The stupa’s towering spire has thirteen steps – the stages to nirvana – and it’s crowned by a pyramid where the all-seeing eyes direct and regulate the currents of pilgrims.

At night, when the oil lamps are lit, and the alleyways are free from the ticket collector, and the evening prayers and drumbeats echo from the surrounding temples, a special atmosphere lingers – a magical night vibe. It was especially moving on Christmas Eve! You may find yourself wanting to return to the stupa again and again – it’s a powerful magnet for people from all over Katmandu. What emits such miraculous emanations? Truth be told, the relics of Kassapa and Shakyamuni Buddhas are kept in Boudhanath. However, the striking “Buddha Eyes” do not belong to the either of them – known as the Wisdom Eyes they are a symbolic representation of the omniscient, all-encompassing wisdom of the Adi-Buddha (the primordial, self-existing Buddha) or Vairocana (the supreme Dhyani Buddha) and they represent Supreme Awareness. This plaza is one of the most astonishing places I was fortunate enough to visit by the will of Providence.