Located on a small hillock named Swayambhunath, (means self-existent one) this temple is a famous one located to the northwest of the Kathmandu Valley. This religious site is located 3 km to the west of Kathmandu. It is one of the holiest Buddhist religious sites of the country. The hillock is assumed to be created from a primordial lake, which was present in the region, around 2000 years ago. The existence of this temple has been indicated in an inscription, which was made in 460 AD. Thus, it is assumed that the temple has been in the location since 460 AD or before that. Renovation works were made during 7th century. It is said that there used to be a temple built by Emperor Ashoka in 3rd century BC, but was destroyed. There is no concrete evidence for the same. It is said that King Manadeva built this temple. By 13th century, this temple became an important Buddhist pilgrimage site. Later, in 2010, the structure was completely renovated, around 1500 years after its construction. The dome of the stupa was re-gilded using gold, However, a few regions of the temple were destroyed by lightening in 2011 and earthquake in 2015.
