Kavrepalanchok. According to mythology, the day when the ‘prince’ gave life to the tigress in the previous birth of Gautam Buddha, the symbol of peace. The historical, religious, beautiful and touristic site of Kavrepalanchowk is known as the place where Namobuddha Gautam Buddha renounced his life after his reincarnation in Lumbini.

It is mentioned in the document that Namobuddhasthala was named Namobuddha from ‘Namobuddhaya Namah’. A fair is organised at Namobuddha Municipality-11 from Chaturdashi to Pratipada on the occasion of Kartik Shukla Purnima. This year, the festival is being celebrated for three days from Tuesday. According to the legend, the chaitya built in Namobuddha by burying the skeleton of the same prince of the Dwapar era and the place where he sacrificed his life throng Buddhists every year to worship and light lamps.

According to the temple management committee, around 50,000 devotees visit the temple every year. A fair is held at Namobuddha throughout the first night of the festival and traditional songs and dances are performed throughout the fair. According to Lopsang Bajra Lama, chairman of Namobuddha Guthi, lamps are lit in memory of ‘ancestors’ throughout the fair.

He said, “Lamps are lit here every year for the ancestors and it is believed that lighting the lamps illuminates the ancestors throughout the year.” The festival is mainly attended by people from Tamang and Newar communities, said Kanchha Lama, the main lama of Namobuddha. According to him, the three sons of King Maharatha and Queen Satyavati of the then Panchaladesha (Panauti kingdom) had sacrificed his life by cutting his blood and flesh to a hungry tigress while hunting in the eastern part of the Gandhaman Parbat (forest).

On the basis of this belief, a big fair is organized every Kartik Shukla Purnima. “The tigress who gave birth to five damus is considered to be Lakshmi and five damru monks, after the prince saved the tigress and gave up his body, the king and queen spent the rest of her life in the chaitya service,” said Lamaguru Lama, “After that, Rajarani Shankheshwari is known as Aji-Ajima.” ’

There is an inscription that a stupa (chaitya) was built in 974 BS by collecting skeletons on the top of Gandhaman mountain. This mountain is at an altitude of eight thousand feet. On the mountain, there is a carved statue depicting the prince cutting and feeding the tigress. Rakesh Lama, a local, said that Buddhists from within and outside the country always throng Namobuddha.

A fair is also held on the days of Bhadra Krishna Dwadashi and Chaitra Krishna Dwadashi in Namobuddha. According to the tradition, on the day of Bhadra Krishna Dwadashi, the cot of Nama Buddha is brought to the royal palace at Panauti and a grand procession is organized with two Deepankars tied and Aja and Ajima. The birthplace of the prince is near the famous Taleju Bhawani of Kashivarna Mahavir i.e. now Panauti.

Most of the Buddhists go to Namobuddhasthal than Panauti. Hundreds of types of trees and plants like Kalpavriksha, Rudraksha, Ashoka, Masala, Uttis, Firala, Agrakha, Lapsi, Kapur, Kafal, Shrikhand, and animals like tiger, bear, boar, rabbit, deer were found in this Gandhaman mountain (now touristy Namobuddha).

One can reach Namobuddha from Panauti via Shankhu Valley and by hiking from tourist city Dhulikhel. At present, there are huge monasteries, temples, monasteries and chaityas in this place. There is also a Buddha school in the monastery. Namobuddha lies 18 km south of Dhulikhel, which is 32 km away from Kathmandu. There are lamas, Mahayana monasteries, large stone Buddha statues and chaityas in this area.

There is also a simple Newari house style temple called ‘Namobuddha Mahasattva Degal’. Panauti and the mountain range can also be seen from this mountain.