Boudhanath Stupa, Nepal Part 2 of 2

 Surrounding the Boudhanath Stupa are Tibetan gompa and souvenir shops selling stuff like Tibetan prayer wheels and bowls and mandala. I felt as if I was in Tibet itself.

Boudhanath Stupa, Nepal Part 1 of 2

 The Boudhanath (Boudha) Stupa (a UNESCO Heritage Site) is one of the largest in the world. I was struck by its huge sperical dome. It's a must-see, only 20 mins away on a micro-bus from Kathmandu.

 I saw many Tibetans here. A number of them have their own buinesses in the stupa complex.

 A prayer wheel found in all Tibetan stupas. I noticed  a woman devoteee going round and round spinning the wheel for a long time.

Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Part 3 of 3

Perched on a hilltop, Kopan Monastery commands a panoramic view of the town of Boudha below and the spectacular Himalayan mountain range. In Kathmandu the mountains to me were disappointingly very distant but here they loomed large. The long, long trudge up was worth it just for this.

Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Part 2 of 3

Started by a few Tibetan lamas in the early 70s, the Kopan Monastery today is a world-renowned instituttion for the study of Buddhist philosophy and meditation. It offers residential courses, and students come from all over the world.

I took about an hour to tour the complex. I met some visitors from Singapore, In fact, a monk told me Singapore is one of their most committed financial supporters.

To my surprise, Kopan Monastery is well-landscaped and well-maintained.

Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Part 1 of 3

With its steady stream of visitors, it's easy to see why the Kopan Monastery in the Kathmandu valley is popular, Perched on a hilltop with the spectacular Himlayan mountain range as a backdrop, its location is ideal for quiet contemplation and study.

Unless you have your own transport arrangement, it's a steady one and the half

uphill trek from the town of Boudhanath. Frankly, I nearly gave up what with the rain and a muddy path to contend with.

Children Peace Monument, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Within the spacious grounds of the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park is the Children Peace Monument dedicated to all those innocent kids who died in the A-bomb blast.

Perched atop a statue resembling an A-bomb, a little girl holds aloft a crane. A Japanese girl suffering from radiation believed that if she folded 1000 paper cranes she would be cured but alas she died before she could complete her project.

Paper cranes (last two pictures) therefore came to symbolise peace. Children all over the world have sent paper cranes to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (the paper cranes are kept in display

cases as shown in the first picture)

It's exceedingly sad to see that so many kids died in the A-bomb explosion.

                                                         

Hiroshima: the horror of the atomic bomb

Photo shows the complete destruction of Hiroshima by an atomic bomb. Only the town hall was left standing.

The iconic symbol of the atomic bomb destruction.

A shrine to those who died in the atomic bomb blast.

I think everybody should visit Hiroshima especially politicians and world leaders. Perhaps then they would realise the full horror of a nuclear war, and work towards getting rid of nuclear weapons.