Celebrating Buddhas Birthday in Kathmandu, Nepal

Every once in awhile you experience something while traveling that is almost indescribable. This happened to Lindsay and I one night in Kathmandu, Nepal. The center of the city is called Durbar Square and it is one of the most fascinating places in the world. There are countless temples, statues and buildings scattered around a square that is extremely busy. There are thousands of people, motorcycles, vendors, tourists, etc…needless to say it is a feast for the senses. Lindsay and I spent HOURS sitting on the steps of the numerous pyramid shaped temples that surround the square just watching the scene below us. One night just as the sun was going down we began to notice that there was more activity then usual. People were showing up in large groups and women were starting to lay out hundreds of candles. Eventually these candles were lite and by the time it was dark the entire square was lite up with hundreds of glowing candles. There were candles on every level of each temple (picture a pyramid type structure) so it really gave the area a cool feeling. We eventually found out that this celebration was for “Buddhas birthday” and we felt so lucky that we just happened to be there on this particular night. We sat for hours just trying to take in the scene. Here we were in the middle of Kathmandu Nepal with thousands of people and hundreds of candles celebrating Buddhas birthday! Eventually the candles burned out and we made our way back to our guesthouse. However, I took one of the small candle holders home as a souvenir to remember this incredible night. We will never forget sitting on the steps of a temple in Durbar Square Kathmandu and watching hundreds of candles lite up before our eyes….it is truly an image and experience that is almost impossible to describe. Oh, and by the way, our camera battery was literally almost dead when this all started and we thought for sure we wouldnt be able to document the experience. :)