Climb the steps behind the Drölma Lhakhang, passing a rocky fissure jammed full of tsha tsha (stupa-shaped clay offerings) and cracks stuffed with little bags of wishes and human hair. Eventually you’ll come to the walls of a large white monastery, inside which is this small cave. Take off your shoes and duck between the monastery buildings to reach the soot-darkened cavern, which is illuminated by butter lamps and a row of coloured lights.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.72 MILES
The first stupa at Boudhanath was built sometime after AD 600, when the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, converted to Buddhism. In terms of grace and purity…
7.27 MILES
The Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the crowning glories of Kathmandu Valley architecture. This perfectly proportioned monument rises through a whitewashed…
6.91 MILES
Kathmandu's royal palace, known as the Hanuman Dhoka, was originally founded during the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries AD), but the compound was…
5.82 MILES
This unique Buddhist monastery is just north of Durbar Sq. It was allegedly founded in the 12th century, and it has existed in its current form since 1409…
11.08 MILES
The magnificent Golden Gate is a visual highlight of Durbar Sq. Set into a bright red gatehouse surrounded by white palace walls, the fabulous golden…
7.1 MILES
The long, rectangular courtyard of the Itum Bahal is the largest bahal (Buddhist monastery courtyard) in the old town and remains a haven of tranquillity…
11.11 MILES
You should be able to see the sky-high rooftop of the Nyatapola Temple long before you reach Taumadhi Tole. With five storeys towering 30m above the…
7.71 MILES
The beautifully restored Swapna Bagaicha (Garden of Dreams) remains one of the most serene and beautiful enclaves in Kathmandu. It's two minutes' walk and…
Nearby Pharping attractions
0.04 MILES
The large white Ralo Gompa has a brightly painted chörten. It’s located up the hill, past the line of Tibetan restaurants, towards the Drölma Lhakhang.
0.04 MILES
Adjacent to the Drölma Lhakhang is the Rigzu Phodrang Gompa, worth visiting for its impressive frieze of statues, with Guru Rinpoche surrounded by his…
0.04 MILES
This shrine is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, who identify Saraswati as Tara. It’s accessed via a set of steps to the west of Sakya Tharig Gompa.
0.07 MILES
This monastery features an enormous and brightly painted chörten – step inside to see hundreds of miniature chörten and statues of Guru Rinpoche set into…
0.1 MILES
This sacred 17th-century Newari-style temple is devoted to the Tantric goddess Vajrayogini. One of the few female deities in Buddhist mythology,…
6. Auspicious Pinnacle Dharma Centre of Dzongsar
0.2 MILES
As you enter the town from the main road, take the first right and head uphill, passing a Guru Rinpoche statue in a glass case. Next to the statue is this…
0.34 MILES
About 600m downhill from the main junction at Pharping, in the direction of Kathmandu, the Shesh (or Sekh) Narayan Temple is a highly revered Vishnu…
0.57 MILES
The blood-soaked temple of Dakshinkali, a favourite Hindu pilgrimage destination, is set at the confluence of two sacred streams in a rocky cleft in the…