Nepal 2002 / Swayambhunath / IMG_2805 Philippe Tarbouriech 24/4/2002 Buddha eyes watching over monkey. The stupa's white painted base represents the four elements: earth, water, air and fire, while the 13 concentric rings on the spire symbolize the 13 degrees of knowledge and the 13 steps that must be taken to reach Nirvana (final escape from the continuous cycles of existence), which in turn is represented by the umbrella on the top of the Stupa. |