Although much smaller than Bodnath, I have always thought that Swayambhunath, sitting on a steep hill west of Kathmandu, is far more beautiful and interesting. Whereas Bodnath is essentially a Tibetan design, this stupa is pure Newari. The platform around the stupa is littered with hundreds of shrines and statues, all jumbled together in a wonderful chaotic manner. Amongst this mess, pilgrims circumambulate the stupa endlessly, spinning the prayer wheels as they go and skillfully avoiding the monkeys which run riot here and merrily bite anyone who gets too close. According to one legend, the boddhisatva Manjushri (Avalokitesvara) had his hair cut on this hill - the monkeys grew from the fleas that jumped from his severed locks while the hairs themselves became the trees that cover the hill.