Depending on the day, you will see anything from a dozen to several hundred worshippers circumambulating the stupa (always in a clockwise direction), using their right hands to spin the row of prayer wheels which circle the stupa, each inscribed with the sacred Tibetan mantra 'om mane padme om'. Underneath the prayer wheels are thousands of butter lamps - on a still evening the smell of burning ghee and the flickering lights create a truly magical effect. Indeed, if you are ever lucky enough to be in Kathmandu on a clear moonlit night, it's well worth climbing the exhausting 300 steps up the hill as the view, like the atmosphere, is breathtaking.