Svayambhunath#

Ssvayambhunath, February 2015, © Bernd Mader

According to a legend, the whole valley was once filled with a lake.

Out of the lake there grew a lotus.

Manjushri (a Yidamn - a manifestation of Buddhahood or enlightened mind) saw the lotus in a dream and went to the lake and cut a gorge into Chowar which drained the lake.

The place where the lotus flower settled down became Swayambhunath Stupa and the valley became the valley in which Kathmandu lies nowadays.