ABSTRACT
The Buddhist stupa Bauddhanath is a complex monument zone within the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage site that invokes an intense sense of religion, architectural splendor, and commercial activity. The prayer wheels and the local community add a flurry of activity to the imposing monument during morning and evening prayer times. Visitors are awed as much by the grandeur of the stupa as by the ritual of devotees. This fascination has resulted in numerous new monasteries, hotels, restaurants, and shops competing for space in proximity to the ancient monument. As a consequence, the incessant blaring of Buddhist chants from sound systems clashes with the humming of prayers, the whir of spinning prayer wheels, and the soft snapping of fluttering prayer flags. Moreover, the shops surrounding the stupa demonstrate the effects of global recognition by serving delicacies and offering handicrafts from places as far away as South America.
