Scenes from an early pilgrimage in the Nepal mandala.

Svayambhu
We went on pilgrimage to incomparable Katmandu.

"Swayambhu, holy of holies of Nepal, sacred hill, how often did I lie awake in the early morning, while it was still dark with a cold blue darkness, tinged here and there with white mist, before the birds had begun t raise there tremulous winter notes, listening to the bands of worshipers as they swung with full-throated chorus up to the top of the hill, where the great white dome and gleaming golden spire of your chaitya tower gigantically into the heavens! How sweetly and clearly the music of theses songs drifted across the hillside, through the waning moonlight, into the darkness and stillness of the vihara where I lay. Like echoes from another life they seemed to come, growing louder and more insistent as the day dawned, until at last, as though in response to their summons, I rose from my bed once again, and found most of the other inhabitants of the vihara already astir."

Sangharakshita aged 26/27-Read some of his poems from that time here.

Vajrayogini Sthan Pharping where Marpa dreamt of Maitripa

The realised Lord Maitripa
Is famed far and wide
As the nirmanakaya who lives in India.
In a city in the valley of Vasali,
The king, the protector of the earth, touches his crown
To the anthers of the lords lotus feet.
Among the mahapanditas of the five sciences,
Maitripa is known as the master, the crest jewel.
The banner of his fame is proclaimed in the ten directions.

The vajra wall Lalitpur

There are lots of holy objects in this huge Chorten at Pharping

Two of Guru Rinpoche's most important attainments occurred in Nepal. At the great cave of Maratika, 'Essence of Mara', together with princess Mandarava, Padmasambhava meditated on the mandala of Amitayus and they attained the Vidyadhara level of Longevity, the second of the four stages of complete Buddhahood. Amitayus blessed Padma to be the horse-headed daka Hayagriva, and Mandarava to be Vajravarahi. At Pharphing together with Sakyadevi, Padma attained the Vidyadhara level of Mahamudra the third of the four great stages, and summoned and converted the major indigenous deities of Tibet.