These images pre-date the devastating April 2015 earthquake which caused widespread damage and loss of life across the Kathmandu Valley.

Boudhanath or Bodhnath is a pillar of the Tibetan community in Nepal, the ‘centre of a natural mandala’ at a crossroads on the historic trade routes to central and western Tibet. The stupa, its origins lost in time, draws Buddhist pilgrims from across Asia. Throngs of pilgrims move clockwise around the 900 metre circumference of Asia’s largest stupa, pausing to twirl the prayer wheels or to worship at the Ajima Shrine.

The stupa is ringed with souvenir shops, cafes, guesthouses and simple restaurants, like one where I savoured a Tibetan breakfast. More monasteries are tucked away down the surrounding back streets.

These images were captured with Nikon D300 using RAW format in 2011 and in 2014, and are available for licensing.