The omnipresent mantra of Avalokiteshvara - Om Mani Padme Hum dispenses serenity into the atmosphere only to be heightened by the Tibetan trumpet and sounds of the gong that goes off every once in a while in the nearby monastery.
The center of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu and rich in Buddhist symbolism, the majestic Boudhanath Stupa, also called the Chorten Chempo (or Great Stupa) rests in the town of Boudha, on the eastern part of Kathmandu. Legend has that Boudhanath was probably built in the 14th century after the Mughal invasions. After the arrival of thousands of Tibetans following the 1959 Chinese invasion, the temple has become one of the most important centers of Tibetan Buddhism. Till date, it remains an important place of pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan Buddhists and local Nepalis, as well as a popular tourist site.
The Stupa, now, is surrounded by monasteries, restaurants, Tibetan souvenir shops and Thangka schools which have grown up around it. Café Dew, on the south-west of Stupam is probably one that offers one of the best views of this serenity. Especially if you are seated in their terrace garden, the view is awesome. It is quite well maintained and managed and is a famous haven for a hearty breakfast. As there are quite a few tourists seated peacefully watching a rather solemn procession downstairs. The breakfast menu that they serve can be tapered according to your taste.
As you wait for the food there is ample to behold. The pristine huge semi-circular dome of the Stupa rests right in front of you. These are splashed regularly with white paint to keep it as pristine as possible.
At a modest price of Rs. 265, their set breakfast offers you choices between porridge, cornflakes or muesli. Their porridge is milky to the right level. The grains are soaked enough to be soft but not overcooked to dilute the granules. They do not disappear in your mouth like the taste of a whirlwind affair but rather linger on like the taste of a love affair meant to last.
For the early morning potato-fix, their offer is accompanied by roasti or hash-brown potatoes. The roasti is done up to cushy perfection. Slightly brown, dried and crispy on the outside; soft and buttery on the inside. Concentric onion whorls and sliced tomatoes inject aesthetics on the palate.
Then there is a list of the kind of eggs that you want for proverbial meal that you deserve to eat like a King; scrambled, poached, boiled or fried. Their poached eggs are sunny side up and served in a steel bowl. Scooping the eggs and shoving it inside your mouth simultaneously with a bit of buttered toast ,in an atmosphere so divine, is indeed a bite from heaven.
Even instant coffee does not taste that bad in this place. Makes you wonder if it is the positive aura around the place or your taste buds playing tricks with you. Or else you can wash it all down with a choice of orange, pineapple or apple juice also inclusive in the set. Bingo!
All in all, breakfasting near Boudhanath is like taking a bite off a piece of history, which thrived at some point in time, was lost in another, politically charged version of religion for some at some point and a cult only to be re-discovered by people far and wide looking for their heritage in the lineage of humanity, seeking a way of life.
Related story
Breakfast blunders
