Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist pagoda on a hilltop in Ananda Hill of Phumdi Vumdi Village Development Committe in the district of Kaski, Nepal. It is also a part of Pokhara city. It lies at the height of 1100 meters in Ananda Hill from sea level.
It was built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji monk Morioka Sonin with local supporters under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk and the founder of Nipponzan-Myōhōji. It is the first World Peace Pagoda in Nepal and seventy-first pagoda built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji in the world.
Santi Stupa has two tiers for tourist and religious people to circumambulate. Second tier displays the four statues of Buddha presented as a souvenirs from different countries: ‘Dharmacakra Mudra’ from Japan, ‘Bodh Gaya’ from Sri Lanka, ‘Kushinagar’ from Thailand and 'Lumbini' from Nepal. Each statues represents the important events related to Buddha and named according to the place where it took place. Dharmachakra is placed below gajur (pinnacle) which signifies wheel of life, dharma and Buddha's teaching. Top of the golden gajur holds the crystal stone from Sri Lanka which symbolizes intellect and grace. Dhamma hall with Buddha statue is located nearby the peace pagoda where Buddhist rituals take place daily and big ceremonies pujas are performed on the important dates according to Lunar calendar, such as on full moon day.
Standing on top of the Ananda hill, Shanti Stupa adds more beauty to Pokhara Valley. It is a perfect holiday place providing a clear view of the Himalayan range, Fewa Lake and Pokhara city. The hilltop provides a splendid view of sunrise and sunset.
There are several ways to reach the peace pagoda. There are hiking trails, cycling tracks and the blacked topped road to the Stupa. There are many trails for hiking. One of the popular and adventurous hiking trails is by crossing the Fewa Lake by a local boat and climb uphill through the local villages that takes about an hour to reach the hilltop. The partial black-topped road from Chorepatan to the Stupa takes about 25 minutes, which can be reached by taxi or private cars.
