"A white dome of peace rises above Phewa Lake, facing the Annapurna range"
Shanti Stupa
Pokhara, Gandaki Province, Nepal
On a ridge above Phewa Lake, the brilliant white World Peace Pagoda commands views that span from Pokhara's lakeside to the Annapurna massif. Built by Japanese Buddhist monks following the vision of Nichidatsu Fujii—who met Gandhi and dedicated his life to non-violence—the stupa contains relics of the Buddha and serves as the 71st peace pagoda in a worldwide network. Sunrise here transforms the mountains into gold while the city below still sleeps.
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Quick Facts
Location
Pokhara, Gandaki Province, Nepal
Tradition
Site Type
Coordinates
28.2008, 83.9448
Last Updated
Jan 24, 2026
Nichidatsu Fujii, a Japanese Buddhist monk who met Gandhi in 1931, dedicated his life to building peace pagodas worldwide. The Pokhara stupa was Nepal's first, completed in 1999 after 26 years of construction.
Origin Story
In 1931, a Japanese Buddhist monk named Nichidatsu Fujii met Mahatma Gandhi in India. The encounter transformed both men. Gandhi later said of Fujii: 'He is a man who has a burning passion for peace.' Fujii returned to Japan and devoted the remainder of his life to what he called 'beating the drum for peace'—literally, as his monks chant while drumming.
Fujii's vision centered on building peace pagodas—stupas containing relics of the Buddha—in locations around the world. Each would serve as a physical reminder of the possibility of non-violence. The Nipponzan-Myōhōji order he led has now built over 80 such pagodas globally.
The Pokhara pagoda began on September 12, 1973, when Fujii himself laid the foundation stone and placed Buddha relics in the base. Local monk Morioka Sonin led the construction with local supporters. Progress was slow—26 years slow—before the stupa reached completion. The inauguration on October 30, 1999 was attended by former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
Key Figures
Nichidatsu Fujii
Founder of Nipponzan-Myōhōji order and visionary behind the worldwide peace pagoda movement
Morioka Sonin
The monk who led the actual construction over 26 years
Spiritual Lineage
The pagoda belongs to the Nichiren Buddhist tradition as practiced by the Nipponzan-Myōhōji order. This Japanese school emphasizes the Lotus Sutra and the practice of Na-Mu-Myo-Ho-Ren-Ge-Kyo chanting. The peace pagoda movement represents the order's distinctive contribution to contemporary Buddhism.
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