A striking pagoda with cantilevered wooden roofs, towers above Bhaktapur, a royal city in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Close by is an Indian-style temple whose statues of deities are carved in stone.

The event titled 'Nepal-Australia: Cultural and Honorary Program ... Ian Green 'OAM', founder of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Melbourne, Australia, also addressed the gathering.

Kathmandu [Nepal], March 31 (ANI): A thick layer of haze ... While overseeing the Kathmandu Valley from the top of Swayambhunath Stupa, it is all covered by a thick grey haze, dipping the visibility.