6. Foreword
“Discovering Bhaktapur” is directed to the visitor of the ancient Newar City of Bhaktapur, one of
the three royal cities of the Kathmandu valley, who wants to get deeper into the history, culture and
architecture of this marvelous city. Bhaktapur was at its high time in the 12th century a city with far
reaching connection, a city of international trade; its craftsmen were praised from central India to
China.
After a long period of decay, destruction through earthquakes and the loss of political power,
Bhaktapur has become again a growing lively city. Big parts of its center are a World Heritage Site, in
which arts and crafts are flourishing again and tourism is becoming an important aspect of daily life
and employment.
“Discovering Bhaktapur” has been conceived jointly by the Bhaktapur Municipality and the Urban
Development through Local Efforts programme (udle). This programme is supporting Nepal’s
municipalities in improving urban self governance and is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Local
Development on behalf of the Government of Nepal and the German Development Cooperation on
behalf of the German Ministry of Economic Promotion and Development.
The initiatives of the municipalities of Bhaktapur in maintaining its cultural heritage and bringing it
to the increasing attention of an international public are an example for a growing proud and self-
reliance of the city and its citizens.
Presenting its precious culture, architecture and unique urban setting to a tourist, which may spend
more than half a day in the city and may fall in love with it and its people, is the intention of this book.
This is also a guide for the visitor who takes the trouble to look behind the visible beauty and tries to
understand this city.
Mr. Bishnu Nath Sharma Dr. Horst Matthaeus
Joint Secretary GTZ Programme Manager
Ministry of Local Development udle
7. Preface
Bhaktapur is one of the three main cities of the Kathmandu Valley. The importance of Bhaktapur City was
enhanced from the start of the medieval period because it became the royal seat of undivided Kathmandu
Valley during that period. It has preserved the unique medieval arts and architecture that flourished during
the reign of the Malla kings, like the other two cities of the Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur has also a royal
palace with many courtyards, temples of different architectural styles dedicated to different Gods and
Goddesses and architectural buildings erected during different centuries by different kings. The importance
of Bhaktapur’s vast heritage of historic buildings and work of art is renowned throughout the world.
Changu Narayan, located close to the city of Bhaktapur, is another one of the most important monument
sites of the Kathmandu Valley. The site is important from historical, religious, art and architectural point
of view. An inscription carved on the victory pillar in the year 464 is the oldest authentic record of the
Kathmandu Valley. This pillar was erected by Lichchavi King Mana Deva. One can see from this spot the
bird’s eyes view of the Kathmandu Valley.
Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan are considered the most significant cultural resources of the Kathmandu
Valley, i.e. areas of “outstanding universal value”. Subsequently, both sites were inscribed on the World
Heritage list as a part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage site.
This book contains comprehensive information on art, architecture and various forms of intangible cultural
heritage of Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan. This book is essentially a tourist guide book to Bhaktapur and
Changu Narayan but it can be useful for those who are interested to know about the tangible and intangible
cultural heritage of both sites.
Because of their rich cultural heritage Bhaktapur and Changu Narayan are the potential destination
for foreign tourist. In this context we are proud to have this opportunity to publish this book entitled
“Discovering Bhaktapur: A guide to the historic Newar city” written by Aidan Warlow and Suyog Prajapati.
We hope it will be helpful in understanding the heritage of both sites.
Indra Prasad Karki November, 2008
Executive Officer
Bhaktapur Municipality
8. Contents
1 Historical Background 1
2 Durbar Square: the Royal Palace 2
3 Durbar Square: the Temples 6
4 Taumadi Square 9
5 The Old Trade Route 13
6 Dattatreya Square 15
7 More Religious Centres 18
8 Journey to Changu Narayan 21
9 The Gods of Bhaktapur 25
10 The Great Festivals 29
11 Water 32
12 Newars 34
13 The Bhaktapur Development Project 38
14 Arts and Crafts 41
15 Modern Bhaktapur 44
16 Stories about Bhaktapur 45
17 Some Questions about Bhaktapur 48
Glossary 50
Index 51
Further reading 52
Acknowledgements 52
9. 1. Historical Background
Three hundred years ago the Kathmandu Valley, no more
than 200 square miles in area, contained three independent
kingdoms – Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.
All of them were prosperous, well governed and enjoying
a high level of culture. Each had fertile soil for agriculture, a
good natural water supply, local clay to make bricks and rugged
surrounding hills to discourage foreign invaders. It was an ideal
environment for the growth of a civilisation.
Bhaktapur was particularly well favoured. Built on high ground
stretching from east to west, it has one main street which
1382-1395 Jayasthiti Malla codifies the elaborate Newari
was until recently the trading route from Kathmandu to Tibet.
caste system.
Smaller streets run down to the river and to the scores of
agricultural smallholdings farmed by the townsfolk.
1453 Yaksha Malla moves royal palace to present
site. For next 300 years the Malla kings enrich
The city declined after national unification in 1768/9. Only
Bhaktapur with fine buildings.
in the last four decades has it recovered some of its former
prosperity. Visitors now see it at a critical point in its history.
1696-1722 King Bhupatindra Malla builds 55 Window
Education is now available to almost everybody, the streets
Palace, Nyatapola Temple etc.
are clean and there’s an effective sewerage system. Tourism
has encouraged the revival of many traditional crafts and the
1768/69 Gorkha army of Prithvi Narayan Shah over-
restoration of the historic buildings.
throws Mallas. Nepal unified under Shah kings.
1849-1950 Nepal governed by Rana family. Bhaktapur
c 300-900 The ancient Lichchavi period. Highly developed now a neglected backwater.
culture followed by a period of confusion and
decline. 1934 Massive earthquake (8.4 on the Richter scale)
destroys many buildings.
1147-1156 Ananda Dev said to have established Bhakta-
pur city layout including palace, temples and 1950 Ranas overthrown. Restoration of Shah
12,000 houses. dynasty.
c 1200 Malla kingdom established in Kathmandu 1974-86 Bhaktapur Development Project.
Valley, later separating into Kathmandu, Patan
and Bhaktapur. 2008 Nepal becomes a republic.
1
10. 2. Durbar Square:
the Royal Palace
You pay your entrance fee beside the tall white
Main Gate (for royalty to ride their elephants
through) and pause to take in the peaceful dignity
of the great square. From here you can see at
least twenty temples and historic buildings.
In the 17th century all the left northern side of
the square was a huge royal palace – said to have
once had 99 courtyards. In 1742 there were only
12. Now there are even fewer. You must imagine
the palace extending through the grounds of the
high school to the left of the main gate. The Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Beside the high school gate are two notorious relief Malla stone carvings. Some of the finest exhibits are thought to
carvings. The first is of Bhairav with 12 arms and a necklace of have been stolen. Surviving items of interest are: the tall Lichchavi
skulls. The second is of the 18 armed Durga with a variety of inscribed panel dating from the 6th century AD facing you as you
weapons killing a demon. (For notes on these gods, see p. 25) enter; a very large 19th century painting of the life of Krishna;
and a fine carving of Hari-Hara in the fireplace recess upstairs.
The story goes that King Bhupatindra commissioned them
in 1701. Then, to prevent the sculptor from producing such Beyond the Art Galley is the Golden Gate or Sun Dhoka (Loon
masterpieces for a rival, he ordered his right hand to be cut Dhwaakaa), a masterpiece of Newari gilded copper work
off. The sculptor bravely worked on with his left hand and so dating from 1753. It leads to the religious areas of the palace.
the king ordered that to be chopped off too. In the torana (see p. 3) above the gate you see the 4 headed
16 armed figure of Taleju, the goddess worshipped by the royal
You come to a large white building which is the National family. We will come to her temple shortly. Walk through the
Art Gallery. Flanking its entrance is a lively Hanuman (see p. gate and you come to a deep archway containing two massive
26) and a Nrisimha (man-lion incarnation of Vishnu) with a ritual drums made of elephant skin, secreted behind lattice
nasty grin on his face as he tears out the entrails of a demon. screens. They were of course carried by elephants.
They date from 1698. These protect what was once the main
entrance to the palace. The white facade dates only from Continue along the courtyards and past a pair of elegant
the Rana period in the early 20th century. stone figures in Malla court dress bearing oil lamps. They are
said to represent the King Jitamitra Malla and his minister
The Gallery contains a random assembly of artworks, mainly Chandrashekhar Rajopadhyaya, both signalling the Dashain
18th and 19th century pauva paintings of Hindu deities and small festival.
2
11. It is said that the main Taleju idol housed in the temple is
made up of a single block of gold. Much of what goes on
inside is kept secret by the priests who come from the
Karmacharya caste. Strict regulations are maintained
regarding those allowed inside the temple which was largely
rebuilt by Jitamitra Malla in the mid-seventeenth century.
He is said to have neglected his kingdom to concentrate on
art and worship. Still it is the scene of massive sacrifices of
buffalo at the annual Dashain festival.
The Durbar Square
You come now to the entrance of the Mul Chowk. Inside is
the most holy temple of Taleju. Non-Hindus are not allowed
in. But they can peep through the door and see some of
the wonderfully ornate carvings in the great courtyard. An
array of exquisite carvings, some of them said to have been
carved by King Bhupatindra himself, will keep Hindu visitors
spell bound and make them forget the other works of art
in the valley. Inside there are passages leading to more
courtyards, namely Kumari Chowk and Bhairav Chowk,
both of which are restricted to Hindus except during certain
occasions. Bhairav Chowk is open only during the annual
Dashain festival. Inside Hindus can see beautiful idols of the
eighteen Bhairavs.
The Golden Gate, leading into the ritual centres of the palace
3
12. A few yards further on is the water spout (hiti) at the Sundhara
(Loonhiti) Chowk. Here the royal family performed their
ritual bathing under the watchful eyes of the gilded snake-
god Vasuki on a post in the middle. The small statues that
once filled the niches around the spout have been stolen for
sale to westerners. The beautiful gilded water spout hasn’t
yet been pillaged. (See p. 32 for more about water tanks
and spout.)
As you walk back into the main square you pass the
magnificent 55 Window Palace on your left. It was built
by King Bhupatindra Malla at the end of the 17th century.
Both the interior and exterior are outstanding examples of
Newari woodcarving. On the first floor are important Malla
wall paintings of scenes from the Mahabharat with Shiva 55 Window Palace
as the central figure. On the upper floor are paintings
of the Krishna Charitra which were sadly damaged by
another earthquake in 1988.The process of painting
is interesting. Michael Hutt tells us that the figures
were first traced in black soot from oil lamps onto a
surface of polished slaked lime mixed with water
and animal glue. A massive restoration project
launched in 2006 will, we hope, conserve the
wall paintings and prevent more earthquake
damage. The restoration is expected to cost
at least 200 million rupees.
On a tall pillar facing the Golden Gate is
one of Nepal’s great treasures, the statue
of Bhupatindra Malla (1696-1722). He
kneels on his lion throne with an air of
calm authority, gazing at the palace
that he did so much to restore. Try
to spot a tiny bronze bird under the
lotus pedestal. The statue was set up
in 1753 by Bupatindra’s son Ranajit
Malla, the last King of Bhaktapur.
Nearby is the large bronze Taleju
Malla king guarding the door to the Bhairav Chowk
King Bhupatindra Malla on his pedes-
tal. He built the Nyatapola Temple and
restored many other buildings.
4
13. Bell hung by King Ranajit Malla in 1737. A priest
still tolls it three times a day having removed his
shoes and said the mantras. Another smaller
bell nearby is known as the Barking Bell because
dogs were supposed to bark when it is rung;
now it is locked. In the same group of buildings
is a beautiful pit water spout (hiti), now dry.
The two storey octagonal timber building
close to the 55 Window Palace is the Chyasilin
Mandap. It was originally built in the 17th
century probably as a viewing stand during
public events and to entertain royal guests.
Totally destroyed in the 1934 earthquake,
it was carefully reconstructed in the 1980’s
under the direction of the Austrian architect
Götz Hagmüller with German funding to mark
the state visit of Chancellor Helmut Kohl. It is
a masterpiece of scholarly restoration though
very controversial at the time. You can try to
pick out which carvings are original and which
were done by a modern local wood-carver.
Eight of the twelve pillars and six of the sixteen
capitals are original. The exposed steel frames
are there to resist future earthquakes.
Along the main square facing the palace is an
extended two level dharmashala building with
a long open ground floor platform. This would
have provided lodging for travellers and visitors
to the palace – and simply a shelter in the rainy
season. Trading was not normally allowed in
Durbar Square. Look at the pre-earthquake
picture on page 39. You will see on the right
hand side of the picture that the dharmashala
has been moved further away from the palace
The Chyasilin Mandap, rebuilt in the 1980’s
during the restoration programme.
5
14. The Chyasilin Mandap King Bhupatindra Yaksheswor Temple Vatsaladevi Temple
3. Durbar Square: Further down the square, outside the Shiva Guest House, are
the temples two large temples in very contrasting styles. The sandstone
one is the Vatsaladevi Temple. It’s in the shikhara style: large
tapering upper section representing Mount Kailash flanked
by nine smaller towers. Built in 1696, it is dedicated to the
Durbar Square is an important religious as well as political Goddess Durga whose fierce images can be seen around the
centre. We start our journey again at the western Main upper sections along with idols of Bhairav.
Gate.
The other large temple is built of brick and timber in the
Across the square facing the high school are four Newari pagoda style. This is the Yaksheswar Mahadev
shrines known as the Chaar Dhaam. They represent four Temple dedicated to Shiva and dating back to the 1450’s. It
important pilgrimage centres in India; devotees unable to always attracts a large number of worshippers. It’s a replica
make the massive journey south can worship here instead. of the great pilgrimage centre of Pashupatinath on the
The two-tiered pagoda temple is for Krishna; it has very edge of Kathmandu. They say that it was built for pilgrims
elegant wood carvings, showing the ten incarnations of who couldn’t get to the real Pashupatinath during a period
Vishnu. of hostilities between the two kingdoms. There are some
6
15. rather surprising erotic carvings
on the roof struts that local
people believe were meant for
preventing lightning strikes. In
fact they are associated with
deeper religious erotic cults,
well known to students of
tantric practices.
Go back towards the 55
Window Palace and turn right
into the next wider section
of the square. This area was
particularly damaged in the
1934 earthquake.
The first smart little shikhara
style temple on the left is
dedicated to Siddhilaxmi. It
has a delightful series of figures
guarding its steps: a couple
of chained rhinos (suggesting
that the Mallas perhaps kept
a menagerie), a pair of camels
and what appears to be two
naughty boys refusing to
accompany their mothers.
The next plain white temple
is that of Silu Mahadev, also
called Fashidega (’Pumpkin
Temple’). It replaces what
must once have been a larger
building. Luckily the guardian
figures have survived.
Yaksheswar Mahadev Temple, a replica of the Pashupati shrine near Kathmandu
7
16. The guardians of the Siddhilaxmi Temple
In the middle of this open area are some lonely steps At the eastern end of the Durbar Square is the Chatubrahma
guarded by two large lions – all that remains of the huge Mahavihara once occupied by the living goddess, Kumari
vanished pagoda temple dedicated to Harishankar or (see p. 27 for more about her). It now houses one of the five
possibly Krishna. You can see what it once looked like in the Dipankara Buddhas, on the left as you enter. You should give
far background of the pre-1934 picture on pages 38 and 39. a small donation when you visit it.
8
17. 4. Taumadi Square
This very beautiful square is always
busy. Early in the morning and again in
late afternoon local farmers used to sell
their fruit and vegetables alongside the
inevitable cheap clothing and pirated
DVDs. At other times it is the scene
of political rallies, cultural events and
major religious festivals. It is particularly
pleasant in the late evening when the
traditional music bands (daaphaa) are
playing in front of the Bhairav Temple.
The Nyatapola Temple
The Nyatapola Temple is the 30 metre
high pagoda that dominates the city
skyline. It has five timber storeys
set on five massive stone platforms.
Children love scrambling over the
ledges and never seem to get hurt.
Older folk feel a bit uneasy climbing
up the steep steps.
It’s thought to be dedicated to the
beautiful goddess Siddhilaxmi and only
special Taleju priests are allowed secret
access to the inner sanctum. Nobody
else worships there. It was built on the
orders of Bhupatindra Malla in 1702.
It is said that he set a fine example by
carrying the first three bricks on his
shoulder. This so inspired the population
that all the remaining materials were
brought up in the following five days.
(Read a story about it on page 45.)
Nyatapola Temple
9
18. Taumadi Square’s fruit market during festival time
It is an outstanding feat of engineering. Apart from some
minor damage at the top it fully survived the 1934 earthquake.
Stand close to it and look upwards to appreciate the mass
of intricate carving. There are 108 roof struts (try counting
them). A government archaeologist tells us that the building
consumed 1,135,350 locally baked bricks, 102,034 oily
pavement bricks and 600 grams of gold for the pinnacle. And
that was only one of Bhupatindra Malla’s building projects. All
gold for the temples had to be imported from Tibet.
Guarding the temple are ten mighty figures. At the bottom
are two local wrestling champions called Jayamala and
Patta. Next up, ten times stronger, are a pair of elephants.
Then two lions, two griffins (sarduls) and two deities,
Singhini and Byanghini. Each is ten times stronger than the Traditional music band
pair below.
10
19. At the top you will see the beautiful
torana of the temple. But as you
circle the other facades you won’t
find any more. They have all been
stolen. The outstanding wooden
struts still remain though, showing
the various forms of goddess
Bhagvati (Durga).
Outside the temple at its four
corners are four small shrines to
Ganesh which are much used by
worshippers.
The Bhairav Temple
This broad three-tiered pagoda
on the eastern side of the square
is the most important religious
building in the area. It was first
built by Jagajjyotir Malla in the Bhairav Temple alongside the chariot carrying the deity during Bisket Jatra
early 17th century.
Worshippers come to do puja to a little gilded bronze image at
The story goes that the dangerous god, Bhairav, visited the front. There is a mass of fine images all around it. To enter
Bhaktapur disguised as a commoner. A clever local tantric the temple they have to go round the back through a small
priest recognized him and used magic to trap him in the temple to Vetaal, Bhairav’s vehicle. (Read more about the gods
ground. Then when the god tried to escape, the priest on page 25 and about the Bisket Festival on page 29.)
chopped his head off and installed it in this temple – where
of course it still is, or should be. Actually his image was The large stone platform covering the southern area is a
stolen and has had to be replaced. dabu. It’s for ritual dancing and events.
The temple has had its ups and downs. It began as a single storey The popular Nyatapola Cafe standing in the middle of
rectangular building. Then Bhupatindra Malla added two storeys the square was once a sattal (rest house). It was sensibly
in the early 18th century. It collapsed in the 1934 earthquake and converted into a restaurant in 1976 and is a good place to sit
was then rebuilt by the Mathema family in 1941. and watch the world go by.
The massive wheels and beams lying against the side of the Behind the cafe and the mass of tourist souvenir shops is a
temple are assembled to carry the god during the Bisket large Malla house with fine carvings. It is Pu-baha (Bahatal)
Festival. belonging to a rich merchant family, the Dhaubadels.
11
20. Early morning at the Tilmadhav Narayan Temple
The Tilmadhav Narayan Temple Garuda, is parked on a pillar outside – a particularly fine gilded
bronze figure. On other pillars you see Vishnu’s conch, shankha
It’s in an interesting courtyard hidden from the main square and his chakra, the disc-shaped weapon. The figure of Narayan
by a row of shops. Go down the narrow passage between in the torana over the temple door has been ripped out by
the tourist shops behind the dabu platform. thieves, like so much of Bhaktapur’s sacred metalwork.
This is one of the oldest and most sacred shrines in the city A male lingam and female yoni are in a wooden cage nearby,
with an inscription dated 1163. The twin roofed pagoda temple symbols of Shiva and Parvati. The whole area is much used
is dedicated to Narayan (Vishnu). His vehicle, the birdman by worshippers.
12
21. A Tamrakar’s shop.
5. The Old Trade Route You have to cast your mind back five hundred years and
imagine a rough stone paved and very mucky road filled with
The ancient route from Delhi and Kathmandu to Lhasa heavily laden donkeys, yaks and human porters, smarter
and Beijing went through Bhaktapur. A steady trade was travellers on ponies – but no wheeled traffic. Very grand
maintained in salt, wool, gold dust, copper, medicinal herbs, people, particularly ladies, were carried in palanquins.
spices and yak tails (used as royal fly whisks). Probably
not much silk though. This trade peaked in the early 18th They doubtless had to pay a considerable sum at the customs post.
century and then declined after the national unification in Most of the shops in the city are still located along this route.
1767. A community of Newari traders has remained in Lhasa
to import Nepali goods up to the present time. Leaving Taumadi Square following the main road northeast,
you soon come to a group of metalwork shops displaying
Merchants entered Bhaktapur through the Lion Gate on the beautiful bronze and copper utensils. They are made by
western side of the city, avoiding the Durbar Square (see the Tamrakar caste who live in this area. If you are specially
the map on the inside front cover). They travelled down interested in metalwork shops, go down the steep narrow
Bharbhacho, Tekapukhu and Nasamana, Varahi dyachhen, turning to the right. The noise of hammering will tell you
just above the Pottery Square. where the workshops are.
13
22. The busy street of Sukuldhoka.
Along the way on the right, just past the Taumadi Square here, particularly at the three level Ganesh–Bhairav shrine on
on the first rightward bend in the street, is the Sukuldhoka the right. There is a very deep hiti with a fine early relief carving
Math (’straw-matted door’). Its doors tend to be blocked of Shiva and Parvati (Uma-Mahesvara) over the spout.
by fruit stalls but you can ask permission to go through the
small middle door. This is a math or Hindu sage house dating Continuing along the street you pass on the left two-storeyed
from 1744. You’ll find yourself in a murky but atmospheric vihara with carved windows in Palikhel. This is the Mangal
building well worth exploring. Dharmadeep. You are welcome to explore inside, especially
if you are interested in Buddhism.
Keep going along the main street which soon widens into a
small area of shrines, Golmadi Square. A lot of puja goes on Finally you reach Dattatreya Square.
14
23. 6. Dattatreya Square
(or Tachupal Tol)
This is a remarkably unspoilt area. Almost all the buildings
you can see date from the eighteenth century or earlier,
though several had to be reconstructed after the 1934
earthquake. Historically this is probably the oldest
settlement in Bhaktapur.
Dattatreya Temple dominates the square on the eastern
side. It dates from the reign of Yakshya Malla (1428-1482).
Its dedication is complex. Dattatreya himself was a sage
and a combined form of the great trinity – Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva. Their various symbols can be seen in front of the
temple including a particularly fine gilded man-bird Garuda
on a large pillar with a crown of snakes.
Like the Nyatapola, this temple is guarded by the two mighty
wrestlers Jayamala and Patta. These two are said to have fought
each other for forty days and nights, knocking down several
buildings in the process. The king had to intervene and then
Dattatreya Square
posted them as temple guards – which of course they still are.
They have amusingly bewildered expressions. We are told that Maths
all the timber in the temple came from a single tree.
These are the handsome timber and brick buildings many
At the lower end of the square is the Bhimsen Temple. On of which surround Dattatreya Square. They were dwelling
the ground floor there is a resting place while the deity is hostels for Hindu sages and religious students. There are
upstairs. This causes problems when a buffalo has to be twelve altogether in Bhaktapur, nine of them in this area.
carried for sacrifice. Bhimsen is the wrathful son of Vayu They were still thriving in the 1950’s on the proceeds of
(the wind god) and much worshipped by merchants in donations and endowments from as far away as Tibet.
Bhaktapur. They say that when he appears in disguise at a
market stall, he’ll pay whatever price the seller asks! King Mahendra deprived them of their incomes with his
land reforms in the sixties leading to their closure.
Overlooking the north side of the square is a first floor open
gallery, currently a restaurant. Originally it was the home of The largest and most famous is the Pujari Math on the right
members of the Jangam caste whose job it still is to maintain the hand side beyond the main temple. It dates back to the 15th
two big temples in the square and some of the nearby maths. century but most of what you see is from the 18th century.
15
24. A woman drying rice in front of the Pujari Math.
It was almost wiped out by the 1934 earthquake and It dates from about 1750. You can ask the friendly owner
remained in a partially rebuilt state of decay. The German of the woodcarving shop opposite to let you view it at first
government funded a total restoration as an unusual floor level. None of the carved versions on sale in the tourist
wedding gift to Crown Prince, later King, Birendra in 1972. shops remotely match up to the original, though accurate
full-size replicas are sometimes made to order by the two
It is a magnificent rabbit-warren of a building on four storeys, shops facing the window.
with three inner courtyards where the best wood carved
windows are to be seen. Some of it is now a Woodcarving Another math on the other side of the square from the
Museum which gives you an excuse to wander around. Pujari Math is the Chikanappa Math, now open to visitors
as a Metalwork Museum. There are some erotic carvings
If you walk down an alley to the left of the building for on the outside of this math. The interior has an attractive
about fifty yards you will see, high on the right hand wall, atmosphere and the exhibits, though not old, are worth
the most beautiful window in Nepal – the Peacock Window. seeing.
16
25. Shiva and Garuda images in the courtyard of Wakupati Narayan.
You can continue along the main road beyond the Dattatreya than five figures of the bird-god Garuda on pedestals in front
Temple. You pass a beautiful well alongside a small temple of it; the first and largest dates are from ancient times. Little
and the Bramhayani god-house on the left near a school. Shiva linga also strew its compound showing the dominance
You soon see on your right a very attractive little area of the Shaiva (’Shiva worshipping’) cult in later times. It is a
containing the Wakupati Narayan Temple. It’s a replica of peaceful sacred precinct, usually with a lot of old men sitting
the famous Changu Narayan. The temple itself has no less and gossiping in the nearby patis.
17
26. 7. More Religious Centres
These are places of worship that are not really welcoming
to tourists. Only go there if you are seriously interested in
religious culture. Please be discreet with your photography.
And don’t take large tourist groups.
The Navadurga Dyachhen
The Navadurga Dyachhen is a very interesting temple but
awkward to find. Go to Dattatreya Square and then ask the
way.
It is the headquarters or agam of the famous nine masked
dancers known as the Navadurga. They belong to the
Banamala (Gatha) caste of landless gardeners. Every year,
since 1513, they put on their frightening clay masks and do
a vibrant dance round the 21 squares of the city wearing
bright female costumes. They are respected and feared as
living gods by their devotees. They engage in a variety of
obscure tantric rituals and sacrifices; on the eighth day of
the Dashain festival they swear over the body of a sacrificed
ram not to reveal their secrets. You must not photograph
them in their masks during the rituals. Read a story about
them on page 46.
Navadurga Dyochhen has recently been rebuilt and repaired
using much of the original woodwork. You can go into the
courtyard and admire the various toranas, pillars and
struts. You might find a buffalo just inside the door awaiting
sacrifice.
The masks are made by artists of the Chitrakar caste amidst
strict rituals using specially sanctified clay called bo-cha
lined with cotton and local paper. Each year the masks are
solemnly cremated and replaced during the Dashain festival.
You can buy accurate full size replicas at The Peacock Shop
and smaller papier-mâché versions in all the tourist shops.
Bhairav. a protective deity among the Navadurga dancers.
27. Svet (White) Bhairav dancing during a Navadurga procession.
The Ashtamatrika Buddhist Vihars
The 8 Mother Goddesses or Ashtamatrika are protective Buddhists listen to sermons at particular schools and monasteries
deities located at the eight points around Bhaktapur. They called vihars. A vihara generally includes a small courtyard with
represent the spiritual axes of the city, said to form the a stupa at the centre and a study room where the guru lectures
shape of a conch. from holy scriptures such as the Tripitaka and the Jatakas. You
can see viharas at all the sites of the Dipankara Buddha.
Their places of worship are open shrines called piths but the
actual idols are usually in nearby god-houses (dyachhen). The Dipankaras
eight goddesses are dangerous and require regular sacrifices
to insure the protection of the surrounding neighbourhood. ‘Dipankara’ means the Buddha of Light. He was a pre-Buddha
They correspond to eight of the nine Navadurgas. who foretold the coming of the famous Shakyamuni Gautam
Buddha. His idols are installed at various viharas. Now only five
You need a good guide to take you round all the piths as we are significant. These idols, made of clay, papier-mâché and
haven’t space to describe them here. It involves a lot of hard bamboo, are taken around the city during the Panchadaan
walking for at least a day. in mid-August. Locals here mistakenly call the five Dipankaras
the five Pandavas of the Mahabharata epic.
19
28. The easiest one to visit is in the Chatubramha Mahavihara
at the far eastern end of Durbar Square. The Dipankara is
in a cage on the left as you go in. You should donate a few
rupees when you see it.
Another Dipankara Buddha is to be seen at the
Prasannasheel Mahavihara in a back street further to
the north of Dattatreya Square. You’ll need guidance to
find it. It’s in a beautiful building with unusual gilded
medallions on the front and a variety of ancient chaityas
in the forecourt.
Ghats
Ghats are stone embankments on the rivers used firstly for
ritual bathing in the river (you have to be very devout to do
that nowadays in the filthy water), secondly for sanctification
of the dying and thirdly the cremation of the dead.
Conceptually there are eight ghats in Bhaktapur, Worshipping the Dipankara Buddha in procession.
corresponding to the eight mother goddesses or
Ashtamatrika. Not all of them are still used. Local
the Chupinghat near the Kathmandu University Music
communities usually use the one nearest their house but
School is used mainly by the sweeper caste; the Vaishnavi
there are some special ghats: Indrani Ghat near the tourist
Ghat (Moodeep) nearby was and still is used by Malla kings
bus-park is only for infants who are buried, not cremated;
and their descendants.
These ghats are interesting to know about but you
are not encouraged to visit them. And you must not
photograph funerals – this would be a gross intrusion of
privacy. If you particularly want to visit a ghat then go to
the Hanuman Ghat (you’ll need directions to get there)
where there is a mass of important shrines and a very
devout atmosphere.
A more visitor-friendly ghat is that of Indrani, no longer
used for cremation. Again you must ask for directions. It’s
on a quiet corner just outside the Durbar Square gate,
northwards down the stairways. The temple under a tree is
one of the eight Ashtamatrika shrines and the scene of a lot
Ghat, cremation site at the river bank of rituals but no cremation.
20
29. 8. Journey to Changu
Narayan
Changu Narayan is a village set in the hills about six
kilometres north of Bhaktapur. You can reach it by bus or
taxi and then enjoy walking back downhill on the footpath.
Alternatively you can walk there from Nagarkot.
It is one of the most important ancient sites in Nepal,
particularly famous for its temple dedicated to Narayan
(Vishnu) and its sculptures dating from the ancient Licchavi
period. (You can read a story behind it on page 45.)
You arrive at the eastern end of the village and pay a small
entrance fee. You then walk the length of the village street
to the temple area at the far end. It’s worth stopping on the The elephant that ‘ran away’ from its workshop.
way to visit the small private Museum on the right.
You enter the temple courtyard surrounded by resthouses Beyond the migrant elephant you reach the important
which are still used by pilgrims at festival time. The two Licchavi sculptures which we describe later in this chapter.
tiered pagoda temple was rebuilt by Queen Riddhilaxmi
after a fire in 1764. You are now at the front of the temple facing west. Originally
one approached it from this direction up a flight of steps
Look at the beautiful gilded copper roof with its smart from the other side of the village. You might like to explore
pinnacle of five spires under a parasol. The roof is supported the area below the steps which offers a fine view of the
by very elegant painted struts in the shape of multiarmed Kathmandu Valley and the winding Manohara River.
deities. Below that is a row of windbells. And then there are
triple doors on all four sides of the temple. The front of the temple is a rich mass of Vishnu symbols and a
beautiful gilded triple door. Above the door is a magnificient
Walking clockwise round the courtyard you pass a bright little torana with standing figures of Vishnu and two consorts
temple dedicated to Chhinnamastaa; she is an incarnation under the protective head of Garuda. Facing the door is a
of Parvati, Shiva’s consort, who cut off her own head to feed charming little gilded statue of the Queen Riddhilaxmi and
her attendants. There are three fine gilded small toranas on her son King Bhupalendra Malla, in a square metal cage.
the outside. Sadly two of them were stolen quite recently These sculptures were stolen a few years ago but luckily
and replaced by replicas. Nearby is a very curious rough recovered.
hewn stone elephant. It remained unfinished because
one morning it was discovered to have walked from the Continue round the courtyard. You pass a small library and
workshop to its present position. Nobody dared continue medical dispensary for locals to use. (There’s no doctor in
carving it after that. the village.)
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30. the most precious works of art in Asia. The Lichchavi period
(c. 4th-9th century) has a very distinctive style of carving
using hard dark-coloured stone, usually highly polished, the
figures having long smooth limbs often in unusual poses.
Each sculpture is highly individual and packed with sacred
information.
We walk (as always) clockwise round the temple, coming to
the first major sculpture of Vishnu Vishvarupa towards the
end of the left hand side.
Vishnu Vishvarupa – Vishnu’s grand
unified form (Circa 7th century)
At the base of this relief we see a figure asleep in the
primeval ocean of serpents (nagas). He is probably Valaram,
one of Vishnu’s incarnations. On top at the centre is Vishnu,
standing in magnificent yet compassionate authority with
The millenial shrine of Changu Narayan showing its ancient
inscription on the left hand pillar.
Back near the entrance you see a collection of dusty
wooden carriages and palanquins. These are used to
carry the sacred images round the village at festival
time. Twice a year Narayan’s spirit in a large silver pot is
brought on a ritual visit to the royal palace in Kathmandu.
The best of the small carriages has been ruined by thieves
who (just before we came to write this chapter) removed
two beautiful wooden elephants that used to support the
deity.
The ancient sculptures of
Changu Narayan
Having walked round the courtyard, you can go back to
examine the stone carvings more carefully. They are some of The majestic Vishnu Vishvarupa
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31. multiple heads that represent each of his different forms. Manadev’s inscription (464 AD)
He holds all his ritual symbols and is surrounded by rows of
humbled minor gods, heroes, angels and elephants. Nearby, under a gilded chakra, is an inscription on a square
pillar. It is a dedication by King Manadev dated 464 AD.
The complex web of images is designed with remarkable The script is Gupta-Brahmi, a language based on Sanskrit.
clarity and technical virtuosity. It is one of Nepal’s greatest A portion of the inscription cannot be seen as the pillar is
treasures. sunk into the ground. But we see enough to appreciate the
beautifully carved ancient script.
Garuda (7th century)
Vishnu Vikrant –The giant Vishnu
This is the earliest and most famous statue in the temple (Circa 7th century)
complex. Garuda is a mythical bird-man with wings as well
as limbs. The face that replaces the beak in this sculpture is At the bottom we see Vishnu disguised as a dwarf (Vaman)
believed to be that of the then king Manadev. It was probably receiving donations from the generous demon-king Bali.
once on a pillar that collapsed during an earthquake. Bali makes countless offerings to Vaman. Finally Vaman asks
for only three strides worth of land. Bali agrees to give this.
Vaman then takes his true form as a god who covers all the
worlds in three gargantuan strides. All this to win back the
heavens which Bali had seized from the Gods.
Lord Vishnu’s mount Garuda The colossal ‘dwarf’, Vishnu Vikrant (8th century).
23
32. Nrisimha (circa 14th century) Garudasana Vishnu–Vishnu astride
Garuda (Circa 8th century)
Nrisimha is the lion-man incarnation of Vishnu. This
gory image shows him calmly disemboweling the demon Vishnu bearing his discus (chakra) and mace (gada) voyages
Hiranyakasipu. on his vehicle, Garuda. This image is also seen on the
Nepalese Rs 10 banknote.
Brahma had decreed that this demon could not be killed by
man or beast, nor during day or night, not inside or outside
a building, nor with any weapon. But Nrisimha circumvented
these rules by being neither man nor beast but a lion-man; it
was neither day nor night but twilight; it was neither indoors
nor outdoors but in the doorway of the palace; and he used
no weapon but his claws. Brahma is watching from the upper
left corner. It is an outstanding piece of ancient sculpture,
most notable for its display of huge arms and legs.
Vishnu voyaging on top of Garuda (9th century).
‘Lion-man’, Nrisimha, tearing the chest of the demon Hiranyakasipu
24
33. and street corner, is Shiva’s image of the lingam, the male
procreative symbol, which is devoutly worshipped.
Bhairav is Shiva in his fearsome form with horrible fangs,
many arms holding a variety of weapons and wearing a
garland of skulls. There is a large temple of his in Taumadi
Square (see p. 11) and another in Durbar Square. He also
features in many thanka/ pauva paintings.
Parvati is Shiva’s beautiful consort. They often appear
together in relief sculptures. Alternatively Parvati can appear
in her dangerous form as Durga amidst weapons and skulls
but always with a calm face. Her other form is Taleju, the
tutelary deity of the royal family, with her big temple in the
palace. (See p. 3 ) Durga and Taleju are dangerous goddesses
who have to be appeased with animal sacrifices particularly
during the Dashain Festival. Tourists are not encouraged to
watch this happening.
Ganesh is the friendly son of Shiva and Parvati. He has an
elephant head because Shiva once mistakenly chopped off
his human one. He brings good fortune and is very popular
Bhairav, Shiva’s wrathful form. with children. His vehicle is a long-tailed rat always to be
seen on a pedestal outside his temples. There is an important
9. The Gods of Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur means ‘City of Devotees’. It is the home of both
gods and people. The gods can be seen on every street
corner, in every courtyard and inside every home. These are
a few of the main ones.
Shiva the creator and destroyer. You recognize his temples
because his vehicle, the bull Nandi, is patiently waiting
on a pedestal outside. Shiva’s most conspicuous place of
worship is the Yaksheswar Temple in Durbar Square (see p.
6) but you’ll find him in many other temples. His common
attributes are a long handled trident (trishula) and a hand-
drum (damaru). Much more widespread, in every square Shiva linga and the trident trishul.
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34. Ganesh, god of good initiation. (wood) Hanuman, the powerful monkey god. (stone) Durga, the protective mother deity (stone)
Ganesh shrine at Surya Vinayak to the south of Bhaktapur. the Kumari in Kathmandu, who is confined to her palace and
You see his statue everywhere. never allowed to touch the ground with her feet, the Bhaktapur
Kumari leads a reasonably normal life. She lives with her family,
Siddhilaxmi is related to Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. She goes to school and plays with her friends.
is greatly revered in Bhaktapur and resides in the huge
Nyatapola Temple and in the little stone temple (Lohandega) On religious occasions she wears rich clothing and performs
close to the 55 Window Palace. She is the bringer of success. ancient rituals. She can be called out at other times to minister
to dangerously sick people or in a crisis. Blessings can be
Hanuman the brave monkey god stopped off in Bhaktapur obtained at her residence on the northeast end of the city. You
in the course of rescuing the goddess Sita, wife of Ram, from should ask for directions. Her devotees were very upset when
captivity in (Sri) Lanka. His heroics in the epic Ramayan is a she went to America in 2007 to feature in a documentary film.
cherished myth. He is much worshipped at the Hanuman Ghat
(see p. 20 ). Vishnu
Kumari, the living goddess Vishnu is one of the supreme Hindu trinity along with Shiva
and Brahma and is very much revered by the royal family. He
This is a little girl selected at the age of around three from the was the representative deity of the ancient Lichchavis who
Shakya caste to be a goddess until she reaches puberty. Unlike had established many centres for his worship. Later the Shah
26
35. Kings claimed to be incarnations of him. Vishnu is considered
the preserver and nourisher. His most famous shrine is the
Wakupati Narayan Temple at the eastern end of the city and
the Narayan Temple to the south of Taumadi Square. His
vehicle is the man-bird god, Garuda, who guards the front of
his temples. His symbols are shankha (the conch), chakra (the
disc), gada (the mace) and padma (the lotus).
Worship
Bhaktapur is said to have 172 places of worship quite
apart from the little roadside and family shrines. You can
watch people of all ages doing puja throughout the day but
Kumari, the living goddess, answering her phone.
particularly in the early morning. Please don’t photograph
them. This is very intrusive. Normally puja consists of going
round several shrines, beginning with Ganesh, carrying
a copper dish containing some tika powder, rice grains,
barley, flowers, fruits and some burning incense and, most
important, some holy water in a little copper pot to bathe
the god. If there is a bell, you ding it to announce your arrival.
You make your offering and bring back the consecrated
remainder in the form of prasad for your family to receive.
You might do a circuit of the shrine, always clockwise with
your right arm towards the god. Puja is a simple but very
Vishnu, the preserver. strengthening part of Hindu life.
27
37. 10. The Great Festivals a fair amount of violence.The religious basis is the mating
of the god Bhairav with the goddess Bhadrakali to insure
It is said that there are around seventy-nine festive events the community’s fertility and welfare for the coming year.
celebrated in Bhaktapur over some seventy five days. Here Bhairav represents the sky and the rain; Bhadrakali repre-
are a few of the best known ones. sents the earth. The two must be brought together.
Bisket Jatra coincides with the Newari New Year around The image of Bhairav is installed inside a massive wooden
April. This amazing festival brings the whole city out on to chariot (rath) in Taumadi Square. His vehicle Vetaal is
the streets. It is an orgy of religious devotion, colour and attached to the tongue in front. There is a desperate contest
29
38. A Gai Jatra procession.
between the men of the upper area of the city (thane) and final evening of the festival. (Read legend about all this
the lower area (kone) to drag the rath in their own direction. on page 45.)
(In 2007 a wheel broke. It all degenerated into a stone-
throwing contest and the police had to intervene.) Gai Jatra is another extraordinary event that takes place
around the end of August and lasts for eight days.
The rath amazingly finds its way down the steep streets to where
it meets the Bhadrakali. Hundreds of people are involved in this What happens is that every family that has lost a member through
frenzied activity and every year or so mishaps occur when the death in the past 12 months joins a huge procession. They carry
big wooden wheels crush the devout youngsters. with them on a bamboo pole the symbolic image of the sacred
cow that enables the deceased to cross over the Vaitarani River
The next stage of the festival takes place in Yasinkhel into heaven. Attached to the bamboo poles you will also see
where a huge pole (phallic lingam) is inserted into a stone photographs of the dead relatives. All this is accompanied by
(female yoni) base. Men compete to bring it down on the cheerful music and boys in pairs whacking sticks (Ghintang Kishi).
30
39. The bamboo elephant effigy (Pulu Kishi) seen during Indra jatra.
During this weeklong festival people can tease and lampoon and involve Laxmi Puja, worship of the goddess of wealth, self-
the authorities without fear of reprisal. Gai Jatra was the worship (Mha Puja) and worship of brothers by females (Kija
curious invention of a Malla king who was fed up with his wife Puja), successively.
perpetually mourning the death of their young son. He ordered
all the other families who had recently lost a relative to parade Around April, Digu Puja is celebrated to show honour to
in front of her to show that she wasn’t the only one to suffer. the patriarchal lineage deity, Digu Dya. Then in July Gatha
And frolicking clowns managed to bring a smile back to her lips. Mugha Chare is observed to mark the preparatory stage for
The festival cotinues to provide therapy to bereaved families. the resurrection of the Navadurga as well as to symbolize
the death of the licentious ogre, Ghantakarna.
Dashain (Mohani) is celebrated around September/October
over a span of about ten days. It is generalized as the victory Indra Jatra takes place some days before Dashain. Celebrated
of good over evil. In Bhaktapur it signifies the empowerment for three days, this event recalls the salvation of god Indra’s
of the Navadurga through Taleju. A fortnight after Dashain, son by an appalling character, Mupatra, and the three-
Tihar (Sunti) is observed to mark the beginning of the Nepal headed elephant, Airavata. A procession of the effigies of
Sambat (Newari New Year). Three of its five days are important both these takes place around the city.
31
40. 11. Water
Water is a fundamental source of life – and therefore sacred.
For many centuries the kings of Bhaktapur cared for the
water supply so that the people could safely drink, wash and
provide for their livestock. This involved rituals and lavish
expenditure on stone carving and fine metalwork.
The old underground sources of water – the Rajkulo built
by the kings– were badly damaged by landslides and the
1934 earthquake. The water supply system has improved to
a great extent in the 1970’s by the Bhaktapur Development
Project.
The water spouts (hiti) are usually at the bottom of a fine
stone gaa (pit) or deep rectangular water recess. These can
Wells are a major source of water for many families.
be interpreted as a mirror image of a temple. The spout
itself is usually in the form of a makara, a mythical water Wells are still much in use in the courtyards as community
creature that seems like a cross between a crocodile and an water supplies. There are 152 of them. There are 34 Ponds
elephant.It is the vehicle of the water god Varuna. It often (pukhu/pokhari) all over the city. Some such as the Kamal
has a fish emerging from its mouth. Many of the hitis are still Pokhari on the east side of the town are very large. The
used for anything from laundry to cleaning teeth. grandest is the Siddha Pokhari, well worth a visit especially
in the early morning or evening. It’s a ten minute walk out
of the city leaving the Main Gate of Durbar Square. Stay on
the main road. You pass one large rather mucky pokhari
on your right, then the bus park on the left and then the
civic hospital on the right. Behind a marvellous ancient
peepal tree you reach the wall-bound Siddha Pokhari having
climbed a few steps.
It is over a 150 metres long and dates back to the time of
Yakshya Malla (15th century). Local families and bunches of
students love to wander peacefully round its stone pathway
and feed the massive carp. Its underground water sources
remain a mystery. There are interesting religious carvings
around the banks. Some of them date back to the ancient
period before the 9th century AD. Read a story about Siddha
The goat emerging from the makara’s mouth once poured water Pokhari on page 45.
for puja and bathing at the royal palace
32
42. 12. Newars
Well over 90% of the people inside the city are Newars – the
dominant ethnic group of the Kathmandu Valley. They are
divided into countless castes, sub-castes and family groups
relating to their occupations and levels of sacred purity.
Even now it is very awkward for young people to marry
outside their caste and most marriages are arranged or at
least approved by the family elders. Caste privileges were
made illegal in 1963 but this has been slow to take effect.
Each sub-caste used to live in its own district (tol) and
worship at its own shrine. The caste distinctions become
most apparent at the time of weddings, cremations,
ancestor worship (Digu Puja) and other family events. For
example, each localized caste has its own very ancient fixed
route through particular streets when they are on a funeral
procession.
Modern education has done little to change this very
conservative society. Young people may leave Bhaktapur to
seek their fortune elsewhere but very few outsiders move
into the city to replace them. Conservatism is reinforced by
the high density of the population. 80,000 people squeeze
into 8.6 square kilometers. Three or four generations often
live in one building, making it difficult to get out of the sight
of grandma. Of course good culture, rules and regulations
are maintained and a great sense of security prevails. Girls Kaita Puja, proclaiming a boy’s maturity
when they marry move into the boy’s house as very junior
members of his family. All these are of great benefit when Shortly after birth the baby has a Naming Ceremony
it comes to looking after children; plenty of aunts and (Nwaran) when the astrologer assigns a public and a secret
grandparents plus a lot of cousins to play with. name. After six months there is the Rice-feeding Ceremony
(Annaprasan/Machajanko). A few years later little girls have
Family events two symbolic marriages, first to a bel fruit, symbol of Vishnu
(lhi), and later to the sun god (Suryadarshan).
Newari lives are marked out by a succession of significant
rites of passage, important for the individual and creating Little boys have a Bratabandha (Kaita Puja) ceremony when
deep and loving bonds in the family. their hair is shaved off apart from one tuft at the middle. They
34
43. are offered a sacred loin cloth by their uncle to signal their
maturity; after this they are considered able to participate
in all the other rituals.
Then there are all the very complex marriage procedures.
You’ll probably see plenty of wedding processions during
your visit. They parade through the streets accompanied by a
very noisy band. And at the age of 77 years 7 months there’s
another celebration when aged people are symbolically
re-born and another Rice-feeding Ceremony (Janko/Bhim-
rathaa-rohan) is carried out. And so it goes on – wonderful
family occasions and a good excuse for a feast.
Dress
You still see ladies in the traditional hakupatashi costume,
particularly on religious occasions. It consists of a black
dress (patashi/sari) with red border, its huge extra length
wrapped round the waist and reaching the shoulders, a top
and a white shawl (gaa/khasto).
The men sometimes wear distinctive baggy trousers (surwo/
daura surwal) with thick, semi-woollen, laced vest (bhoto), a
waist coat and woven Dhaka cap (tapli/topi).
What impresses western visitors is the smartness and
cleanliness of ordinary Newari city dwellers. The saris are
immaculate, the men’s shirts perfectly ironed and the
girls’ long hair beautifully groomed. The school children
are as clean and tidy as their parents. All this is achieved in
households where very few people have washing machines
or running hot water.
Language
Most people in the city can speak both Nepali and Newari.
But very few can now read or write in the traditional Newari
scripts which are of 18 different types. They speak Newari
with an accent that is clearly distinguishable from that of
Kathmandu or Patan.
Bel vivaha, symbolic marriage to a fruit.
35
44. Traditional Newari dress.
Newari houses
Newars, even farmers, have always preferred to live in tightly
packed communities of attached houses of three or four storeys.
There is usually a shop or store at the bottom maybe occupied by
a couple of goats; first floor guest room; more bedrooms above;
on the top floor the important family room with kitchen (baigal/
baiga). And, close to the cooking stove, a puja area. Non-family
visitors are not normally invited into the baigal.
Most houses are very overcrowded with beds secreted all
over the building. They are generally without indoor toilets
or taps, making them unpopular with the rising generation.
We can foresee that in the next few decades younger people
with increased prosperity will move to modern concrete
apartments outside the city, leaving the poorer communities
and old people behind in the traditional houses (see p. 49
on brick factories).
The co-author of this book outside his traditional Newari house.
36
45. However one traditional house has been interestingly
modernised. It is the Namuna Ghar in a back street near
Dattatreya Square. The owner has introduced modern
facilities while conserving the old features. It has received
several awards. (Visit www.rabindra.com for information)
Guthis and local care
Guthis are the traditional associations of neighbouring
families who share duties at funeral ceremonies and
care for shared resources such as hitis and temples. They
perform many important roles in the community. But
inevitably the pressures of modern life are drawing key
members of the guthis away from their responsibilities.
They are tempted to sell off the precious treasures in the
religious buildings and leave their maintenance to foreign
Winnowing of rice.
donors.
The harvested grain is piled outside the family house to dry
Agriculture for about a week. To ward off thieves, the owners watch
their grain piles over night, often camping under little tents
At least half the population of Bhaktapur is Jyapu, a peasant of straw and happily telling tales, watching the stars and
group. They own a few ropanis of rice paddy or vegetable singing traditional songs (sinaa-jyaa-mae).
patch outside the town which have been held by the family
for many generations. Normally they have other sources of To remove the husks, they still use the timber levered dhiki,
income and use the land to feed their own family and maybe a seesaw, which strikes the grain in a pit. Flattened rice is
have some surplus to sell. made by beating the grains using wooden poles (lushi)
within hollow wooden or stone cylinders (lushi-ma-chaa).
All the family has to help with the rice planting before the
start of the monsoon, around June, having first ploughed Livestock, cows, buffaloes and goats were often kept in
and spread muck. Harvesting starts around October once the city under small shades near the houses. Some still
the festivals are over. They begin on a day approved by the rear goats and chickens for sacrifice in festivals. Now most
local astrologer avoiding, for some obscure reason, Mondays animals are brought from nearby villages or from southern
and Thursdays. Nepal for both sacrifice and butchery.
37
46. Durbar Square in the mid 1800’s.
13. The Bhaktapur The second event was the most dramatic, the earthquake
of 1934. It was the worst that we know about. The majority
Development Project
of houses and temples were damaged or de¬stroyed. The
western half of the palace vanished.
Additionally the trade routes to Tibet and India once the
Background backbones of Bhaktapur’s glory changed. With the closure
of the Tibetan border in the late 1950’s all trade connections
Every civilization has its ups and downs. The great upward with Tibet came to a halt. The new motor-able road to the
phase of Bhaktapur was the late Malla period, the 16th Chinese border, opened in 1972, by- passed Bhaktapur by
and 17th centuries. The Malla Kings were more than just one or two kilometer distance.
the rulers of the Bhaktapur Kingdom; they were the patrons
of art and culture and the administrators of the famous As a result, until 1974 most shops in the main bazaar area never
Bhaktapurian infrastructure. The city was prosperous, well opened their shutters. Streets, lanes and courtyards were full
governed and happy. of unbelievable filth, garbage and rubble of collapsed houses.
The infrastructure was no longer maintained. Splendid Maths
Different events led to a period of decline in the 19th and as well as simple private ones were seen everywhere in decay.
20th centuries. The first was political. The Kathmandu Valley The caretakers of many of the social religious foundations
was conquered and unified by the Shah King of Gorkha. After (Maths) did nothing to maintain the splendid structures.
the establishment of the Shah dynasty in 1768, Bhaktapur Bhaktapur, although still the third largest town in Nepal with
lost political independence and slowly its economic and a population of approximately 40,000 inhabitants, was the
social foundations eroded. poorest among the 26 towns.
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47. This gift was so much appreciated that in 1974 a more
comprehensive effort to improve the living conditions of the
population of Bhaktapur was launched as an “Integrated
Urban Renewal and Development Project”, in short the
Bhaktapur Development Project (BDP).
This integrated urban development project was the most
complex project in a developing country the newly founded
GTZ undertook on behalf of the German Federal Ministry
of Economic Cooperation (BMZ), with interventions in a
living historical urban environment covering physical, socio-
economic and urban management activities.
Summary
Bhaktapur Durbar Square before the 1934 earthquake.
The project carried out works in the following sectors:
Introduction
• Restoration and preservation of historic and religious
monuments
In 1970 on the occasion of the wedding of the then Crown
• Water supply and sewerage
Prince Birendra, the Federal Republic of Germany presented a
• Schools
gift in the form of financial contribution of DM 100,000/- which
• Basic urban social infrastructure
was to be used for the restoration of a historic building.
• Health education
• Community development
In the following months, Nepali and German experts
• Economic promotion
analysed the feasibility of the restoration of a number of
• Land development and housing
buildings and finally decided to concentrate on the Pujari
Math in Bhaktapur. The restoration was carried out in
1971/72 by a group of German architects together with the
Department of Archaeology.
During the restoration of the Pujari Math a number of
traditional techniques were rediscovered and used, from
wood carving to the laying of roof tiles (chingatti) in specially
prepared mud etc.
In a formal reopening session, the head of the German team of
architects handed back the key of the building to then Queen
Aiswarya. On behalf of the Queen the key was received by the
Guthi Sansthan Chairman, who in reply speech announced
that the building should be used as a national museum for
wood carving as ordered by the Queen. Bhaktapur Durbar Square after the 1934 earthquake.
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48. • Provided support to the Municipality and the constructed social infrastructure. Similarly, Department
Archaeology Department for repairs and maintenance of Archaeology established a permanent institution, the
of constructed infrastructure and restored monuments. ‘Monument Maintenance and Durbar Caretaker Office’
to look after the preservation of the cultural heritage of
Initially, activities focused on the restoration of temples and Bhaktapur and surrounding areas and to repair work on
other historic monuments, preparations for a Master Plan, and monuments completed during the project period.
studies for infrastructure work. Over time, the priorities shifted
from conservation works to infrastructure improvements Bhaktapur today
such as water supply, sewerage, pavements, solid waste
management, and the promoting of economic activities. The Bhaktapur Development Project was famous principally
for its restoration works. However, other components of
In 1980, an evaluation of the past project activities revealed the project, like the installation of a water supply, drainage,
a crisis of confidence and communication gap between the and sewerage system contributed substantially to the
project and the local people. Too much was done by the improvement of the living conditions of Bhaktapurians.
project itself; too many Nepali and German Experts took - A solid waste management system with an appropriate
sometimes contradictory - decisions. collection system as well as the pavement of streets, lanes,
and courtyards contributed to the cleanliness of the city. Until
Thus, a thorough reorganisation and revision of procedures and today, the combination of these measures is the backbone of
policies of the project was carried out and that responded to the the tourist attraction: the appreciation of the historical setting
changing political environment of the country. A Community of the public places in the Dattatreya, Taumadi, and Durbar
Development Unit was formed to intensify communication with area and many other monuments and historical sites.
local communities and to acquire people’s maximum participation
to implement the project. Also the planning and management The promotion and revitalization of traditional handicraft as well
skills of Nepali experts were upgraded and local line agencies were as the establishment of modern small-scale industries made
made responsible to implement project activities. Bhaktapur a growing economic centre in the eastern part of the
Kathmandu Valley. The decline in population observed up to the
By the end of 1986, local line agencies capacities had further middle of the 70s has turned around to growth and prosperity.
improved and they were capable to implement the project
according to the spirit of the Decentralisation Act through Bkaktapur nowadays is a vibrant town which is able to maintain
local development committees. Ongoing activities were its built cultural heritage and to manage its development.
handed over to the respective institutions like Bhaktapur Revenue from tourist entrance fees has since been the major
Municipality, Department of Archaeology, Industrial Service source of income for the municipality and is spent on the
Centre, and Nepal Water Supply Corporation. restoration and rehabilitation of monuments, maintenance of
public services as well as on other public works. Acknowledging
In 1986, the Bhaktapur Development Project ended. The two the cultural settings of Bhaktapur as areas of outstanding
Governments agreed upon a follow-up phase of five years universal value it has been inscribed on the World Heritage list
through the Urban Development through Local Efforts (udle) as a part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage site.
programme. Technical and financial support was provided
to the respective institutions to complete remaining works. The municipal administration of Bhaktapur, intensively
supported by the Project, is today an example for other
During the follow-up phase, Bhaktapur municipality started municipalities in terms of revenue collection, organization,
a technical unit that repaired and maintained already and good governance.
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49. 14. Arts and Crafts
Woodcarving
Woodcarving is traditionally carried out by the Shilpakar
caste. Their industry survives through commissions to
replace old windows and architectural features. Their skill
with the chisel (jyaaval) is outstanding. In recent years their
trade has been boosted through the support and training
funded by the German government and UNESCO. And they
sell a lot of small carvings to tourists, some of them of very
high quality.
Metalwork A Shilpakar working on an unconventional piece.
Metalwork, especially in copper, is carried out by the
Nepali Paper.
Tamrakar caste in the area to the north-east of Taumadi
Square. They make big brass water jars, copper water pots
This is an attractive rough textured material. It is exceptionally
and dishes for puja, and bronze religious items. It is worth
tough, making it useful for official documents as well as
exploring their shops. If you are interested they might show
artwork. It is specially resistant to damp and to insects.
you their traditional casting processes. Some of their bronze
Each sheet is made from the inner bark of ‘lokta’ (Daphne
items are very beautiful and well worth buying.
cannabina or Daphne papyrceae), a high-altitude shrub.
You can watch the paper being processed at The Peacock
Shop near Dattatreya Square, close to the Peacock Window.
They also sell very beautiful paper products.
Thanka or Pauva Painting
These are religious paintings on stretched cotton. You see
them in all the tourist areas of Bhaktapur and they make
very attractive wall pictures to take home. Historically they
come from two traditions, Tibetan and Newari. The word
thanka is Tibetan and it is the Tibetan refugees entering
the country in the 1960’s who introduced their style of
mandalas and Lives of Buddha and made them commercial
items for tourists.
Paper-making at The Peacock Shop.
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50. Boiling buffalo milk to make Bhaktapur Curd.
earthen pots. Previously they were only made for special
occasions. Now you can enjoy them at any local dairy and
restaurant.
Pottery
Every major Newar tol had its own pottery square until a few
decades ago. There are still several courtyards in Bhaktapur
A Chitrakar artist working on a tantric pauva. with potteries but they are losing out to the plastic and
aluminium wares from China.
The earlier pauva tradition belongs to the Chitrakars (or
Pun) caste of Newars. Until quite recently they produced The famous Pottery Square is to the southwest of Nyatapola
them following ancient rituals and processes. This involved Square. The products are laid out to dry in the sun. In the
grinding natural minerals and plants to produce the lower area of the square you can see the open kilns burning
pigments; a young girl wove the cotton; the designs came rice straw.
from ancient model art-books. They were then consecrated
by a priest. It took several weeks to produce one pauva. The local tough black clay cannot be fired at high
They were used in temples and houses for meditation and temperatures to produce delicate ceramics. The most
spiritual instruction. The Chitrakars work for the Hindu as common products now are dishes for King Curd, little
well as Buddhist religious groups. dishes for oil lamps, little mugs for homemade liquor
(thwon), piggy-banks for children and moulded religious
Bhaktapur Curd items for tourists. The craft is carried out mostly by the
Prajapati or Kumha caste. Their double-roofed pagoda
Bhaktapur Curd (Juju Dhau) is a special and delicious yoghurt temple dedicated to Jyatha (Jetha) Ganesh is in the Pottery
peculiar to Bhaktapur. It’s made out of thick buffalo milk in Square; its priest is still appointed by the Kumha caste.
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51. A Kumha potter making a clay money pot (khuturke).
For art lovers
People interested in buying different art pieces mentioned
above can visit The Peacock Shop near the Peacock Window
on the right hand turning past the Pujari Math, Dattatreya
Square. There you will find all kinds of crafted goods displayed
in a beautiful Newari house. The salesman there will also
give you a good tour of their paper factory describing all the
processes involved in making Nepali Paper. You can also find
a mini-Pottery Square at the back.
Pottery Square displaying a range of handmade clay items.
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