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Kathmandu
Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, is surely one of
the world's most amazing cities, being endowed with a
very large number of ancient monuments, historic temples
and other interesting and unusual sights.
Hanuman Dhoka-
Probably the most interesting part of Kathmandu is the
ancient Hanuman Dhoka Palace and temple complex in the
middle of the old city. Built during the Malla period,
the area consists of a number of different monuments,
the most outstanding of which are as follows:
The Image of Hanuman-
Standing to the left of the main entrance to the
Hanuman Dhoka Palace is an image of Hanuman, the Hindu
god who is always depicted in the form of a monkey. The
Mallas placed this image of Hanuman at their palace gate
both to protect the palace and to bring them victory in
war. The image is made of stone, but each year is coated
with a layer of red pigment made by mixing oil and
vermillion powder. Over the years these repeated layers
of pigment have distorted the face almost beyond
recognition. The idol is always clothed in red, and is
further honoured by the golden umbrella placed over its
head. This particular image, and also the smaller one
just beyond it, were erected in 1672 by King Pratap
Malla.
The Golden Door- To
the right of the image of Hanuman is the golden main
door of the Hanurnan Dhoka Palace. It is guarded by a
pair of stone lions., Shiva sits on the lion-, to the
right, while Shakti sits on the lionness to the left.
These custodians undoubtedly date from Malla times; the
golden door itself, however, is of a later period. The
inscription above the door states clearly that it was
erected in 181 0 during the reign of King Girbana Yuddha
Bikram Shah. Such an extravagance at that particular
period of Nepal's history must surely have a story to
explain it, and indeed the story is found there in the
inscription. Hundreds of outdated copper plate
inscriptions were gathered and sold, the return from
which bought the gold that was then pounded into sheets
and moulded to the posts and panels of the door.
Above the golden door, in a niche formed by a large
window opening, there are three interesting images. The
central piece shows Krishna Bishwarupa, the multiple
arms, the skulls and the terror image, are all
indicative of a strong tantric influence. To the left is
a group of three figures. The central figure is clearly
of Krishna, and very likely the other two are meant to
represent his two favourite consorts, Rukmini and Satya
Bhama. The group on the right of the Bishwarupa is
comprised of two seated figures. One of these figures,
wearing royal robes and insignia, is playing an
instrument. Seated near him in an attentive attitude is
a woman, well dressed, heavily ornamented. The face of
the king resembles very closely the features found on
known images of King Pratap Malla; it can therefore be
concluded that all the images date from Pratap Malla's
time (1641-74).
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Nasal Chowk- Passing
through the Golden Door one enters Nasal Chowk, the
largest of ten courtyards found inside Hanuman Dhoka
Palace. Nasal Chowk is frequently mentioned in the
historical literature dealing with the Malla period as
well as in the documents of different Shah kings. Many
of the buildings that surround this courtyard date from
the Shah period, but a fair proportion of them also date
from an earlier period. Most of the art objects and
images found in Nasal Chowk date from the Malla period.
On the eastern side of Nasal Chowk there is a small
shrine of Nasaleshwar, from which the courtyard gets its
name. During the Malla period, Nasal Chowk served, among
other purposes, as a sort of royal theatre, so that
dances to be performed for the Palace were practised and
presented here. Nasal Chowk was also regularly used for
meetings between the king and his subjects: it is here
that the king met all those coming to him with petitions
and in times of distress, received the condolence and
support of his subjects.
During the Shah period, Nasal Chowk took on even greater
importance than it did during Malla times: the Malla
practice of conducting the coronation rites inside Mul
Chowk was set aside during the Shah period and the
coronation of the kings of Nepal has subsequently been
held in the much larger and more public Nasal Chowk.
This practice has been continued, even though the kings
of Nepal have now lived for more than ninety years in
another part of the city.
The courtyard is rectangular with the main entrance
situated at the northern end. Immediately to the left is
the open audience chamber of the Malla kings, with the
old Mafia throne still occupying a position of
prominence. At the far end, rising a full nine storeys
is the Basantpur Palace, built by King Prithvi Narayan
Shah soon after the unification of the country.
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Mohan Chowk- To the
north of Nasal Chowk lies Mohan Chowk, the residence of
the Malla kings of Kathmandu. It was built in 1649 by
King Pratap Malla (1641-74) and later repaired and 'modernised'
during the reign of King Rajendra Bikrarn Shah in 1822.
One of the central features of Mohan Chowk is the
Sundhara or golden water spout. Bringing water from
Budhanilkantha, eight kilometres north of the city, to
the Palace was a major project in the seventeenth
century Nepal, but nevertheless was accomplished. Pratap
Malla celebrated the event by erecting this fabulous
setting for the new spout from which poured cool and
clear water. The Sundhara is about 3.5 metres below
ground level, so one has to descend to it. The spout
itself is a sculptor's dream of birds and beasts, while
the wails around it are lined with thirty-six images of
gods and goddesses, all of them beautiful works of art.
In these magnificent surroundings, the king of Kathmandu
performed his morning ritual bathing ceremonies and then
ascended to the large stone throne above the Sundhara to
complete his morning devotions.
On the northern wall of the quadrangle is a lengthy
inscription of King Pratap Malla, setting out the
arrangements made to finance the worship of his many
deities. Above this inscription are two rows of images
affixed to the wall. The images in the upper row show
the ten incarnations of Vishnu and various scenes of
Krishna at play, all perfectly in keeping with the
religious tone of Mohan Chowk. There are also some
images commemorating one of the earliest contacts
between Kathmandu and the West.
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Basantapur Chowk- At
the south-east corner of the Nasal Chowk is an exit
through which one can pass into Basantpur Chowk. During
the time of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Shah kings
moved from the old quarters formerly occupied by the
Malla kings into this section of the Palace. While the
woodcarvings in the central courtyard are an especially
outstanding feature, the whole building is of equal
historic value to all Nepalese.
The nine-storeyed Palace of Prithvi Narayan Shah, called
the Basantpur Tower, is on the south-west of the
quadrangle. The tower on the south-east corner is known
as the Lalitpur Tower; Bhaktapur Tower is on the
north-east corner while Kirtipur Tower is on the
north-west.
Lalitpur Tower rises two storeys above the roofs of the
quadrangle. The view from the windows of this tower is
marvellous, and when the lavish gardens were laid out
directly below, as they once were, its charm must have
been even more enhanced. Bhaktapur Tower also rises two
storeys above the general level of the quadrangle.
It too looked out over the gardens, but a more special
attraction lies in its unobstructed view of the great
temple of Taleju that lies directly to the north. The
Kirtipur Tower has its own special fascination. The
copper roof of this tower is of most unusual design and
complexity and is unparalleled in Nepalese architecture.
Where from the inspiration for the design was derived is
as unknown as the names of the artisans who contrived
it, but it does provide a perfect counterpoint to the
towers that lie beyond it. Matching with the Lalitpur
and Kirtipur Towers in height, the Kirtipur Tower offers
a clear view into the courtyard of Nasal Chowk and also
across the roofs to Degutaleju temple and Jagannath
temple in the Hanuman Dhoka area.
Regarding the height and dramatic position, the other
towers pale to insignificance in comparison with the
Basantpur Tower, which rises a full five storeys above
the general level of buildings in the whole Palace. It
is a mark of pride today that King Prithvi Narayan Shah
saw fit to build his Kathmandu Palace in the Nepalese
style, thus not only showing his appreciation for the
merits of the traditional architecture of the Valley but
also establishing a firm precedent that was to continue
during the coming centuries.
The Basantpur Palace is a work of art in its own right,
and even today there is hardly a spot in Kathmandu that
can compare with the upper terrace of the Basantpur
Chowk for observing finely carved roof struts, excellent
windows, and the poetry of roof rising upon roof.
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Tajeju Mandir- Built
in 1564 by King Mahendra Malla, this is the most famous
of the three Taleju temples built by the Malla kings. It
is situated in Trishul Chowk, an appendage of Hanuman
Dhoka Palace, but can also be approached by way of the
Singha Dhoka or Lion Gate. The temple stands over 36.6
metres high, resting on a twelve stage plinth. Its three
roofs soar above the rest of the Hanuman Dhoka complex,
and until very recent times, it was considered very
inauspicious to build a house higher than this temple.
At the eighth stage of the plinth, the step broadens out
into a spacious platform on which a wall is mounted,
barring further progress.
On the platform just outside this wall there are twelve
miniature temples, each with a double roof and all other
appurtenances of a temple built in the Nepalese style.
The same theme is repeated inside the wall, where there
are four more such temples, each housing a deity, and
each having a spire, one of the symbols of the
attributes of Taleju goddess. On the south side, where
the main door is found, there are large stone images of
men and beasts, each one a powerful protecting force. At
the top, on the final stage of the plinth, is a finely
wrought bell on either side of the main door of the
temple, one erected by Pratap Malla in 1654 and one by
Bhaskar Malla in 1714. They are rung only when worship
is offered to goddess Taleju.
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Mul Chowk- Mul Chowk
was the scene of almost all the truly important
functions of the Malla period. Religious rites of all
descriptions, royal weddings, the investiture of the
crown prince as well as the coronation of the king
himself, all took place here. According to the Bhasha
Vamsavali, the Mul Chowk was built by Mahendra Malla in
1564 while he was building the great Taleju Temple;
Bhaskar Malla then rebuilt it in 1709, giving it its
present appearance.
Mul Chowk is shaped very much like a vihar or Buddhist
monastery with a square courtyard surrounded by a two-storeyed
quadrangle of buildings. The southern wing of the
quadrangle is by far the most important, housing, as it
does, a second and smaller, but nontheless beautiful
temple of Taleju. On the ground floor of the three wings
of the quadrangle there are large, open verandas. In the
centre of the courtyard there is a low post set in the
ground where animals are sacrificed at Dashain festival.
At this time Taleju is worshipped within the small
temple according to secret rites. The temple is on the
south side of the Mul Chowk, facing north. To the right
and left of its golden door, life-sized images of Ganga
and Jamuna stand in poses of graceful service. Above the
door, an impressive torana, carries in it central place
of honour an image of goddess.
Apart from the above mentioned courtyard and temples of
the Hanuman Dhoka complex, there are also a number of
other interesting and historic temples in the vicinity.
Some of the more important ones are described here.
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Kumari Chowk- Built
in 1757 by King Jaya Prakash Malla (1746-68), Kumari
Chowk is the home of the 'Kumari' or living goddess who
is considered to be an incarnation of the goddess Taleju.
The Kumari Chowk is a three-storeyed quadrangle lavishly
decorated with fine woodcarving. It is the third storey
of the building that is especially attractive with its
fine bay windows, in which the Kumari appears from time
to time in the company of her guardian priestess to see
and be seen by her admirers.
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Trailokya Mohan Temple-
Built in 1680 by Parthibendra Malla (reigned 1680-87),
the Trailokya Mohan Temple is built on a five-stage
plinth and has three roofs. The roof struts are carved
with different images, while the temple as a whole is
dedicated to Vishnu. On each of the walls, under the
projecting roofs, there are window screens with
medallions attached. Parthibendra Malla erected the
Trailokya Mohan Temple in memory of his elder brother
Nripendra Malla, who had enjoyed a brief reign of only
six years (1674-80).
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Kasta Mandap- Known
locally as Maru Sattal, this huge, open temple has a
long history. Popular legend has it that during King
Laxmi Narsingh's time Kalpa Briksha came to see the
chariot festival of Machchhendranath, where he was
recognised by one of the priest of Machchhendranath, The
priest seized him and refused to release him until he
promised to give a tree from whose wood a rest house
could be built. Kalpa Briksha made the promise, and so
he was released. Four days later, a huge sal tree was
delivered. With the King's permission, the Kastha Mandap
was built from the wood of this single tree; Kathmandu
has derived its name from Kastha Mandap.
A three-storyed building, Kastha Mandap has an open
ground floor, underlining its original purpose as a
public building. The decorations and carvings added over
the years have greatly enhanced the original design,
bringing it closer to the appearance of a shrine. The
central image in Kastha Mandap is of Gorakhnath. At each
of the four corners is an image of Ganesh, the
elephant-headed god.
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Bhagavati Temple
-This temple has perhaps the most interesting history of
any temple in the Hanuman Dhoka area. It is at present
dedicated to the goddess Bhagavati and consequently is
also known as the Nuwakot Bhagavati temple. Its special
importance stems from the fact that King Prithvi Narayan
Shah had a great devotion to Nuwakot Bhagavati and is
said to have brought her image with him when he unified
Nepal under one flag. After taking the city, he set up
the image in this temple, from which it is taken in
April each year on a visit back to Nuwakot, some
fifty-seven kilometres north of Kathmandu, and returned
a few days later.
The temple itself was built long before he took over
Kathmandu. Apparently King Jagajjaya Malla (1722-36)
built it and named it Mahipatindreshwar in memory of his
grandfather Mahipatindra Malla. The image of
Mahipatindra Narayan was subsequently stolen (1766), and
the shrine was empty when King Prithvi Narayan Shah
entered the city in 1768. Since Prithvi Narayan had with
him the image of Bhagavati, it was quite normal for him
to place it in this empty sanctuary close to the Palace.
When one steps back some
distance from the temple to study it, the Bhagavati
temple is uncommonly attractive; this beauty is further
enhanced by the golden roofs on the upper two storeys.
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The Great Bell-
Without the great bell erected by King Rana Bahadur Shah
in 1787, the Palace area would have seem incomplete. The
bells in the Patan Durbar Square and the Bhaktapur
Durbar Square date from 1736. For some reason Kathmandu
did not imitate this achievement immediately though it
was in the same year that Jaya Prakash Malla came to
power. Sixty years later, King Rana Bahadur Shah filled
the deficiency by providing this bell to drive off the
evil spirits. The bell is rung only when worship is
being offered in Degutaleju.
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The Great Drums- Located close to the
great bell, two huge drums were made during the reign of
Girbana Yuddha Bikram Shah (1799-1816) and are played
only during the worship of Degutaleju. An inscription on
copper plate, in the keeping of the one who plays the
drums, specifies that a buffalo and a goat must be
sacrificed for them twice a year.
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The Image of Kala Bhairab- This huge stone
image of Bhairab represents Shiva in his destructive
manifestation, hence its terrifying expression and the
symbols of death and destruction. It is undated, but was
set in its present location by Pratap Malla after it was
found in a field north of the city. The image is a
single stone, though the portion on the upper right hand
side was damaged and repaired by adding another stone.
The sun and moon to the left and right, and the heads of
lions in the upper portion also seem to have been later
additions. Such large images made of a single block of
stone are very rare in Nepal.
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Apart from the Hanuman Dhoka Palace and temple complex
and other monuments in the surrounding vicinity, some
other places worthy of mention are:
Machchhendranath Temple-
This pagoda of considerable artistic beauty is situated
in lndra Chowk on the way to Asan when coming from
Hanuman Dhoka. The temple is set in a courtyard full of
stupas and statuary and has a two-tiered bronze roof.
The temple is surrounded by residential homes and busy
shops.
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Akash Bhairab Temple-
This is a three-storeyed
temple located in the same area as the above temple. The
image of Akash Bhairab is displayed outside this temple
for a week during lndra Jatra, the festival of lndra,
the god of rain.
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Tundikhel- It is the
huge greenfield that flanks one entire side of the old
city. It is used for parades, national celebrations, and
numerous colourful festivals, and also for sports and
general exercise. At its one end is a popular garden
known as Ratna Park, and at the other are army barracks.
There are also many splendid statues at Tundikhel that
are worth looking at.
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Singha Durbar-
Singha Durbar is a grand imposing palace built in the
neoclassical style. It was once the private residence of
Rana Prime Ministers and is now the official seat of
government. It used to be a huge building with many
courtyards; however, most of it was destroyed by fire
and is now being rebuilt.
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Dharahara- Also
known as Bhimsen Stambha (Tower), Dharahara is a 50.5
metre tower built by Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa in
1832. Situated near by the General Post Office, the
tower is one of Kathrnandu's best known monuments. From
the top of the tower, one has a panoramic view of the
whole Kathmandu Valley. But it is not open for the
public.
Kesher Library-Located near the Narayanhity Royal
Palace, Kesher Library has got a huge and rare
collection of books and manuscripts collected during the
last century. It also offers an opportunity to have a
glimpse of the inside of Nepal's numerous palaces. It is
open for the public during normal office hours.
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Kesher Library-Located
near the Narayanhity Royal Palace, Kesher Library has
got a huge and rare collection of books and manuscripts
collected during the last century. It also offers an
opportunity to have a glimpse of the inside of Nepal's
numerous palaces. It is open for the public during
normal office hours.
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Narayanhity Royal Palace-
This is the present Royal Palace. At the south there is
the famous historic water spout of Narayanhity from
which the Palace derives its name. Special permission
has to be obtained to go inside the Royal Palace
compound.
Martyr's Memorial-Located on the way to Singha Durbar
the memorial's arch contains effigies of the martyrs,
and the statue of the Late King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram
Shah. It was he who led the revolution of 1950-51, and
laid the foundation for today's democratic system.
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Martyr's Memorial-Located
on the way to Singha Durbar the memorial's arch contains
effigies of the martyrs, and the statue of the Late King
Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah. It was he who led the
revolution of 1950-51, and laid the foundation for
today's democratic system.
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