Strolling around Bhaktapur

It has always been my finest hobby to stroll around Bhaktapur. The place do not fail to fascinate me every time I move around. As I walk looking at the monuments, architectures, people and their lifestyles, I feel very happy.

The town though small is rich in newari culture, traditions, folk music and dances, traditional cousins. The local dishes are always mouth watering. Walking around having a glass of Juju Dhau (local yogurt) is awesome.

Everyday tourists from different part of the world visit here. Most of them are from Asian nations like China, India. Others are from America and some European nations. Watching them allured by this cultural city makes me feel exotic. It fills me with wonder and immense delight. Strolling around in the evening is also a happy thing to do here.

Khya Pukhu

Located at Dekocha, Mahakalisthan, Khya Pukhu is well known as the temple of Budhanilkantha and Matche Narayan.

Kasan Ghat

By the river Kasan, the ghat is located. "Ghat" meaning the place where funeral is conducted. It is located in the north of Bhaktapur city at about 2.5 km distance. Kasan Ghat is on the left of the road that leads to the villages namely Jhaukhel and Duwakot.

Kasan Ghat is decorated by numerous artworks. The woodcarvings at the buildings, the monuments and idols of different god and goddess are very ancient and master pieces. Nearby is a stone tap that supplies pretty good portion of drinking water for the locals.

At the bank of Kashan khola, various rituals are performed. The water from the river is the major source for irrigation. Farmers at the bank of the river grows various food and cash crops depending on the season.

At present, due to lack of proper care the monuments and sculpture are deteriorating. They need renovation on time else the very ancient property will vanish in the near future.

Siddha Pokhari

This pond is located at Dudhpati, Bhaktpur. Situated near the Bhaktapur Hospital, this is the most visited pond in Bhaktapur. Is believe that this pond is built by a holy person so its named as Siddha (salvation in nepali). The beauty of this pond is its rectangular shape with surrounding walls with four gates at each side. Once a year during Dashain and during Indra Jatra, festivals of lights are celebrated here.

The pond has lots of fishes rared. Huge fishes of different colors like orange, white, yellow, grey are rared here.

Kamal pokhari

Kamal pokhari is located at kamalvinayak, north-east of Bhaktapur. This pond is named after its character of bearing the flowers lotus (kamal in nepali). These flowers are not available today due to the cleanliness purpose. 20 years back there used to be huge leaves of lotus covering the pond. During the lotus blossoming seasons the pond used to look very beautiful. Though without these flowers, the pond look beautiful even today.

The pond is near to the kamalvinayak buspark and Nagarkot buspark. So any traveler can easily visit here.

A. Drops Gallery

The Gallery is located at the North of Nyatapola Temple ( The Five-stored Temple), on the small pathway in Bhaktapur. A group of diligent Artists are engaged in this gallery. The arts there are fine and awesome. These artists are involved in charity as well. They donate their paintings for charity. Also they donate certain share of their income from the paintings they sold for the welfare of deprived children from villages in Nepal. Do visit this gallery when you visit Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Bhaktapur Street Festival 2069

On 22nd September, Bhaktapur observed Bhaktapur Street Festival '069. This event is held first time ever in the history of Bhaktapur. Cultural events takes place more often and with Street Festival. people got to enjoy the culture, traditional lifestyle, handicrafts, arts, traditional music, dances, cultural exhibition and most preferably the classical newari food items. Many visitors enjoyed the event. About 3 crores of business transaction took place on this one-day event.

New Year 2069 BS

Nepalese calender is based on the Bikram Sambat. According to this, the new year 2069 begins from today. With the new year begins new hope for the peace and prosperity in the nation.
Nepalese celebrates this day by several means like worshiping god and godesses, organizing family trips, camping, hanging out with friends and relatives. This depends on the taste, culture, age-groups and so on. Usually people celebrate being with their loved ones.
In Bhaktapur, an ancient historic city near kathmandu, new year is celebrated with a great festival called Bisket Jatra. This festival is observed for eight days.

Potters in Bhaktapur

Potters are one of the major occupants in Bhaktapur. The potters square is popular for the clay made utensils, monuments, gifts items and many attractive handicrafts. However there are many potters who makes clay goods and utensils around the town. These occupants make clay goods during their free time when there are no much works in their farm. Now a days, potters are modifying their profession and being tourism focused. Since bhaktapur is one of the ancient and historic city and is enlisted in UNESCO World Heritage site, numerous of tourists visits this city every year. And so this city carry a higher economic scope in the pottery profession.
The popularity of clay goods and utensils is still there in the local residents. Besides the household, people use these for gardening, decorating items, constructions and many more.

Chyasing Mandap (Bkt, Durbar Sq.)

Chyasing Mandap, a monument which is a challenge for the modern architecture. Located at the bhaktapur Durbar Square, Chyasing Mandap attracts every visiters' eyes. Rich in the wood crafts and different cultural designs craved in it, Chyasing mandap is three stored pagoda styled rest house in the durbar area.
The lower floor is open and public can stay there whereas the second and third floor is in use just for the guthi (local newari cultural group). There is lobby in the second floor where one can sit by the window in the locally weaved straw mats and enjoy the view of durbar area and people traveling there. In my childhood, it was open even for the public. I enjoyed the stay there as a child and had fun. All these memories are everlasting. Whenever you travel to Bhaktapur, reside here in the ground floor of chyasing mandap, you will love it.

Travel in the Evening

The evening life in Bhaktapur is very fun. Mostly, youngsters and tourists loves spending the evening outdoors. There are many food stalls available. Fast foods like steam momo, fried momo. chopsticks, stick-sauses. pakaudas, chatpate, panipuri, bara, chattamahri, samosa, and many more. Roaming around the historic city eating all these varieties of items on the nature-friendly leaves plate is really fun. During the evening, traveling the "Sukuldhoka Bazar" is always memorable. The Bazar ( shopping center) is the long row of shops on varieties of items on the either sides of the brick-paved road. There are many handicrafts shops, gifts shops, gallery, and many more.
Kamal-pokhari and Siddha-pokhari are two famous ponds for evening get-together. Popular for the peaceful environment, fishes, wide views of the pond is really lovely. Being on these ponds side, really sweeps away the stress of day long work load. Travel Bhaktapur to experience the evening beauty here.

Gai Jatra (The Festival of Holy Cows)

The "Gai Jatra" festival is celebrated by the Newar community according to the newari calender. During this festival, cows decorated in various forms are taken for roaming around the town from every house where the people had died the previous year. In Bhaktapur, living are cows are not used, instead children are decorated in various god and goddess and represented as cow. Also, a structure of bamboo is made to represent the cow. These various representations of cows are taken round the town. The "Gai Jatra" festival lasts for nine days. During the first the tribute is paid to the passed away members of the family and the following days is celebrated by performing different cultural dances, dramas, musics, and several satirical plays as well. The "stick dances" is the major attraction during this festival. People in Bhaktapur believe that on the first day of this festival they should eat nine different variety of food, wear nine variety of clothes and travel around the town for nine times.
There is historical significance as well in celebrating this festival. During the Malla regime, the Prince died at very young. The queen was very dishearten due to the untimely demise of her son. To console her and to bring her out from this pain, the king ordered to conduct this festival praying for the peace and liberation of the departed soul. Everyone since then celebrated this festival with great enthusiasm and respect to their beloved and departed family members.

Gai Jatra (The Cow Festival)

The "Gai Jatra" festival is celebrated by the Newar community according to the newari calender. During this festival, cows decorated in various forms are taken for roaming around the town from every house where the people had died the previous year. In Bhaktapur, living are cows are not used, instead children are decorated in various god and goddess and represented as cow. Also, a structure of bamboo is made to represent the cow. These various representations of cows are taken round the town. The "Gai Jatra" festival lasts for nine days. During the first the tribute is paid to the passed away members of the family and the following days is celebrated by performing different cultural dances, dramas, musics, and several satirical plays as well. The "stick dances" is the major attraction during this festival. People in Bhaktapur believe that on the first day of this festival they should eat nine different variety of food, wear nine variety of clothes and travel around the town for nine times.
There is historical significance as well in celebrating this festival. During the Malla regime, the Prince died at very young. The queen was very dishearten due to the untimely demise of her son. To console her and to bring her out from this pain, the king ordered to conduct this festival praying for the peace and liberation of the departed soul. Everyone since then celebrated this festival with great enthusiasm and respect to their beloved and departed family members.

Newari Culture

The natives of Bhaktapur, Patan and Kathmandu, the Newars, are mainly traders. With a purpose to trade, they are scattered across the country; with greater concentration in the Kathmandu Valley, Banepa, Dhulikhel, Bhojpur, Bandipur and Tansen .
In the Kathmandu valley, they make 44% of total population. Nationally, however, they make about 5.6% of total population. Despite the small percentage numerically, they contribute significantly in the history, art, architecture and business activities in the country. They are in to the business and government services; business being their main profession. They have negligible representations in the army and police services. Quite a number also have agriculture as their main occupation. These agrarian population are known as "jyapus".
Newars speak their own language, ' Newari' better known as Nepal Bhasa which belongs to Tibeto - Burman family of languages. It has its own scripts and has no linguistic connection to Nepali, Hindi or Sanskrit. The Newari script, the 'Ranjana lipi' is exceptional. The Newari literature is also very rich. There are Buddhist and Hindu Newars as well. Like elsewhere in the country, religious syncretism is blended into the culture and tradition.
They celebrate numerous feasts and festivals throughout the year. Newars have a well defined occupational caste system among themselves. Though some Newars have Mongoloid features, they rather represent a community of different elements mixed together. Besides their rich cultural heritage, festivals, the Newars are impeccable artists and architects.
Among the Newar community, an interesting ancient tradition, known as 'Ihi or Bel Biha' , requires that a young girl often 7 or 8 years old, be married to a certain tree called 'Bel tree' or to its green fruit called 'Bel'. The tree and the fruit symbolize a deity called 'Hiranya Garbha'. Among the deities, Hiranya Garbha is one of the immortals. Thus marriage with 'Hiranya Garbha' is considered to be everlasting.
To put it in a nutshell, the Newars, though small in numbers, have a very strong and dominating influence in Nepal's economy, politics and society in general.
The name of the county Nepal itself derives from the Newars. Newars are the indigenous peoples of the Kathmandu Valley. They are also found in the neighboring hill settlements as well as in the towns and cities of the Terai plains. Originally Buddhists, Newars have increasingly become synceritc, and now a days some Newars practice both Buddhism as well as Hinduism. They are prominent in business, agriculture and craftsmanship. Their population exceeds 1.3 million. Newars have their own language, called Nepal Bhasha, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family. The Newar language has incorporated the rich corpus of Newa literature from historical times. Newars are considered a highly developed among many communities. They have a hierarchical clan system patterned after their respective occupations. The written history of the Newars is 2,5000 years old during which they developed their impeccable culture and arts into a great civilization. Newars maintained their unique kingdom even during the various reigns of the Gopala, Kirat, Licchavi and Malla dynasties. The Shahs finally amalgamated the Newar nation state in their unification drives.

Nagarkot Sightseeing Tour

Nagarkot, located 32 kilometers northeast of Kathmandu, is one of the most scenic spots in Bhaktapur district and is renowned for its spectacular sunrise view of the Himalaya when the weather is clear. Visitors often travel to Nagarkot from Kathmandu to spend the night so that they could see the breathtaking sunrise. Nagarkot has become famous as one of the best spot to view Mount Everest as well as other snow-topped peaks of the Himalayan range of eastern Nepal. It also offers an excellent view of the Indrawati river valley to the east. With an elevation of 2,195 meters, Nagarkot also offers a panoramic view of the Valley and is described by visitors as a place whose beauty endures year round. Many visitors prefer to visit Nagarkot in the spring when surrounding valleys break out in a rich kaleidoscope of different coloured flowers. The flowers are beautiful against the serene backdrop of the snow-covered mountains. Ever popular among the tourists are the short treks and picnics which Nagarkot offers. Treks from Nagarkot are unique and delightful. For anyone who wants to have an adventure without exerting much efforts, a hike to Nagarkot's surrounding areas would be a good option. One can traverse short distances on trekking trails and come close to nature's wonders such as the outer of verdant forests, flower-covered meadows and unusual rock formations.

DATTATREYA SQUARE

The Dattatreya Square is Bhaktapur’s third dazzling gem. The seat of royalty till the 15th century, the area still houses a great number of historic monuments including many wondrous Maths (residential mansions) and temples.

The Dattatreya Temple is the main attraction of the Square. Constructed by King Yaksha Malla, the giant three-storied temple is believed to have been built with the stem of a single tree. Having defied series of calamities, it still bears testimony to the incredible achievement made in those regal days of the Nepalese history.

The Wane Layaku complex, which lies to the south-western corner of the Dattatreya temple, is noted for Bhaktapur’s second Taleju shrine. Enclosed with old houses, the courtyard sees throngs of people, especially during the Mohani (Dashain) festival, when a rare Ghau-batacha (Water Clock) is put on public display. During the Malla Era, the water-clock was used by the then rulers and astrologers for fixing "propitious moments" for commencing and concluding various state and social ceremonies.

The Peacock Window, which is also called the "Mona Lisa of Nepal", is a rare masterpiece in wood. Dating back to the early 15th century, the unique latticed window has an intricately carved peacock in its center. The window adorns the Pujari Math which, with rows of exquisitely carved windows and doors, is equally appealing. The building presently houses the Woodcarving Museum. The museum has a rich collection of unique pieces in wood.

The Brass & Bronze Museum, housed in the historic Chikanpha Math, is the next highlight of the Square. It has a wide collection of bronze and brasswares including the ritual jars, utensils, water vessels, pots, spittoons and similar other household items.

Near the Dattatreya Square is the Wakupati Narayan Temple. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the two-storied structure is a unique specimen of pagoda architecture. Next to it is Bhaktapur’s second Pottery Square.

Besides Bhaktapur’s three well-acclaimed Squares, there are many other spots within the expanse where visitors can experience a lot more. The recently-restored Ta-Pukhu (Siddha Pokhari), Ancha-Pukhu, Khancha-Pukhu, Barahi Temple, Lokeswor Mahavihar, Nava Durga Temple, the Terra-cotta Windows at Tuchhimala and Nepal’s largest Shiva Lingum at Hanumanghat are some of Bhaktapur’s monumental glories which tourists visiting this ancient city simply do not like to miss.

CULTURE

Bhaktapur is filled with Hindu and Buddhist religious sites and art. Although the population is primarily Hindu, there are nineteen Buddhist monasteries (Vihars). At Indra Varna Madavihar, built in 1671 and located between Durbar Square and Dattatraya Square, visitors can see two lion statues, a Patinga Hiti (water spout), Tantric wood-carved windows, and prayer wheels.

There are also many Buddhist monuments and shrines, including Lokeswor Mahavihar, Prasannasheel Mahavihar, Chatu Brahma Mahavihar, Jaya Kirti Mahavihar, Sukra-varna Mahavihar, Dipanker Mahavihar.

Many festivals are celebrated throughout the year to mark the seasons, pay tribute to gods, and remember historical and legendary events. A few of these are:

* Dashain, the longest festival of the year, lasting 15 days. This festival honors the goddess Devi Durga, who is said to have slain the demon Durga, son of Ruru. Celebrants perform many pujas (offerings) during this festival, including thousands of animal sacrifices. (September/October)
* Gai-Jatra, the Cow Festival. This festival focuses on families in bereavement. Every family who lost a relative in the past year participates in a procession with a cow or a young boy dressed as a cow. The cow, it is believed, helps the deceased reach heaven. (July/August)
* Bisket Jatra, the Nepalese New Year celebration, in which chariots are pulled through the streets and ultimately a tug of war over them determines who will be blessed with good fortune in the coming year. This celebration is also observed with picnics and other private get-togethers. (April)

* Tihar, the festival of lights, honors Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. The Nepalese light up their homes with candles, oil lamps, and other lights to invite the goddess Laxmi in.

They also worship crows, dogs, and cows during this festival and set aside one day to honor brothers. The Mha puja, a day of revering one's own body and life, is celebrated on one day of this festival. (October)
Monumental masterpieces in Bhaktapur are innumerable, and each is more attractive than the other. Mostly terra-cotta structures supported by carved wooden columns, elaborately carved struts, windows and doors, gilded roofs and pinnacles, open spacious courts all around and, above all, the fascinating divine images presiding over the monument—many edifices have many things in common, yet their varied shape, size and designs make the one even more wondrous than the other. Furthermore, each of their components reflects the religious belief, social outlook and the economic status of the builders, and the monuments in all carry along a rich artistic tradition of the native Newars.
In Bhaktapur, visitors confront a smaller or larger monument almost at every ten or twenty steps. Perhaps stunned by the clusters of monuments, a visitor in the past had admired the Kathmandu Valley, saying that "every other building (in the Valley) is a temple and every other day a festival". The proportion, owing to continual external invasions and natural calamities, might have changed over centuries, yet the presence of variously shaped and sized monuments in Bhaktapur is still awe-inspiring. The world-famous Nyataponla Temple, Bhairavnath Temple, Taleju Temple, 55-Window Palace, Golden Gate, Golden Faucet, Big Bell, Yaksheswor Mahadev Temple, Dattatreya Temple, Peacock Window, Taja Math, Pujari Math, Wakupati Narayan Temple, Nava Durga Temple, Chandeswori Temple, Barahi Temple, Bharbacho Gate, Terra-cotta Windows and Nepal’s largest Shiva Lingum at Hanumanghat, and such historic ponds as Ta-Pukhu, Na-Pukhu, Bhajya-Pukhu and Bahre-Pukhu (Kamal Pokhari) are simply a few among many that embellish the city’s brick- and stone-paved squares, courtyards and open fields. Besides, the presence of a great many Buddhist monuments, many of them rubbing shoulders with Hindu shrines, simply reaffirms the age-old Nepalese tradition of social harmony and religious tolerance among its peace-loving populace. Because of this time-tested tradition, Bhaktapur’s well known Lokeswor Mahavihar, Prasannasheel Mahavihar, Chatu Brahma Mahavihar, Jaya Kirti Mahavihar, Sukra-varna Mahavihar, Dipanker Mahavihar and many other Buddhist shrines have been the places of esteem and adoration for the Hindus alike.

PRESERVATION EFFORTS

For Bhaktapur and its tradition-loving locals, having monuments and culture alone is not all. For them, preservation of the mankind’s shared glories is as much important as the creation of new ones. Keeping this in mind, Bhaktapur Municipality has launched an ambitious campaign for the purpose. In this course, the local body so far has carried out massive restoration of the Nyataponla and Bhairavnath temples, Ta-Pukhu (Siddha Pokhari), the Bhandarkhal Complex, and many other monuments of both religious and archeological importance. Now on the anvil of the municipality are the undertakings involving the rehabilitation of the Taleju Temple Complex, Chatu Brahma Mahavihar, Yaksheswor Mahadev Temple and the 55-Window Palace. In addition, the upkeep of the streets and squares will continue as it had in the past. The most notable part of all these conservation efforts is the active participation of the locals as well as the visiting tourists. While the locals on their part contribute with their labor and skills, tourists do the same through their moral and monetary support.

Bhaktapur Municipality’s commitment to the preservation and promotion of the city and its glorious traditions of art and culture also has taken shape into the legendary Bhaktapur Festival 1997. Organized by the local body for five consecutive days, from October 22 to 26, 1997, the mega event—the first and biggest of its kind ever held in Nepal—had been instrumental in promoting not only Bhaktapur, but also the whole nation in the international arena.

Effortful of realizing its noble objectives, Bhaktapur Municipality has also enforced a ban on vehicles in the Durbar Square. Effective since 1992, the law forbids heavy vehicles from getting into the city core and all kinds of automobiles into the palatial enclave. Because of the municipality’s endeavors and cooperation from the local citizens, Bhaktapur today is Nepal’s one of the least polluted urban areas, besides being the country’s best preserved city.

Given the historic city’s artistic and cultural riches combined with the unspoilt natural atmosphere all around it, a visit to Bhaktapur will sure to become an experience of a lifetime for many. A quiet stroll down the city’s tranquil streets not only take them into a drastically different socio-cultural environment, but also help them explore a glorious dimension of human civilization that is Bhaktapur.

HISTORY

Founded in the 12th century by King Ananda Malla (according to various chronicles), Bhaktapur was the capital city of the Greater Malla Kingdom until the 15th century and was an independent kingdom from then until the 18th century.

The last three Malla rulers of Bhaktapur were Jitamitra Malla, Bhupatindra Malla, and Ranjit Malla. These rulers played key roles in building the palaces and temples of Durbar Square.

In 1744, Prithvi Narayan Shah, descendent of Dravya Shah, who was the founder of the Gorkha dynasty, began a conquest march in the Kathmandu Valley, capturing and unifying Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur, and the smaller towns of the Valley under one rule.

After a period of instability and a bloody coup in 1846, Jang Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji took control of Nepal. His Rana dynasty ruled Nepal until 1951, when the Congress Party formed a new government. In 1960, King Mahendra took control, banned political parties, and instituted land reforms. Political turmoil continued throughout the late 20th century.

In 1934, a major earthquake destroyed over 2,000 houses and severely damaged over 2,000 more homes. Over 1,000 people died in this quake. Restoration of many buildings was undertaken over the years, including efforts funded by West Germany in the late 1980's and by the U.S. in the 1990's.

TAUMADHI SQUARE

The Nyataponla Temple presides over the Taumadhi Square. Dating back to 1702 AD, the colossal five-storied edifice is the country’s tallest pagoda temple. The struts, doors, windows and tympanums—each embellished with attractively carved divine figures—perfectly portray the creative tradition of Newar craftsmen. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Siddhi Laxmi, the manifestation of female force and creativity. The latest major renovation of this monument was carried out in 1997 AD by Bhaktapur Municipality using the revenue it collected from tourists.

Next to the Nyataponla Temple is the rectangular shaped Bhairavnath Temple. It houses a gilded bust of Bhairav, the ferocious manifestation of Lord Shiva. The three-storied pagoda was razed to the grounds by the 1934-earthquake, and its latest renovation was undertaken by Bhaktapur Municipality in 1995 AD.

The enclosed complex facing the Nyataponla Temple is dedicated to Tilmadhav Narayan, a manifestation of Lord Vishnu, who is one of the Supreme Triumvirate of Hindu pantheon. A few steps ahead it, to the southwest, lies the famous Pottery Square, where visitors can see the city’s well-known potters making variously shaped and sized earthenware. The major monumental highlight of this square is a temple of Jeth Ganesh, which dates back to the 14th century.