Urban Fabric of the City

HISTORIC NEWARI SETTLEMENT: KIRTIPUR, NEPAL Continue………..

Urban Fabric of the City

By Jabina Shrestha

The town: Kirtipur, which emerged as the fourth royal city, is one of the last remaining refuges of a conservative Hindu urban culture, which has been enriched by an inflow of Buddhist and indigenous elements of the local newar population. Kirtipur, a comparatively compact small settlement has developed on a non-irrigated high plateau with surrounding farmland. Like other settlements, this also has access to water and large ponds or tanks usually flank the approaches to the town. The houses are built in a most compact form using as little horizontal space as possible but showing the strong tendency towards vertical expansion.

    Urban Fabric: Historical edifices

Temples

a.         Bagh Bhairav complex: Bagh Bhairav, the extant-tiered temple of Kirtipur, may be one of the oldest sites on the hillock. Although it now occupies in central place, in earlier times it could have been at the northeast corner of the settlement, the location most situated to Siva according to the ancient scriptures. (Ref. Fig1)

Style: Tiered Temple

Material: Mud brick and wood

Date of Construction: 1099-1126AD a year after the establishment of Kingdom of Kirtipur

Constructed by: King Shiva Dev III

Architectural Significance: Bagh Bhairav temple depicts the traditional architecture of Kathmandu Valley. The temple is four tiered and like every other Bhairav temples of the valley, is rectangular in plan. The top most roof is of bras and the lower two roofs are of mud tiles. The temple has 18 pinnacles and the walls of ground floor are covered by one of the most ancient wall of the Kathmandu Valley. The images of Bhagwati and the scenes from Mahabharata and Ramayana are illustrated by the paintings.

b.       

Uma Maheshwara complex : The Uma Mahesvara Temple is sited just below the highest point of the town, the highest spot being reserved for taleju Chee, the temple has suffered earthquake and storm damage over the years and it is said that long after the damage in 1833 it was rebuilt in four tiers by Bhim Shumsher rana. The temple is square in plan with a colonnaded circumambulatory at the level of the sanctum, with five bays on each side. The three carved windows have been replaced by a central door, an element not used in the upper part of any other temple of this style.

c.         Narayan Temple

 

: This temple, dominating all the landscape of the entire complex, is constructed over three succeeding of podium on the north Depukhu, the reflection of which in the water in an eye catching one. (Ref. Fig2)

Style: Domical Style

Material: Mud brick

Date of Construction: 1580-1605 AD

Constructed by: Jakerraj

Architectural Significance: At present the temple has domical roof over square plan. But from the records and the inner lower portion says that the temple was a 3 tiered temple which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1832 AD.  The present outlook for the temple was given by Laxman Pradhan in the year 1920AD with the guidance from his father Kaji Man Pradhan, who was the descendant of Jakeraj who constructed the temple12 generations before.

d.       

Loh Dega: (Ref. Fig3)

Style: Shikhara (Granthakut) Style

Material: Stone

Date of Construction: 1664 AD

Constructed by: Bajracharya Family of Kirtipur

Architectural Significance: This famous temple of stone had the artistic image of Shakyamuni, Pragyaparamita and Padmapani, which were stolen between1979-1982. The temple was inaugurated by the king of Patan, Sri Niwas Malla. The temple is highly decorated by the icons of Buddha, Ganesha, Mahankal, snakes, lions etc. This temple beautifully portrays the coherence between the Hindus and the Buddhists.