| Bhaktapur Durbar Square | |||||||||||||||
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Khwopa Lāyekū (Newar) | |||||||||||||||
 General view of the central part of the square before the1934 earthquake. | |||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of the Bhaktapur Durbar Square area | |||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||
| Architectural style | Newar architecture | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Bhaktapur, Nepal | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 27°40′19″N85°25′41″E / 27.672027°N 85.428108°E /27.672027; 85.428108 | ||||||||||||||
| Construction started | 14th century | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Bhaktapur Municipality | ||||||||||||||
| Website | |||||||||||||||
| https://bhaktapurmun.gov.np/en | |||||||||||||||
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Bhaktapur Durbar Square (Nepal Bhasa:𑐏𑑂𑐰𑐥 𑐮𑐵𑐫𑐎𑐸Nepali:भक्तपुर दरबार क्षेत्र) is a former royal palace complex located inBhaktapur,Nepal. It housed theMalla kings of Nepal from 14th to 15th century and the kings of theKingdom of Bhaktapur from 15th to late 18th century until the kingdom was conquered in 1769. Today, this square is recognised byUNESCO, managed jointly by theArcheological Department of Nepal andBhaktapur Municipality, and is undergoing extensive restoration due to the damages from the earthquake in1934 and the recentearthquake of 2015.[1]
TheDurbar Square is a generic name for theMalla palace square and can be found inKathmandu andPatan as well. The one inBhaktapur was considered the biggest and the grandest among the three during its independency but now many of the buildings that once occupied the square has been lost to the frequentearthquakes.[2] During its height, Bhaktapur Durbar Square contained 99courtyards but today hardly 15 of these courtyards remain.[2] The square has lost most of its buildings and courtyards to frequent earthquakes, particularly those in 1833 and 1934 and only a few of the damaged buildings were restored.
The termLāyakū (Nepal Bhasa:𑐮𑐵𑐫𑐎𑐸) is used to refer to any of theMalla dynasty palace or palace square.[3] In order to differentiate it from the palace square of other cities, the namekhwopa (Nepal Bhasa:𑐏𑑂𑐰𑐥), theNewar name ofBhaktapur is prefixed. The termLyākū originates from theSanskrit wordrājakula, meaning "royal palace".[3] Today, the term Bhaktapur Durbar Square and itsNepali translation is also widely used.
The Durbar Square of Bhaktapur once fortified and occupied a very large area.[3] After,Bhaktapur was defeated by the Gorkhali forces, the palace square fell into disrepair and the earthquakes of1833 and1934 reduced the square to its present size.[4] The former palace ground have been used as government offices, schools and private houses.[4] Like the ones ofKathmandu andPatan, Bhaktapur Durbar Square contains various temples, palaces and courtyards all of which were built in thetraditional Nepalese architecture.[5]
In general, the Durbar Square is divided into three parts based on its location:Kvathū Lyākū, literally meaning 'lower part of the royal palace' inNepal Bhasa, theKvathū Lyākū is the westermost part of the palace and is bounded by theKhaumā district in the west and theVyāsi district in the north.[6] This part contains theLyākū Dhvākhā gate, the ruins ofBasantapūra andChaukota palace and a replica of theChar Dham of India.[6]
Dathū Lyākū, literally means 'middle palace' and contains the principal buildings and temples of the square. This part contains the two main royal palaces, theLuṁ dhvākā (or the Golden gate) which servers as the main entrance to the inner courtyards of the palace and a few temples.[7] The final part of the palace square isThanthū Lyākū, literally meaning 'upper palace', it is the least preserved of the three parts as the former palaces and temples after being destroyed by anearthquake in 1833 has been replaced with government offices, schools and even residential buildings.[7]
Following are a brief introduction of the palaces, temples and other historical monuments located in the square, starting from the westernmost parts:
They are situated on the westernmost part of the square, beside two large stone statues ofguardian lions. They are placed on the entrance to the now lostBasantapūra palace(SeeLost Heritages).[1][8] The statue on the left depicts Ugrachandi, a fierce manifestation ofChandi, who herself is the fierce manifestation ofParvati while the statue on the right depicts Ugrabhairava, a fierce manifestation ofBhairava, who is a fierce manifestation ofShiva.[9] Today, these statues are a tourist attraction inBhaktapur and the local government describes them as "a masterpieces of the medieval period".[10]
They were commissioned byBhupatindra Malla and based on the inscription on it pedestal, installed on theAkshaya Tritiya of 1706.[11] Recently, a hoax has surfaced about these statues which says thatBhupatindra Malla had cut off the hands of the artisan who carved the statue of Devi so that he may not replicate it inKantipur orLalitpur and then he went on and carved theBhairava statue with his feet after which his feet was also cut off.[12] While it was true that there was a fierce competition between the three cities, there are no historical records of the artisan's hand being cut off.[9] It is likely that these statues were carved by a group led by Tulasi Lohankarmi who just a year before carved a ten foot statue of Devi for theNyatapola temple.[12] For his work, Tulasi was rewarded with atola of gold along with his wage when the temple was inaugurated.[12]
The replica of theChar Dham of India was commissioned byYaksha Malla in the 15th century with the intention of giving old, weak and handicapped citizens the satisfaction of worship the Char Dham without having to go on a pilgrimage to these sites.[13] The temples within the Char Dham includes terracotta temple of Kedarnath (akin to thetemple of same name inUttarakhand) and Badrinanth (akin totemple of same name inUttarakhand), domed temple of Ramesvar (akin toRamanathaswamy Temple) andNepalese pagoda styled temple of Jagannath (akin to thetemple inPuri).[6] Among these the Jagannath temple was the largest and was destroyed in theearthquake of 1833 after which a shed like structure was built.[12] It is presently being restored to its original architecture.[12] In 1667, the Gopinath Krishna temple was consecrated in the Nepalese style akin to theDwarkadhish Temple which replaces Kedarnath as one of the Char Dham in Indian traditions.[14] Similarly, all five of these temples were restored in the 18th century byBhupatindra Malla to its present state.[14] It is believed that each of the four temples stood on the direction of the four corners of the roof of the Gopinath Krishna temple.[15] While it is true for three of the temples, the domed temple of Ramesvar is joined with the floor plan of the Jagannath temple, although it is said to be the product of renovation works in 1856.[12]
The name of this palace,Nhēkanjhya Lyākū (Nepal Bhasa:𑐴𑑂𑐣𑐾𑐎𑐒𑐗𑑂𑐫 𑐮𑑂𑐫𑐵𑐎𑐸) is derived from a lattice window (jhya) which had a glass pane (nhēkan) placed in it.[16] The window, which has been lost today was placed byBhupatindra Malla with the intention of exhibiting a glass pane which he had received as a gift from aMughal emperor.[17][18] The palace is also known by other names such asSimhādhwākhā Lyākū (Nepal Bhasa:𑐳𑐶𑑄𑐴𑐢𑑂𑐰𑐵𑐏𑐵 𑐮𑑂𑐫𑐵𑐎𑐸), named after the two large statues ofguardian lions (simhā) andMālatīcuka Lyākū after the name of the courtyard north of the palace.[19]
It was the main residence of theroyals of Bhaktapur.[16] The construction of the palace was completed in 1698 (Nepal Sambat 818) during the reign ofBhupatindra Malla.[20][21] The current façade of the palace dates from 1856 when the eastern part of the palace was demolished byDhir Shumsher Rana, who after a trip toBritain, commissioned aBritish style building named "Lāl Baithak" in its place.[22][23] The western half of the palace was also altered to some degree in 1856, as although the interiors were built in aBritish style, the outer façade still retained some of the oldNewar windows including the old palace's namesake lattice window.[19] Theearthquake of 1934 destroyed the western half of the palace and its namesake window, including the glass pane and after the earthquake it was haphazardly reconstructed in its present form.[23]
It is very likely that the 1698 form of the palace was a remodeled version of a previously existing palace which was probably damaged by anearthquake in 1681.[16][21] The namesake of the palace, the lattice window with a glass pane was placed right above the main portal on the second floor.[24]Glass was considered extremely rare in Nepal, even till the first half of the 20th century[note 1] and the glass pane was kept byBhupatindra Malla to exhibit it to the locals.[24] This window has often been dubbed as the first use of glass pane on a window in Nepal.[17] Both the glass piece and the window itself were lost after theearthquake of 1934 destroyed the palace.
There are two large stone images ofNarasimha andHanuman beside the two large stone lions on the either side of the main portal to the interior of the palace.[26][10] An inscription in the pedestal of these statues dates them to 9 February 1698 and attributes them toBhupatindra Malla and his uncle Ugra Malla.[27]Bhupatindra Malla and Ugra Malla set upguthi and gave it the job of washing these statues withghee six times a year on the dates mentioned in the inscription.[27]
Behind the palace is a courtyard named,Mālati chuk which is one of the few remaining of the 99 courtyards of the royal palace.[19] The courtyard is noted for a set ofstone inscription set up byBhupatindra Malla and his fatherJitamitra Malla which contains short descriptions of the festivals celebrated inBhaktapur.[19] The courtyard once housed a golden water spout (hiti inNewari) as well but it has been stolen.[19] Thishiti was also placed byBhupatindra Malla along withgiltcopper statues of Hindu deities.[28][19] Unfortunately, the sculpture decorating the courtyard has been stolen as well.[28] Bhupatindra Malla also built a single-storey temple with agold-plated roof in the courtyard which was destroyed during theearthquake of 1934 and was not reconstructed.[28] There was also a largerelief ofBarahi and two other goddesses placed in the courtyard but was shifted to one of the restricted courtyards in 1957.[29]
TheLuṁ dhvākā (Nepal Bhasa:𑐮𑐸𑑃 𑐢𑑂𑐰𑐵𑐏𑐵;Sanskrit:𑐳𑑂𑐰𑐬𑑂𑐞𑐡𑑂𑐰𑐵𑐬; meaning "golden gate") which serves as an entrance to the inner courtyards of the former royal palace was constructed between 1751 and 1754 by Subhākara, Karuṇākara and Ratikara.[30] The project was initially planned in 1646 byJagajjyoti Malla who brought two goldsmiths, Guṇasiṃhadeva Nivā and Mānadeva Nivā fromLalitpur.[30] The smiths died before the project even started but a model of the gate they made still survives and appears that the project was postponed, presumably due to lack of gold.[30] It wasn't until 1751, after getting the funds fromRanajit Malla, that their descendants Subhākara, Karuṇākara and Ratikara began the work finishing it in 1754.[30] Today, it is considered one of the most important works of Nepalese art.Percy Brown, an eminent English art critic and historian, described the Golden Gate as "the most lovely piece of art in the wholekingdom; it is placed like a jewel, flashing innumerable facets in the handsome setting of its surroundings".[31] The Golden gate has attached to in on either sides, twoNewar language inscriptions ofRanajit Malla, the king who commissioned the gate. The gate serves as an entrance to the shrine ofTaleju, who was thetutelary goddess of theMallas and the main figure in thetympanum depicts ananthropomorphic form of the goddess.[32]
The Yakshasvara temple is often called the "Pashupati ofBhaktapur" because of the architectural similarities with thePashupatinath Temple inKathmandu.[33] The temple was consecrated by Karpura Devi in 1484 and was dedicated to her deceased husband,Yaksha Malla.[33] This is one of the few temples in the square that is actively worshipped by the locals. Housed inside is aLingam similar to that of thePasupatinath temple in Kathmandu. This temple is also noted for its erotic wooden carvings.[34] South of the temple is a small shrine dedicated toAnnapurna and is also often called the "Guhyeshwari of Bhaktapur".[35]
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There are five temples dedicated to different forms of the mother goddess Vatsalā (Sanskrit: वत्सला, meaning "loving mother"[36]) or Bacchalā (Nepal Bhasa:𑐧𑐔𑑂𑐕𑐮𑐵) inBhaktapur, four of which are in the palace square. The goddess Bacchalā is locally believed to shield thecity from anepidemic and hence all of these temples were consecrated with the intention of preventing one.[37]
The centrally located Nritya Vatsala (Sanskrit:Nṛtya Vatsalā;Nepal Bhasa:Nṛtya Bacchalā) is the most well known of the Vatsala temples. The image of the goddess enshrined is placed above a representation ofShiva asthe god of music, hence the prefixNritya is added in the name.[38] The antiquity of this temple is not known but the present form of the temple was built byBhupatindra Malla.[39] The construction of the current form of the temple began around February 1715 as indicated by a rock inscription in a quarry east of thecity, but the temple seems to have been in existence before 1715.[39] A bell hung on the temple's plinth mention it was offered byBhupatindra Malla himself in 1699, so it is likely that the temple was remodeled in 1715.[37] There was an epidemic ofplague that started in theKathmandu Valley around the time this temple was being remodeled, so some historians are of the opinion that the temple was remodeled with the belief that the goddess Bacchalā will suppress the pandemic.[40] The bell hung on the plinth of the temple is locally known as 'the barking dog bell" as it is believed that, when rung, the bell's sound causes dogs in the vicinity to start barking.[37] The nameNṛtya Bacchalā is rarely used to refer to the temple, insteadLohan dega, translating to "stone temple" is more generally used.[36]
Near the western part of the square are two Vatsala temples, both of which were consecrated in 1695 byJitamitra Malla.[40] The temple of Siddhi Vatsala, similar to the Nritya Vatsala is a stone temple and is generally referred asLohan dega, translating to "stone temple".[36] It is dedicated to Siddhi Lakshmi, a form ofDevi and is also referred as the temple of Siddhi Lakshmi. The temple is especially noted for its guardian statues, which includes a man and a woman holding a child and a chained dog, a pair ofcamels,horses,rhinoceroses and mythical beasts.[40] Its sister temple Yantra Vatsala, before being destroyed in the1934 earthquake, used to exist north of it. Unlike the Siddhi Lakshmi temple, it was not restored after theearthquake and instead a one storey building has been constructed in order to shelter the image of the deity.[41] It is believed that Yantra Vatsala was built in a similar style to its sister temple, Siddhi Vatsala but a complete pre-1934 picture of the temple has not been discovered.[41]
Annapurna Vatsala, another of the Vatsala temple is located south of the Yakshasvara temple is more commonly called the "Guhyeswari ofBhaktapur". The image of the deity the small shrine is similar to the Annapurna temple located inAsan, Kathmandu.[36] The temple of Annapurna Vatsala is rather small when compared to its sister temple, it is not known whether it is a reduced structure as a result of a hasty restoration work after the1934 earthquake, as is the case with many heritages in the square.[35]
A gold plated bronze statue ofBhupatindra Malla, who ruled Bhaktapur from 1696 to 1722 is placed in stone column at the center of the square. The monarch dedicated his image, seated inVajrasana andAñjali Mudrā to theirtutelary goddess,Taleju in a similar toPratap Malla inKathmandu andYog Narendra Malla inLalitpur.[42]
The statue has a bullet hole in its leg from 1769, a remnant of theBattle of Bhaktapur.[42]
The Palace of Fifty-five Windows, a name derived from the local termNge Nyapa Jhya Lyaku (Newar:𑐒𑐾𑐒𑐵𑐥𑐵 𑐗𑑂𑐫𑑅 𑐮𑐵𑐫𑐎𑐹) is the only palace in the square, whose façade has been altered the least since its completion in 1708.[43][44] It was commissioned byBhupatindra Malla after anearthquake in 1681 destroyed a structure originally built during the reign ofJayayakshya Malla in the 15th century.[43] The palace was built for musical purposes as indicated by 147 miniature carvings of musicalraga on thecornice separating the ground floor from the first.[43]
Despite being used as government offices, police stations and post offices in the 19th and 20th century, the palace of fifty five windows contains some of the best preservedmurals from theMalla dynasty.[45] Unlike most Nepalese paintings, the murals were signed by its painter as well, but significant parts of his signature has peeled off and the only readable part of his inscription mentions him being aChitrakar fromYāché (name of a locale inBhaktapur).[44]
Owing to it being used as a government office for almost two centuries, many parts of murals in the palace have been irreversibly damaged.[46] Some of the murals in the palace have been plastered over by a new layer when the building was being used by the army in the 20th century.[46] Still, after extensive restoration work, many of the important murals of the palace have survived.[46] The former private chamber of the palace contains a 2.1 m long mural of a multi-armed, multi-faced male figure embracing his female consort. The scene resembles aVishvarupa, a cosmic form ofHindu divinities, which experts initially believed represented acosmic form ofShiva with his consortParvati.[44][46] In 2001, the first proper research on the murals was conducted by historian Purushottam Lochan Shrestha which reveled some new details. The female figure, initially believed to beParvati, had anevus on her chin and the words 'Sri Bhupatindra' written, in theNewari script, on her coiffure, thus identifying her withVishva Lakshmi, the queen consort and wife ofBhupatindra Malla.[44] Aptly, the central face of the male figure also matched with the face ofBhupatindra Malla.[44] Apart from the royal couple, the mural incorporates various religious stories. InBhupatindra Malla's navel sitsVishnu in hisNarayana from and from his navel sprouts a lotus in which the creator deityBrahma is seated, who is being attacked by demons.[44] In his two hands, Bhupatindra Malla holds the chariot ofRama andRavana and depicts their battle from theRamayana.[44] In his shoulders are miniatures ofGanesha andKumara and near his feet is a miniVishvarupa figure of a half man half bull, representingNandi.[44] Thus this mural depicts,Bhupatindra Malla and his queenVishva Lakshmi as acosmicShiva and his consortParvati.[44] This particular mural, although somewhat damaged has been hailed, by some historians as themagnum opus ofNepalese painting.[44] Historian Purushottam Lochan Shrestha further writes that: "If this mural was painted in the walls of a European palace or in theLouvre instead of a poor and unknown country like Nepal, it would certainly be in the list of the greatest paintings of the world".[44]
Other murals in the palace include scenes from the life ofKrishna, a hunting scene in theTerai forest and miscellaneous murals of the royal family and everyday objects.[44]
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This palace was damaged by theearthquake of 1934; the top floor was entirely destroyed.[47][48] Like most reconstruction at that time, the palace of fifty-five windows was reconstructed haphazardly. As a result, thewindows on the top floor which previously protruded out of the façade forming a balcony like structure were simply plastered to the façade andEuropean style roof tiles were used instead of the Nepalese traditional ones.[48] In the 19th century, the palace was used as for administrative purposes including apost office[47] and as such thefrescoes in the second floor were greatly damaged and covered in soot, ink and glue stains making them unrecognisable.[48][46] After the administrative offices were shifted in the 1980s, theWest German government funded committee studied the frescos in the palace and the frescoes were cleaned by them, although some of the damage was irreversible.[46] Similarly, in 2006 the city government ofBhaktapur renovated the entire palace; theEuropean roof tiles were replaced with the traditionalpōla appāh and the top floor windows were renovated as a balcony.[48] Although the renovation was not perfect as the top floor windows in the western and eastern façade still lack the floraltympanum it once had and the wooden struts supporting them were once decorated with the images of various deities but now are plain wood.[48]
Chyasilin Mandapa, translating to "octagonal pavilion" fromNewar, was a two storey structure that existed south of the palace of fifty five windows.[49]
In localfolklore, it is attributed toBhupatindra Malla who is believed to have commissioned the building to protect his residence, the palace of fifty five windows from the harmful "energy" radiated by thelingam housed in the nearby Yaskhasvara temple which pointed north towards his residence; its unusual eight cornered roof believed to drive away the harmful "radiation".[49] In actuality however, the Chyasilin Mandap was commissioned bySrinivasa Malla ofLalitpur who erected this building as a sign of friendship between him andJagat Prakasha Malla ofBhaktapur.[50][51] Chyaslin Mandap was not a religious building; it was used by themonarchs of Bhaktapur to meet with ambassadors and other officials, by the court to watch the festival procession that pass through the square.[49] The pavilion was also used for literary purposes as a largestone inscription beside the pavilion contains apoem about thesix seasons composed byJitamitra Malla and his court.[51] During theRana regime, the building housed the tax division of thecity.[51]
The building has been described by German architect, Götz Hagmüller as the "jewel in the crown" and the most "gorgeous" building of the square.[49] Severely weakened by theearthquake of 1934, it collapsed nine hours after the earthquake hit.[52]
Contrary to the wishes of the locals ofBhaktapur, the then governor of the city decided against restoring the pavilion; its ruins, including carved pillars,struts andwindows were sent to be used inKathmandu.[51] The locals ofBhaktapur detested the governor's decisions and it was said that adivine snake spawned from the ruins of the pavilion to attack the governor.[51] The building was restored in 1987 by theWest German funded Bhaktapur Development Project.[49] The restoration team were able to locate the carved pillars, struts of the pavilion, however itscarved windows depicting stories from the life ofKrishna could not be located.[51] The restoration also became a topic of contention between the Bhaktapur Development Project and the local government ofBhaktapur; in particular the use of steel structures over traditional construction methods was criticized by the local government and conservationists.[49][53] The architects and engineers from Bhaktapur Development Project claimed that Chyasilin Mandap was an ambitious structure and had they not used modern steel beams during its restoration in 1987, it would not have survived the2015 earthquake.[49]
When the pavilion was destroyed after theearthquake in 1934, the 32 carved woodenstruts containing various depictions ofKrishna standing above couples in erotic poses were taken toKathmandu and later used to decorate a modern gate inNew Road, Kathmandu.[52][51] When the Chyasilin Mandap was being restored in 1987, the restoration team's request that the struts be returned was denied and the team subsequently used plain wooden struts.[52][51] The old struts are still at theNew Road Gate inKahtmandu.[52]
The Taleju Bell (Newar:tava gāṅ,lit. 'big bell') is a large bell dedicated toTaleju, the tutelary goddess of theMallas, offered by the last monarch of the city,Ranajit Malla on 6 January 1737.[54][55] The construction of the bell started on June 1732 and took four years and six months to complete.[55] ANewar language song composed during its inauguration is still sung by someDapha groups of thecity.[55] The priests of theTaleju temple located in one of the courtyards of the palace, to this day, ring the bell once everyday during thepuja of the goddess.[55] There are similar large bells in the palace complex ofKathmandu andLalitpur and among themBhaktapur's is the oldest.[55]
TheTaleju bell is hung atop a stone pedestal which forms a rectangular platform which is frequently used by people as a stage to watch festive processions passing through the square.
It was the tallest temple of the square; a terracotta temple that stood on a pedestal containing sculptures of its guardians, namelylions,elephants andcows.[56][57] The temple enshrined alingam associated withSilu, a lake in northern Nepal that is considered sacred toShiva, hence it is named as SiluMahadeva (Newar:silu māhādyaḥ).[56] The temple, based on its architecture is thought to be from the 17th century or earlier but its exact antiquity is not known yet.[56] The temple was destroyed in theearthquake of 1934 and was subsequently like other post earthquake restoration back then, replaced with a small dome like structure.[52][56] The post1934 structure was aptly referred asphasi dega, translating topumpkin-like temple.[56][58] After the post1934 structure was destroyed in the2015 earthquake, the temple was restored to its original pre-1934 form.[56][59]
These two structures are colloquially referred astāhā phalcā meaning "largephalcā "; a phalca being a communal resting place common inNepal.[60]Yetachapari located on the central part of the square whereas its sister structure, Tava Sattal is located on the eastern part of the square.[60][61]
Besides the aforementioned monuments, Bhaktapur Durbar Square has lost many heritages particularly due to the earthquakes in1833 and1934.[16] Following is a list of the major lost heritages of the square:
The most important building of the western part of the square was theBasantapūrarājakula, formerly a nine storey palace.[62] The building was originally commissioned by KingJagat Prakasha Malla ofBhaktapur in the17th century but was damaged in the earthquake of 1681.[62] His grandson,Bhupatindra Malla had it repaired in May 1702 when he also inaugurated the sculptures of Ugracaṇdī and Ugrabhairava, the destructive forms ofDevi andShiva placed near the entrance of the palace.[62] These statues were likely carved by a group of artisans led by Tulasi Lohankarmi, who just a year before also carved a ten foot statue ofDevi for theNyatapola temple.[12] The palace once covered a large area and was the largest and tallest palace of Nepal before being partially destroyed in theearthquake of 1833, as seen in the watercolour done byOldfield in 1856 which shows the partially destroyed palace in the deep right part of the painting.[62] In fact, the painting byOldfield is one of only two known visual depictions of the palace, the other one being afresco at a restrictive courtyard in the palace square, where only priests are allowed and photography is prohibited and such is the only publicly available image of the now destroyed palace.[12] In 1769, after the defeat of Malla rulers ofBhaktapur by theGorkhalis, the buildings within the former palace square were left in a state of disrepair.[62] The palace after being partially destroyed in theearthquake of 1833 was demolished byDhir Shumsher Rana who established a kitchen garden in its area.[62] Later in 1947, a government school was shifted to the area which still stands there.[62]
The palace was also called "nakhachhe tavagola kwatha" (meaning "a large fort meant for festivals"), during theMalla dynasty.[11] When it was still standing,Basantapūra palace was the largest palace of the square and was believed to contain halls for music and sports.[62] Some experts believe that the palace was built entirely for housingentertainment rather than for living.[62] After theGorkhali forces defeatedBhaktapur in 1769, they went on a looting spree of the former royal square and their documents showed that this palace was the source of most of the loot taken from the square.[62] Similarly, a document from 1830 puts the height of this palace at around 23.3 meters.[11]
TheBasantapūra palace is cited as an inspiration for theNautalle Durbar, which is also called theBasantapūra palace, inKathmandu, commissioned byPrithvi Narayan Shah after his victory over theKathmandu Valley.[62][11]
Today, most of the components of theBasantapūra palace has been lost to time. It is said that Dhurba Shusmer Rana, the magistrate forBhaktapur in the late 19th century used the wooden tympanum of its entrance gate, which was commissioned byBhupatindra Malla during its restoration, and itswindows as firewood.[62] Similarly, In 1947 when a government school was shifted to its area, the school building was made right on top of the foundation of the old palace and since the school is still present in the area, excavation work has not been done.[62] Today, the only remaining part of the palace are the two large statues ofguardian lions and a pair of statue of Ugracaṇdī and Ugrabhairava, the destructive forms ofDevi andShiva.[11]
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Not much is known about this palace, which once existed east of the Basantapura palace. The palace was likely demolished during the restoration work commissioned in 1856 byDhir Shumsher Rana.[6] Two artworks byHenry Ambrose Oldfield depict the palace. However, the antiquity of this building is not properly known. This palace is mentioned in an inscription during the reign ofJitamitra Malla (reign 1672–1696), so it must date from before his reign.[6] Similarly, during theBattle of Bhaktapur, it is said thatRanajit Malla took shelter in this palace as the invading Gorkhali armies started to enter the palace square.[6] The wordChaukota literally means "four forts" inSanskrit and as such the palace seems to have functioned as a fort with a tall observatory on its rooftop and was likely functioned as an arms storage as well.[6] Recently, while doing minor construction work in the area, a small part of a sculpture was found, which along with figurines of deities also contained a small inscription with the name ofJagajjyoti Malla.[6]
There are two other extantNarayana temples in the square built asShikhara.[63] The extinctNarayana temple built as a small two storeypagoda was commissioned byGanga Rani and was located on the immediate south of the western corner of the Nhēkanjhya Lyākū palace where the National Art Gallery is housed today.[64]Ganga Rani was aqueen regnant ofBhaktapur who jointly ruled the kingdom with her sons from 1559.[65] The only known visual depiction of the lost temple are two paintings done byOldfied in 1853.[64] It was likely demolished in 1856 by the thenmagistrate ofBhaktapur,Dhir Shumser as the temple does not appear in future paintings or photos.[64]
Vatsalaphalcā was a smallphalcā or a communal resting place that was located on the southern part of the square, just south of the Yakshasvara (or the Pasupatinath) temple.[35] It was destroyed in the1988 earthquake but the plinth in which thephalcā stood still exists today.
Lāpān Dega (Newar:𑐮𑐵𑑃𑐥𑐵𑑃𑐡𑐾𑐐; lā(ṅ)pāṅdega,lit. 'temple that blocks the path') was the tallestNepalese pagoda style temple of the square.[66] It was erected bySrinivasa Malla ofLalitpur in 1657 as a sign of friendship between him andJagat Prakasha Malla ofBhaktapur.[66] The temple was constructed right on the traditional path that festive processions took while passing through the square, hence the temple was given the name Lāpān Dega meaning "temple that blocks a path".[66] The temple is alternatively named after the enshrined deity,Hari–Shankara, a syncretic form ofVishnu andShiva.[66] The temple was architecturally very similar to theNyatapola; it stood on apedestal containing statues of its guardians, in Lapan Dega's case,lions andgarudas and it rose three storey from the pedestal.[66]
The temple was destroyed in the1934 earthquake and was subsequently never restored.[58][66] The city government ofBhaktapur had a plan to restore the temple but the2015 earthquake put that plan into hold.[58] Not only the temple, but the pedestal in which the temple stood has also disappeared except for the stone lions that once served as guardians for the temple; they still stand in their original place.[58] The stele ofHarihara that was once enshrined in the temple was shifted to the museum ofBhaktapur.[66]
This temple was also known asMashanesvara Mahadeva temple and was another lost temple located in the eastern part of the square and built in theNepalese pagoda style.[67] Thelingam enshrined in this temple pointed eastwards instead of the usual north, hence the temple is referred asPurvesvara or the eastern lord.[67] This temple was located behind the largephalcā, the tava sattala.[67] This temple too was destroyed in the1934 earthquake.[67] Itspagoda roofs can be seen in pre–1934 photos and paintings of the square.
Translating to "upper palace" fromNewar,Thantu Layaku occupied an extensive area containing numerous buildings, courtyards and gardens.[68] Today, only a single courtyard of the palace containing agolden fountain survives.[68] Aninscription set up by the 17th century monarch of thecity,Jitamitra Malla, is currently the only surviving physical description of the palace complex. The inscription goes: "The wise king[sic]Jitamitra Malla in order to please hisfamily goddess, during the ministership ofBhagirāma built thisThanthu Layaku. This palace should not be harmed by anyone; its courtyards, gardens, balconies andhiti should be maintained as per traditional rules. The reigning monarch shall be responsible for the upkeeping and restoration of this palace".[69] Based on the inscription, the palace can be dated to around 19 June 1678.[69]
During theRana regime, its gardens were turned into government offices and localcourts and the main palace was remodeled as aRana style building.[68] The few surviving parts of the palace were destroyed in the1934 earthquake and today has consequently been replaced with commercial buildings and a school.[70] The remodeled part of the palace however was restored following its destruction in theearthquake as it housed a major government office and during the modern era themunicipal office of thelocal government.[68] The remodeled wing of the palace was again damaged severely in the2015 earthquake and now is currently being restored to its formerMalla dynasty look.[71][72]
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Bhaktapur Durbar Square during its heyday had ninety-nine courtyards (Newar.chuka;Nepali:chowk).[73][74] Today, only those courtyards directly connected with the shrine ofTaleju, thetutelary goddess of theNewars, numbering to around 15, remain.[2] After the end of theMalla dynasty inBhaktapur, most of the monuments fell into disrepair; their condition was further exacerbated byfrequent earthquakes, particularly those in1767,1833 and1934.[2] Following is a short introduction of a few of the courtyards in existence:
Literally meaning "main courtyard", this is the largest and the most important of the existing courtyards. It houses in its southern part, the shrine ofTaleju andMānesvari, the tutelary goddesses of theMallas and theLicchavis respectively.[75]
The Durbar Square was severely damaged by theearthquake in 1934 and hence appears more spacious than the others, inKathmandu andPatan.[76]
Originally, there were 99 courtyards attached to this place, but now only 6 remain. Before the 1934 earthquake, there were 3 separate groups of temples. Currently, the square is surrounded by buildings that survived the quake.[76]
On 25 April 2015,another major earthquake damaged many buildings in the square. The main temple in Bhaktapur's square lost its roof, while the Vatsala Devi temple, known for its sandstone walls and gold-topped pagodas, was also demolished.[77] In total, 116 historical and cultural monuments were damaged.[78]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.9781900949446.[pages needed]
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