Bhaktapur- The living City
Among the three major cities of the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur, to this date, is the living representation of how the entire Kathmandu Valley would have looked like during the medieval periods. The city is celebrated for its glorious architecture; sky-high temples built in pagoda style - which is believed to be the stairway to the heaven, fine clay pottery, and massive royal courtyards whose existence date back to the 12th century, where devotees, still, celebrate their pre-historic festivals by equal amount of gusto and passion.
Bhaktapur used to be the ruling throne of the Kathmandu Valley
until the king, Yakshya Malla, in 1482, divided the kingdom between his three
sons, eventually fading the strength of unity and losing the nation to the Shah
dynasty from Gorkha. But, before losing the kingdom to Shah kings, Bhaktapur
was renowned for its Malla Yuddha; a fierce combat between two wrestlers.
Hence, one can observe muscular craved wrestlers, as the trademark of the city,
into various temples of as the guardian of the city and of the Gods.
Bhaktapurians are proud inhabitants of their city and
culture. Most of the women would be seen in their traditional, Newari, attire,
who would do their laundry in public - but artistically crafted - taps, farmers
would be seen here and there carrying vegetables, as the city is also known as ‘Khwopa or Bhadgaon’ in Newari dialect. This city has preserved the Newari
value as a mother would keep their children safe, so it would be not hard to
feel the aroma of ancient Newari culture once you reach the Bhaktapur.
The city is considered as the neat city, compared to other two
cities, where tradition and modernization walk in sustainability.
Bhaktapur is the smallest among the 77 districts of Nepal. Bhaktapur comprises dense collects of temples, monuments, courtyards and traditional houses constructed during different periods of history. Ancient culture, tradition and ritual are still conserved and they reflect in daily activities of the local Newar community. Bhaktapur is one of the tourist destinations of Kathmandu valley. Bhaktapur used to be the center of Nepal until the 17th century. Some of the major tourist destinations and monuments have been listed as the UNESCO world heritage site in Bhaktapur. Foreign tourists have to pay an entry fee to visit this historical town. Bhaktapur offers its visitors an opportunity to closely observe the ancient architecture, arts, and culture that goes back Malla periods. The Nyatapola Temple, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Changunarayan Temple, 55-window palace, Dattatraya area, and Sidda Pokhari are its major attractions. Bhaktapur is also well-known for ‘Juju Dhau’ (Royal Sweet Yoghurt), earthenware potteries, and the artistic wood carvings.
Bhaktapur
Durbar Square is one of the major tourist attractions of Kathmandu
valley. It served as the Capital of Nepal during Mall kingdom until 1769 AD.
The courtyards, temples, palace buildings, statues and monuments inside the
square were constructed in different eras by Newari artist. Some of the major
monuments and temples inside the Bhaktapur Durbar Square are
the Golden Gate., 55- Window palace Big Bell, Dog barking Bell,
Siddhilaxmi Temple, Taleju Bhawani Temple, Statue of King Bhupendra Mall, National
art Gallery and Vatshala Temple and etc. In Newari
dialect, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square is known as “Layaku.”
The
55-Window Palace is one of the most important works of arts in the Bhaktapur
Durbar Square. It was build during the time of King
Bhupendra Mall in
the 17th century. The 3-storied palace acknowledged its name for its 55 windows
with superb designs carved on them.
Taleju
Bhawai was the mother goddess of Mall Kings.
It is believed that Taleju Bhawani was the mother goddess of Lord Indra, the
God of rain. In Treta Yug (Silver Age), demon Meghraj vanquished Indra in a
battle and brought the mother goddess, Taleju
Bhawani from Indralok to Lanka, the kingdom of his father Rawan.
When Rawan abducted Sita (The wife of Lord Ram), Lord Ram attacked Lanka to
bring back Sita. He brought back Sita along with Taleju Bhawani. The story goes
that that idol of Taleju Bhawani was first brought to Bhaktapur from Simrangad during
the era of king Rudra (Jaya Rudra Mall) Mall in
the 14th century. At the time, Bhaktapur was the capital of
Kathmandu valley. It
is also believed that the idol of Taleju Bhawani was brought to Bhaktapur by
the then King Yaksha Mall in 15th Century for protection of the city from bad
energy and evil spirit. After Yaksha Mall divided the kingdom
among his sons, Tajelu Bhawani was also installed in all three kingdoms. It is
also believed that Kumari is
the incarnation of Goddess Taleju
Bhawani when he arrived in Nepal upon his exile.
King
Bhupatindra Mall made a great contribution in the development of Bhaktapur.
Born to King
Jitamitra Malla and Queen Lalmati in 1674 AD, King Bhupitandra Malla ruled
the kingdom of Bhaktapur for 26 years. During his reign, the kingdom prospered
in the field of Newari arts and crafts. The 55-window
palace and Nyatapola Temple were built during his
rule. He also made an important contribution in renovation and restoration
works of various temples and monuments. There is statue of King Bhupatindra
Malla a top of stone pillar paying homage to the guardian figure goddess Taleju
Bhawani in front of the Golden Gate. It is said that the statue
was also constructed to raise public belief towards the Mother Goddess Taleju
Bhawani. King Bhupatindra Mall was fond of literature, arts and culture and he
contributed largely in these fields during his reign. He died in 1722 AD.
The
temple of Nyatapola is situated in the courtyard
of Taumadi Square. It is the tallest and one
of the most impressive temples of Nepal. The temple is dedicated
to goddess Siddhilaxmi, who is represented as the
manifestation of wealth of Hindu mythology. It was built by King Bhupatindra
Malla in 17th century. It is said that the king has personally carried bricks
for the construction of this temple. The stairway leading up to the temple
flanked guardian figures of animals, humans and gods.
It is believed that the elephant above the strong man standing on the front is
ten times powerful than the man and it continues so on with each creature on
the stairs. Only the temple priests are allowed inside. The
temple is opened once every year. Nyatapola survived the
earthquakes in 1943 and 2015 AD with minor damage to the ceiling of the fifth
floor.
The
temple of Bhairavnath is a famous ancient temple
located close to the historic five storied temple. The temple houses the idols
of Bhairavnath and Betame. There is a popular legend
regarding the origin of this temple that says Bhairavnath, who was attending
the Lingo Festival of Bhaktapur in
a disguise of a man, was spotted by the royal priest Aachaju and
made the attempt to capture him on his king’s order. Bhairavnath sensed the
attempt being made by the king’s men to capture him and tried to escape sinking
himself on earth. Aachaju cut off Bhairavnath’s head with this Tantric sickle. The
priest was later overcome by regret for his action and installed the served
head of Bhairavnath in the temple. The temple of Bhairavnath was rebuilt after
it was demolished in 1934 AD; every year during the festival
of Bisket Jatra, the idol of Bhairavnath is paraded around the town for two
days in a chariot procession. Bisket Jatra is
one of the main festivals observed in Bhaktapur.
The
Dattatraya temple is a three-storied pagoda styled
temple constructed in the 15th century by King
Yakshya Mall. The temple houses an idol of Dattatraya, a unified form of
three principle Hindu gods, Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva. The temple is believed to have been constructed out of a
single three. Every year, a huge number of female devotees throng this temple
during the Nepalese calendar month of Shrawan
(July-Aug) and Bhadra (Aug-Sept) on
the festival of Teej.
The
Doleshwor Mahadev temple is located at
Sipadol-6, just 4 km south from Jagati of Bhaktapur. This temple is worshiped
as the head of the Lord Kedarnath.
According to the long-held belief, the head of the deity originated in this
place while the remaining part of the body is located in Kedarnath of India. A
large rock outcropping amidst green forests is worshiped as a representation
of Lord Kedarnath. People can touch and
worship the stone deity only three times a year during Shiva
Ratri, Akshaya Tritiya, and once on the Nepalese month Bhadra
to mark the day the sacred rock was declared the head of Lord Kedarnath Mahadev.
Among
seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the
Kathmandu valley, Changu Narayan Temple is
one of them. It lies on the hill top approximately 5 km north of Bhaktapur and
22 Km from Kathmandu. It lies at the altitude of 1540m from the sea level. The
double roof temple is dedicated to Vishnu in his
incarnation as Narayan. Believed to have been constructed
during the Lichchhivi period, Changu Narayan is
regarded as the oldest temple of Nepal.
The popular consensus and recorded ancient inscription suggest that the temple
was built before 6th century B.S. This is the best exemplified by “Bijaya
Stambha” at the time of Lichchhavi King Mahadev in
521 B.S. There is a traditional Newari house on the way to temple that has been
turned into the museum where ancient artifacts have kept for display. The main
temple houses an idol of lord Vishnu in a form of Narayan. It is the shrine of
one of the four Narayan in Kathmandu valley.
The temple premises has one of the finest displays of stone sculpture of lord
Vishnu in different incarnation, making it one of the best places to study
about Hindu iconography. Temples of Kileshwor Mahadev,
Laxmi Narayan, Newa Durga and Krishna are also on
the premises.
Nagarkot - The second-highest
point on the Kathmandu Valley rim, Nagarkot, at an altitude of 2,175, offers
panoramic views of the Himalayas and Mt. Everest. It lies 20 km northeast of
Bhaktapur. The area offers hiking trails that lead into Tamang villages.
Thimi - Thimi is a traditional Newar city noted for its a
vegetable garden and handicrafts. It lies about 5 km west of Bhaktapur.
Bode - This town, about a 20-minute walk from Thimi, hosts the
the river-side shrine of Nil Barahi. Each year on the second day of the
Nepalese New Year, the town celebrates the tongue-boring festival, in which a
villager has a thin metal spike thrust through his tongue by the temple’s
priest. After parading around town carrying a bamboo rack of oil lamps, the
spike is removed and packed with mud from the temple floor. If no blood flows,
the villager earns great respect for himself and the town; however, if blood
flows it is considered a bad omen for the coming year.
Surya Vinayak Shrine - The Surya Vinayak is just a 10 to 20 minute walk from
Bhaktapur and attracts visitors and locals praying for good luck to the god
Ganesh. The shrine is located in a forest at the top of a hill.
Culture
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:
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)
* 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.
Getting There & Away
Tourists arrive in the Kathmandu Valley via Tribhuvan International Airport. Airlines flying into this airport include Nepal Airlines, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, China South-West Airlines, Druk Air, lndian Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai lnternational etc.From the airport, which lies 5.5 km east of Kathmandu, one can take taxis or buses or rent a car with a driver. One can take them back to Kathmandu from just outside Bhaktapur as well.
Getting Around
Inside the city limits of Bhaktapur, motor vehicles are not allowed. Outside the city limits, buses and taxis are available.
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