Bhaktapur:The Historical City

Bhaktapur, a place of historical importance and the home of medieval art and architecture, is one of the three capital towns of Nepal, locally known by Bhadgaon and KHWOPA. It is world renowned for its colourful festivals,traditional dances and the typical indigenous Newar lifestyle. It has recently emerged as Nepal’s Cultural Capital. It is a Living Museu, displaying traditional music, festivals and ritual dances, the vibrant depth of Newari Culture.For its majestic monuments, colourful festivals and the native Newars best known for their long history of craftsmanship, the ancient city is also variously known as the ‘City of Culture’, and the ‘Living Heritage’ and ‘Nepal’s Cultural Gem’

Bhaktapur -28 o north and 85 o 35’ east, lies 11.2 km east of Kathmandu, which is situated at 1,401 meters above the sea level & spreads over an area of 6.88 sq. km. It grows from a collection of villages strung along the old trade route between India and Tibet. King Yaksha Malla (15 th century) heavily fortified his capital city in a bid to make it invulnerable. The Hindus and Buddhists have co-existed in harmony and drawn inspirations from each other through the ages. Painting, carving, masonry, bronze casting, jewellery, pottery, agro-products are other traditional enterprises still existing. Monuments and artistic carvings on wood, stone and metal are strewn all over the Historical core of the city.

Unlike its two sister cities of the Valley – Kathmandu and Lalitpur, Bhaktapur is still predominantly comprised of the peasantry, with their traditional enterprises. And like the rest of Nepal, one can see Hinduism and Buddhism intermingling with one another in religious tolerance and communal harmony. Since the major West German funded Bhaktapur Development Projects in the 1970s, it has been a much cleaner and tidier town, but there’s still a distinctly timeless air to the place. The project restored buildings, paves dirt streets and brought sewerage facilities.

A Cultural City:

Bhaktapur, one of the three historic royal towns in the Kathmandu valley with rich architectural and urban heritage found in the 8 th century A.D. is known as Khwopa in Newari dialect and Bhaktapur in Nepali.One hundred thousand people inhabit the city and the main occupation of its inhabitants is agriculture where as the crafts and businesses are their secondary occupations.
From 12–15 th century A.D. the city remained the capital of the kingdom of Nepal. Cultural and living heritage dating back 14-15 centuries has remained relatively well preserved. The Taleju Shrine, 55 Windowed Palatial Structure in the Durbar Square, the Five Storied Temple, the Bhairav Temple at Taumadhi Square, the Dattatraya Square with many small and big temples as well as the priest houses have remained the master pieces not only of Bhaktapur but also of the Country. “Were there nothing else in Nepal save the Durbar Square of Bhadgaon (Bhaktapur) it would still be amply worth making a journey halfway round the globe to see,” expressed A.E.Powell, London. Again Swiss Geologist Dr. Toni Hagen wrote, “Bhaktapur is the cleanest city, others should follow her.” Inspired by these lofty ideas the citizens of Bhaktpur are being indulged in the conservation of the heritage.

Historical Background: The oldest part of the town is around Tachupal Tole (the Dattatraya Square), to the east. Bhaktapur was the capital city of the whole valley during the 14 th to 16 th centuries and during that time the focus of the town-shifted west, the Durbar Square area. Much of the town’s great architecture dates from the end of the 17 thcentury during the rule of King Bhupatindra Malla. On Yaksha Malla’s death, the kingdom after a period of joint rule among his sons eventually became divided into three small kingdoms, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Patan.

The People:
A racial group called the Newars mostly inhabits the town of Bhaktapur. They are the descendants of the original inhabitants of the Valley who had come to settle here in the time of King Hari Singh Dev in 444 Nepal Sambat i.e. 1324 A.D. On an average there is a handloom of crude old type in every household of Bhaktapur. The peasants of Bhaktapur rarely use foreign-made clothes. They put on Gharbunna (home-made cloth). Their females have a distinct type of dress.They wear black saris with red borders called Hakupatashi. A special type of curd called Juju Dhau is prepared sweet tasty. Some sections of the people maintain their life by taking to curd making.Another notable industry of Bhaktapur is cap-making here a particular type of cap called Takuwa Topi also called Bhadgaule Topi is manufactured.

The Agricultural Economy: The economy of Bhaktapur, like that of Nepal as a whole, is fundamentally agricultural. The city is ringed with farmlands. The main crops are rice, wheat, and maize, followed by crops grown in much smaller quantities- millet, potatoes, oil seed, barley, sugarcane, and a large variety of vegetable crops such as pulses, peepers, onions, soybeans, tomatoes, and ginger. The fields are irrigated, and those on the hillsides are terraced.In a study, it reports that 70 percent of the sample farming accounted for more than 70 percent of their household cash income, while for 11.5 percent of the households it accounted for 50 to 70 percent of their income, and for 11.5 percent it accounted for 30 to 50 percent of their income. All of the households in the survey supplemented their crop income in various ways- by some limited sale of animal products, by income from various trades and crafts, by wage labour, and from the rental of land or, rarely, through local commerce

The Non-Agricultural Economy: An inventory of the small stalls and shops that crowd the bazaar street gives some idea of the variety of the supplies and of the specialists who provide them, which are necessary for the material and symbolic life of Bhaktapur. There are specialized shops or market areas selling various matters like cloth for saris and clothes; ready-made clothes; smoking supplies; rice and other grains; metal cooking pots; curds;curios for the tourists trade; books; gold and silver ornaments and small religious figures in gold and silver; caps;sweet cakes. Finally, there are all kinds of specialized performers and providers of services - musicians of various types, ritual dances, barbers, and medical specialists of various types, various kinds of priests and ritual specialists, midwives, cutters of umbilical cords, astrologers, tailors, fishermen, sweepers, and many more.
The 1971 census reported for Bhaktapur that 65.8 percent of the workforce was engaged in agriculture, 8.5 percent in commerce, and 8.2 percent in manufacturing, primarily crafts. It also listed a small number of people engaged in electrical, gas and water services It enumerated some 2,197 people, 15.1 percent of the economically active population, are engaged in “personal and community services".

CURRENT TOURISM CONDITIONS

Tourism in Bhaktapur: Being one of the historical cleanest cities in the Kathmandu valley, most of Nepal’s annual foreign visitors visit the Bhaktapur municipality Area during their Nepal visit. Bhaktapur is involved in the half-day sightseeing tour package. Though, many tourists stay over nights in Bhaktapur with their own purposes and during some specific occasions.
Also, Bhaktapur being the intermediate point to Nagarkot, Changu Narayan and Dhulikhel, many tourists visit it. It is estimated that about 87345 foreign guests visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square annually prior to the introduction of the service charge USD 1 since July 1993 for the purpose of conservation and Development of Bhaktapur. The highest number of tourists visited Bhaktapur municipality during the year 2000 (corresponding to 2056/57 B.S.) from NON SAARC Countries whereas the maximum number of tourists visited from SAARC Countries is during the year 1999 (corresponding to 2055/56 B.S.).

TOURISM ATTRACTIONS IN BHAKTAPUR
Tourists Sites in Bhaktapur: Monumental masterpieces in Bhaktapur are innumerable. Most of the temples are pagoda style – they have terracotta tile roofs supported by intricately carved wooden struts or columns, wooden and doors, gilded roofs and pinnacles, open brick-paved spaces around, and above all, an image of the deity presiding over the edifice. Still while temples share similar attributes, each is unique. And each reflects a different component of the religious belief, social outlook and the economic status of the rich culture and long artistic tradition of the Indigenous Newars.

Durbar Square:The Durbar Square is Bhaktapur’s monumental gem. It is one of the seven UNESCO worlds heritage sites located in Kathmandu Valley. This spectacular square, a capital of Malla Kingdom till 1769, is an open museum itself. Victorian illustrations show that it was once packed with monasteries, temples and artistic buildings, almost one third of which were destroyed by the disastrous earthquake of 1934.the square still holds mesmerizing palaces, pagodas, shikhara-style temples as well as Buddhist monasteries exclusively architecture.While one pace through Durbar Square, he will be compelled to feel the touch of mediaeval excellence, The Golden Gate, Taleju Temple (The Interior of Taleju, The Mul Chowk, The Kumari Chowk, The Golden Spout), Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla, Fifty-five Windowed Palace, The Big Bell, Chyasin Mandap, Siddhi Laxmi Temple, Vatsala Temple, Yaksheshwor Temple, Chatu-brahma Bihar at Sakotha.

Taumadhi Square:

Taumadhi Square, just half a minute walk from the Durbar Square is the square that divides the ancient town into upper and lower halves. The biggest festival of the town – Bisket Jatra, schedules every year in April – starts from this very square. The square is dominated by many mesmerizing temples and other medieval architecture Nyatapola Temple. Bhairav Temple and Til Madhav Narayan Temple are the major structures. Being centrally located a lot of local activities depicting local life-style and culture can be observed here throughout the day, The Nyatapola Temple, The Bhairav Nath Temple, Til Madhav Narayan Temple.

Dattatraya Square:Like the other squares, the Dattatraya Square is also like an open museum that contains innumerable monumental masterpieces of woodcarvings. The seat of royalty till the late 1500’s, it is home to the ancient city’s best-known masterpieces, especially those in wood. The square originally known as “Tachupal” verbally meaning ‘the grand rest house’- alone consists seven Math’s among a dozen existing in Bhaktapur. Bhimsen Temple, the famous Peacock Window, the Bronze and Brass Museum, the Woodcarving Museum and Dattatraya Temple are the additional major attractions of the square. It is probably is the original centre of Bhaktapur, in the initial periods of its founding, The Temple of Dattatraya, Poojari Math, Wakupati Narayan Temple, Peacock Window, Wane Layeku, Bhimsen Temple, Salan Ganesh Temple

Pottery Square: Bhaktapur’s two Pottery Squares are world renowned, and so are the many potters that can be seen working there on their traditional wooden wheels. The first Pottery Square is located at Talako, some 500m to the southwest of Taumadhi Square, on the way to the Trolley Bus Terminal. Here visitors will find potters giving shape and size to lumps of black clay, and earthenware they make ranges from such household goods as pots and jars to cheap souvenir items as animals and birds. As pottery in Bhaktapur is a family job, visitors may chance upon the entire family doing their parts of work. Right within the complex is a two-floored temple that houses an ornate image of Ganesh, erected in a very traditional way. The pagoda dates back to the 14 th century. Bhaktapur’s second Pottery Square is located to the east of the Dattatraya Square. Here also, visitors will see the ancient city’s well-known craftsmen sunk in what they have inherited from their ancestors.

Elsewhere in Bhaktapur: Nava Durga Temple, Ta-pukhu (Sidhapokhari), Terra-cotta Windows, Nepal’s Largest Shiva Lingum, Ancha-Pukhu, Varahi temple, Barhe-pukhu (Kamal Vinayak), Buddhist Bihars and Bahis.

Day-trippers around Bhaktapur: Nagarkot, Changu Narayan, Surya Vinayak, Thimi

Museums in Bhaktapur:Bhaktapur is a paradise for art lovers. The whole city could be a live museum itself. If there are enough resources, there could have many more specialized museums. Museum of traditional dances, museum of traditional instruments, costumes, ornaments etc. Bhaktapur Municipality can still offer to the beloved guests, the three specialized museums, The National Art Gallery, The Woodcarving museum, The Bronze and Brass Museum.
The museum, Bhaktapur’s third, faces the Woodcarving Museum in the Dattatraya Square.
Housed in a historic Math noted for its mesmerizing masterpieces in wood, it specializes in such heterogeneous, ceremonial and household metal ware as ritual lamps (sukunda), hanging lamps (yekha-dallu), ceremonial jars, and water-vessels, cooking pots, ink-pots, oil pots and spittoons which were used in the ancient and medieval periods. Open daily, except Tuesdays and public holidays, from 9am to 5pm.

Festivals of Bhaktapur: Bhaktapur’s monuments serve as a stage for the city’s many festivals and cultural dances, which are at least as spectacular as any architectural structure. Still celebrated with the same old fervour and enthusiasm, this living heritage has been handed down from centuries in an unbroken chain from generation to generation. The most popular festival of the town of Bhaktapur is the Bisket Jatra and the others are Mata-tirtha Aunsi / Mother’s Day, Buddha Jayanti / Swanya Punhi, Sithi Nakha, Nag Panchami, Saparu / Gai Jatra, Ghathamunga, Krishnastami, Gunla, Gokarna Aunsi / Father’s Day, Yenya Punhi, Mohani / Dashain, Swonti /Tihar, Maghe Sakranti, Vasanta Panchami / Shree Panchami, Maha Shiva Ratri, Holi / Fagu, Nava-durga Dance.

Ritual Dances of Bhaktapur: Among the local dances the name of Devi Dance comes to the forefront. Men with masks all adorned with embroidered laces and decorative floral designs play it. The party consists of dancers called Kali, Kumari, Maha Laxmi, four Betals, two Bhuchas, and two Khyaks. They all dance merrily in tune with vocal instrument called Mahalin and the beating of the drum called Pachhima. The dance of Kumari and that of MahaLaxmi on the back of a gorgeous lion are exquisitely charming.

To the same category is the Bhairav Dance. This party too consists of Bhairav, Maha Kali, and Khyaks. They dance in tune with the blowing of trumpets called Khing. This dance is very vigorous and awe-inspiring. Among the other local dances, the names of Maka Pyakhan (Monkey-Dance), Natuwa (Dancing Girls), Phakandali, Gayencha (Bards), Nagacha (the duel dance between Shiva Parvati), Bhalu Pyakhan (Bear Dance) and LakheyPyakhan (Demon Dance) are the popular dances. They are exhibited during the Gai Jatra which takes place in August.

Products of Bhaktapur:Bhaktapur is rich in its traditional culture and skills. The generations of master craftsmen have been carrying on their

time-honored traditions of arts and crafts. Besides monuments and festivals, Bhaktapur is equally rich in local Newar handicrafts. Here visitors can see for themselves the way Nepal’s master craftsmen carry on their time-honored traditions of art and craft. At either of the city’s two Pottery Squares, visitors can see potters spinning life into lumps of clay. Other of Bhaktapur’s handicrafts includes paubha scroll paintings, papier-mâchémasks, cotton cloth, woodcarvings, metalwork, and jewelry. One can also find the homespun haku-patasi (black sari), traditional black caps, and the world famous Juju-dhau- the King of all Yoghurts. Some of the major products form the crafts people of Bhaktapur is Wood Carving, Paubha Painting, Terracotta Product, TraditionalMasks, Lokta Paper Product, Handloom Product, Yoghurts (king curd).