Just as there is no single American experience, there is no single Nepali experience. The diversity of ethnicities, languages, and cultural practices in Nepal cannot be overstated. Today, I'm zooming in on the Newar people, indigenous to the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas, and their architecture. Newars are known for their craftsmanship and artistry; spend any time in the Valley, and you'll see why.
I recently spent five days in Kathmandu (culminating in our swearing-in ceremony), which prompted me to think about the architectural motifs I'd seen again and again during PST. How has the history of the Newars influenced their artistic choices, and what is the cultural and religious significance of these motifs? I've also considered how Newar identity has shaped and been shaped by Nepali identity. Although I don't have all (or even close to all) the answers, I'll share some of my thoughts below.
Simply put: for millennia, the Newar people have been at the center of all the action. The Newars were traders along trans-Himalayan routes, connecting Tibet to India. Newar civilization flourished under the Malla Dynasty (1201 to 1779), which governed modern-day Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan as independent city-states (each city has a durbar square, i.e., royal square, that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The Mallas were great patrons of art and architecture, and each city-state vied to be the most elaborately and lavishly ornamented. For example, I read an apocryphal story that recounted how the sculptor of Bhairab and Ugrachandi in Bhaktapur's Durbar Square had his hands cut off to prevent him from duplicating his work in other cities.
The Malla Dynasty came to an end when the Kathmandu Valley was unified under Prithvi Narayan Shah, and subsequently, the modern nation state of Nepal was founded. I'm not sure whether this was unification or conquest, but in the annals of history, these often amount to the same thing. The Kathmandu Valley has remained the political and cultural heart of Nepal. The Newar identity, as far as I can tell, has remained distinct from the larger Nepali identity, yet is undoubtedly a part of it, much in the same way Andalusian culture has become synonymous with Spanish identity on the world stage, or Bavarian culture with German identity.
I have identified several features of Newar architecture that I find fascinating. The article Newar Architecture was very helpful in putting names to the features I was seeing and filling in some of the history I was missing. Let's dive in!
Pagoda Style Temples, Multi-Tiered
You'll need endless hours to fully inspect all the architectural elements of any one temple; I often sat and admired the Indreshwor Temple in Panauti, identifying new elements every time—from the carved wooden doors, roof struts, and archway known as the torana, to the bells and clappers that rang in the wind. Despite having multiple tiers, the ground floor is typically the only accessible space for worshippers. Newar architecture emphasizes symmetry and proportion, and, as such, these pagoda-style temples have square foundations.
Each temple is named after a specific god or goddess. I am usually unfamiliar with the names, as they vary between Nepali, Sanskrit, and Newari, so I look for certain elements to identify which god the temple is devoted to. Each god has a "vehicle" on which they travel, and which represents certain attributes of that god and is often placed outside the temple, facing the main entrance. Shiva is accompanied by Nandin (a bull), Vishnu by Garuda (a winged bird-like creature), and Ganesh by Mushaka (a mouse). The representation of the god, usually a statue, sometimes abstract, is located inside the temple. For Shiva, this representation is the easily recognizable lingam.
I've most commonly seen temples in the pagoda style in the Kathmandu Valley, though there are other designs, such as the shikara style, which originated in Northern India and came to Nepal hundreds of years ago. Like pagodas, shikara temples are ornately decorated, stretch vertically into the sky, and are only accessible at ground level. Together, these temples form a striking arrangement in Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
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| Indreshwor Temple, Panauti |
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| Nyatapola Temple, Bhaktapur (tallest temple in Nepal) |
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| Bhairab Temple, Bhaktapur |
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| Kathmandu Durbar Square |
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| Annapurna Temple, Asana, Kathmandu |
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| Temple in Shikara style, Bhaktapur |
Stupas
Stupas are dome-shaped or mound structures resting on square pedestals that contain Buddhist relics (see my earlier post on Namobuddha). The design of stupas encourages clockwise circumambulation from devotees. The Swayambhunath Stupa in Kathmandu also features a cube on top of the dome, painted with the eyes of Budda on each side (a symbol of omniscience) and the Nepali number 1 (which I originally thought was a nose but is actually a symbol of unity and oneness). The Ashok Stupa in Thamel, named after Ashoka the Great who promoted Buddhism in India, is a small wonder—it's the only brick stupa I've seen.
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| Swayambhunath, Kathmandu |
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| Ashok Stupa, Thamel, Kathmandu |
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| Namobuddha Stupa |
Hiti (Nepali: Dhunge Dhara)
Hitis are intricately carved stone taps that predominantly date back to the Malla Dynasty, although some in Bhakatpur date to the Licchavi Dynasty. The mythical creature carved into the tap is known as makara or hitimanga, a mishmash of aquatic and terrestrial features such as an elephant trunk, fisheye, and crocodile snout. Hitimanga is venerated in both Hinduism and Buddhism and is the vehicle of the river goddess Ganga (the personification of the Ganges River).
The oldest hitis were built over natural springs, but newer hitis were supplied via a complex system of canals and ponds that brought water from surrounding hills to the Kathmandu Valley. Water collected from hitis is used for drinking, bathing, and ritual purposes. The introduction of modern water management systems post-1951, rapid urbanization that disrupted connections, and earthquake damage have rendered many hitis across the Kathmandu Valley non-functional. Despite this, I found many hiti in Panauti to be in working condition—albeit modernized with tanks and pipes.
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| Bhakatapur Durbar Square |
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| Panauti |
Brick and Timber
Traditional Newar houses are constructed from locally available brick, mud mortar, and wood. As with temples, Newar architecture is all about symmetry and proportion, and, accordingly, these houses are built on a rectangular foundation with windows and ornamentation mirrored around the facade's central axis. Each Newar house is built around an inner courtyard that functions as a communal space and is accessible through low entryways (I am guaranteed to hit my head every time I enter). Facades, especially the windows facing main roads, are elaborately decorated with intricate wood carvings. The ground floor functions as storage, livestock housing, or small shops—a blurring of public and private space—with the family's living quarters starting on the first floor.
The simple design of Newar houses belies the true genius of this style: resilience to earthquake damage, combining both tensile and inflexible building materials. What's more, the square courtyards act as braces, distributing lateral force more evenly to prevent collapse. Of course, these buildings are still susceptible to high-magnitude earthquakes, such as the absolutely devastating one in April 2015. But since there are more than 50 earthquakes of various magnitudes in the Kathmandu Valley each year, Newar housing is certainly impressive for its hardiness.
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| Dhulikhel |
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| Dhulikhel |
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| 55 Window Palace, Bhaktapur Dubar Square |
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| Kumari Ghar, Kathmandu Durbar Square |
Community Spaces: Courtyards, Ponds, & Phalchas (Nepali: Pati)
Newar society is a communal one, and this is reflected in traditional Newar urban planning. I've written a bit about courtyards and ponds above. These features serve dual purposes, both functional and sociological. As I've described, courtyards are intrinsic to earthquake-resilient architecture, but they also encourage gathering, serving as semi-private spaces that bring together families and neighbors from adjacent housing.
Ponds were part of a complex water management system in the Kathmandu Valley, but they are also very public spaces, bringing together residents from a broader area, possibly from across the city and particularly during festivals. Ponds often incorporate other elements of Newar architecture; take, for example, Bhajya Pukhu in Bhaktapur, which contains a temple in the Shikara style at its center.
Another community space I observed was the phalcha (alt. spelling: falcha)—a slightly raised, covered platform, bricked in on one side. Phalcha provide shaded spots for resting and gathering. I frequently saw elderly people chatting (Nepali: gaph garnu) and dogs sleeping on the phalcha of Panauti.
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| Courtyard, Panauti |
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| Bhajya Pukhu, Bhaktapur |
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| Phalcha, Panauti |
Overall Exquisite Craftmanship
The Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding area is just filled with architectural marvels. I included this section to highlight some wonders I found especially intriguing, and which don't fit exactly into the sections above.
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| Torana, Thamel, Kathmandu |
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| Bhagwati Shrine, Thamel, Kathmandu |
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| Private residence doorway, Panauti |
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| Vishnu Statue, Tulanarayan Temple, Panauti |
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| Kaal Bhairav, Kathmandu Durbar Square |
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| Shiva-Parvati Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square |
I hope this was somewhat informative. Newar architecture is just one of many styles in Nepal, and I look forward to updating the blog as I explore more of the mid-hills and, hopefully, the Terai and the lower Himalayan Range.
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| Here I Yam! in Bhaktapur Durbar Square |
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