Nyatapola

Nyatahpola (Nyatapola "ङातापोलँ")
	Nyatapola
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
District	Bhaktapur
Deity	Siddhi Lakshmi, Durga
Festivals	Dashain
Location
Location	Bhaktapur, Taumadhi/Tahmhari ("तःम्हारी", तः=ठूलो + म्हारी=रोटी, means Large Bread)
Country	Nepal
	location in nepal
Geographic coordinates	27°40′17″N85°25′43″E / 27.67139°N 85.42861°E Coordinates: 27°40′17″N85°25′43″E / 27.67139°N 85.42861°E
Architecture
Architectural type	Pagoda

Last updated April 28, 2019

Nyatapola Temple is a 5-Roof (Nyata "ङाता" = 5 Storeys "तल्ला & Pola "पोलँ" = Roof "छाना"). Meaning is Five Storeys Roofed Temple. Pagoda Style temple located in Bhaktapur, Nepal. The temple was erected by Nepali King Bhupatindra Malla during a 7-month period from late 1702 to 1703. It is the temple of Siddhi Lakshmi, the Tantric Lakshmi who bestows auspiciousness.^[1]

Pagoda Tiered towers that finds its origins vis-à-vis architectural and stylistic craftsmanship in the classical palatinal realms of the Indian subcontinent, thereafter adopted in East Asian masonry and architecture.

A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves, built in traditions originating as stupa in historic South Asia and further developed in East Asia with respect to those traditions, common to Nepal, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist, and were often located in or near viharas. In some countries, the term may refer to other religious structures. In Vietnam and Cambodia, due to French translation, the English term pagoda is a more generic term referring to a place of worship, although pagoda is not an accurate word to describe a Buddhist vihara. The modern pagoda is an evolution of the stupa which originated in ancient India. Stupas are a tomb-like structure where sacred relics could be kept safe and venerated. The architectural structure of the stupa has spread across Asia, taking on many diverse forms as details specific to different regions are incorporated into the overall design. Many Philippine bell towers are highly influenced by pagodas through Chinese workers hired by the Spaniards.

Bhaktapur, literally translates to Place of devotees. Also known as Khwopa, it is an ancient Newa city in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, about 8 miles (13 km) from the capital city, Kathmandu. It is located in and serves as the headquarters of Bhaktapur District in Province No. 3 of Nepal. It is administratively divided into 10 wards.

Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located mainly in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. With an estimated population of 26.4 million, it is 48th largest country by population and 93rd largest country by area. It borders China in the north and India in the south, east, and west while Bangladesh is located within only 27 km (17 mi) of its southeastern tip and Bhutan is separated from it by the Indian state of Sikkim. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and largest city. Nepal is a multiethnic nation with Nepali as the official language.

Construction

Bhaktapur is one of the three cities found in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal not far from the capital city of Kathmandu. The name Bhaktapur means "City of Devotees". Today this ancient, medieval city, from the fifteenth century, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, which records buildings that are of cultural and natural value universally.

The Kathmandu Valley, historically known as Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of the Indian subcontinent and the broader Asian continent, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several pilgrimage sites for Hindus and Buddhists. There are seven World Heritage Sites within the valley.

How it was built

It was built in only 17 months from the time it started. From King Bhupatindra Malla`s account book states the structure was built in only 7 months by the help of other neighboring communities like Challing, Jitpur, Bagshowari, Shakhu, Jhaukhel, Changu, Gokarna, and Paunati to name a few. His kingdom had a rivalry with western neighbors Kritipur and Kantipur, and so to show his power, he built the impressive building. It was built in a time when the Taj Mahal was under construction. He also stated that he had built 7 brick factory for bricks and all raw materials were brought in advance. The biggest challenge was to bring a huge stone from Challing which is almost 9 km from the temple. At last, he called for the feast to all citizen and neighbors kings to show. In that feast, about 23,000 people were there; four times the then population of Bhaktapur. It was written in a book which was discovered by Dr. Madan Lal Vaidya.

The Nyatapola Temple

One of the temples that are still in existence today is the Nyatapola Temple, which was built in 1702 A.D. under the rule of King Bhupatindra Malla. This beautifully sculptured building is considered one of the tallest pagodas in the country and is a lovely example of the immense workmanship that went into buildings of this type. This five-storey temple with a five-tier roof that stands just over thirty meters high can be reached by walking up a flight of steps that leads to the top of the platform. As you walk up these terraces you will notice that there are statues on either side of you, on every step.

Nyatapola temple Nyatapola-temple.jpg — Nyatapola temple

Religious figures and gods

The Nyatapola temple was built and dedicated to the goddess Siddhi Lakshmi or Siddhi Laxmi, providing the Nepalese with a place to worship her. Like so many of the other temples, the image of the goddess that is contained within the temple of Nyatapola is viewed strictly by the priests only. Dominating Taumadhi Square is the Nyatapola Temple, a five-tiered pagoda dedicated to the Hindu goddess Siddhi Lakshmi. The temple rests on a base of five levels with four Ganesh shrines in each of the corners. Nyatapola means "five-story temple" in the Newari language.

The Legend

Legend tells of the days when the angry bird Bhairava was causing havoc in society (1078 AD). Bhairava’s temple stood in Taumadhi Square. To counteract his destructive behavior the king decided to call goddess parvati, then Parvati took the form of Siddhi Laxmi and then carried Bhairava in her hand and built a more powerful temple on the honor of Siddhi Laxmi (Parvati) right in front of the Bhairab Temple. To make the brick and wood temple strong and powerful, King Bhupatendra Malla ordered guardians be placed in pairs on each level of the base leading up to the Nyatapola Temple. On the first level is a pair of likenesses of Bhaktapur’s strongest man, Jaya mal Pata, a famous wrestler. Next, two elephants followed by two lions, two griffons and finally "Baghini" and "Singhini", the tiger and lion goddesses. After subduing Bhairaba, peace prevailed in the city. The Temple is the tallest temple in the Kathmandu Valley and stands 30 m high. It was so well designed that it withstood the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake.

Bhairava is a Hindu Tantric deity worshiped by Hindus. In Shaivism, he is a fierce manifestation of Rudra associated with annihilation. In Trika system Bhairava represents Supreme Reality, synonymous to Para Brahman. In Hinduism Bhairava is also called Dandapani and Swaswa meaning "whose horse is a dog". In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is considered a fierce emanation of boddhisatva Mañjuśrī and also called Heruka, Vajrabhairava and Yamantaka.

Parvati or Gauri is the Hindu goddess of fertility, love, beauty, marriage, children, and devotion; as well as of divine strength and power. Known by many other names, she is the gentle and nurturing aspect of the Supreme Hindu goddess Adi Parashakti and one of the central deities of the Goddess-oriented Shakta sect. She is the Mother goddess in Hinduism, and has many attributes and aspects. Each of her aspects is expressed with a different name, giving her over 100 names in regional Hindu stories of India. Along with Lakshmi and Saraswati, she forms the trinity of Hindu goddesses (Tridevi).

The 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake or 1934 Bihar–Nepal earthquake, locally known as nepal sambat 1049 ya bhukhaay, 90 saal ko bhukampa (Nepali), was one of the worst earthquakes in the history of Nepal and Bihar, India. This 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurred on 15 January at 2:28PM NST and caused widespread damage in northern Bihar and in Nepal.

The image of Siddhi Lakshmi is locked within the temple and only the priests are allowed to enter to worship her. The five-storeyed temple, locally known as Nyatapola, is an impressive and famous temple of Nepal, standing in the northern side of Taumadhi Square in Bhaktapur. This is the only temple that is named after the dimension of architecture rather than from the name of the deity residing inside. The temple was erected within a short period of fewer than five months by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1701/1702 A.D. In the present context of work-schedule, planning, and programming, it is very difficult to believe that the temple was erected within that short period of time. But it was the fact. The incidents are recorded day by day.

If we look at the calendar of construction it gives us an interesting picture of the spirit of the people and speed of the work accomplished within such a short period of time. The speed of work done in religious faith can never be accomplished in a modern-day society run by materialistic considerations.

2015 earthquake

The Bhairav kale survived the 2015 earthquake in spite of having the tallest shikhara in the valley. Many other temples were also damaged in the 2016 earthquake.^[2]^[3] It had also survived the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake that had damaged many other temples.^[4]

The April 2015 Nepal earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and injured nearly 22,000. It occurred at 11:56 Nepal Standard Time on 25 April 2015, with a magnitude of 7.8M_w or 8.1M_s and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of VIII (Severe). Its epicenter was east of Gorkha District at Barpak, Gorkha, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 8.2 km (5.1 mi). It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. The ground motion recorded in the capital of Nepal was of low frequency which, along with its occurrence at an hour where many people in rural areas were working outdoors, decreased the loss of property and human lives.

Historical Sources and records

These interesting details were found while going into the Siddhagni Kotyahuti Devala Pratistha manuscript.^[5] From the start of digging the foundation to the completion of roofing, it took merely eighty-eight days. The excavation work for foundation lasted for seven days. Then was commenced construction of six plinths. That was accomplished in thirty-one days, and immediately after that started the erection of the superstructure. That was also completed within thirty-four days, after which roofing work was started from top to the lowest roof. In sixteen days all the five roofs were completed paving them with mini-tiles (Jhingati). Then they had to wait for an auspicious day for erecting the icons in the sanctum sanctorum and fix the pinnacle on the top of the temple. For this, they did wait for 38 days. In the meantime, the auspicious fire-sacrifice (Siddhagni Kotyahuti Yajna) was going on.

Presented here are six pages (three folios) of the facsimile copies of the manuscript which recorded major events from beginning to the end, as a summary of records in advance, incorporated in the manuscript containing 264 folios. There are fifty major records in the summary six-page facsimile.

The manuscript is preserved in the National Archives of Nepal. It is readily available for the readers in microfilm as well, which can be read in the office or could be purchased in photocopy paying certain rupees per page.

The name of the manuscript is recorded as Siddhagni Kotyahuti Devala Pratistha. The name itself kept the enthusiasts on the subject of ancient architecture behind the curtain from knowing it. The accession number of the manuscript is ca. I. 1115 NGMPP micro number A 249/5. The manuscript is written in the Newar script in yellow Nepalese paper coated with Harital (orpiment). The size is 17.2 x 46.5 cm. Each page has nine lines. The manuscript has 264 folios, and the rest are missing Dr. Janak Lal Vaidya thinks. Some folios are ink-stained and some are damaged by rats. All the rest of the folios are in good condition. The calligraphy is magnificent.

Out of these six facsimile pages, Dr. Janak Lal Vaidya has published three folios (1, 2 and 4) without any transliteration and translation in Abhilekh No.8 published by the National Archives of Nepal. It is, however, necessary at least to give a full picture of the detailed records in those six important pages.

There is still interesting information contained in the following folios of the manuscript which were published by Dr. Janak Lal Vaidya in his articles published in Abhilekh, No. 8 and No. 14 and Kheluita No. 11 in English, Nepali and Newar respectively.

Gallery

Festival
Wooden construction details
Wooden construction
Nyatpola & Bhairav Temples
Bhairav Temple from Nyatpola
Taumadhi Square
Wooden wheels of a disassembled festival cart for Bisket Jatra
Bhojanalaya overlooking the temples
Wide view of Nyatapola Temple
Another Side of Nyatapola Temple

Related Research Articles

Kirtipur is an ancient city of Nepal. It is located in the Kathmandu Valley 5 km south-west of the city of Kathmandu. It is one of the five municipalities in the valley, the others being Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Madhyapur Thimi. It is one of the most famous and religious places to visit. Many people visit this place to not only to see the beauty of nature but also to visit temples. The city was listed as a UNESCO tentative site in 2008.

The Malla Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Kathmandu Valley from c. 1201–1779 CE on the Indian subcontinent. They have claimed Kshatriya status for themselves. The term Malla mean "wrestler" in Sanskrit. The first of the Malla kings came to power in Kathmandu Valley around 1200 CE. The Malla period was a golden one that stretched over 600 years, though it was peppered with fighting over the valuable trade routes to Tibet.

Nepal Bhasa literature refers to literature in the Nepal Bhasa language. The language has the fourth oldest literature among the Sino-Tibetan languages.

Bungamati, Newar Bunga, lies in Lalitpur Metropolitan Region in Lalitpur District, Nepal. Bungamati is a Newar town on a spur of land overlooking the Bagmati River

Raja Jitamitra Malla (1663–1696) was a Malla Dynasty King of Bhaktapur, Nepal from 1673 to 1696.

Hanuman Dhoka is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and also of the Shah dynasty in the Durbar Square of central Kathmandu, Nepal. It is spread over five acres. The Hanuman Dhoka Palace gets its name from the stone image of Hanuman, the Hindu deity, that sits near the main entryway. 'Dhoka' means door or gate in Nepali. The buildings were severely damaged in the 2015 earthquake.

Kathmandu Durbar Square in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom is one of three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Vaikuntha-Kamalaja is a composite androgynous form of the Hindu god Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi. Though inspired by the much more popular Ardhanarishvara form of Shiva and Parvati, Vaikuntha-Kamalaja is a rare form, mostly restricted to Nepal and the Kashmir region of India.

The architectural heritage of Kathmandu city is integral to that of the Kathmandu valley since all monuments have evolved over centuries of craftsmanship influenced by Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. The architectural treasure of the Kathmandu valley has been categorized under the well known seven groups of heritage monuments and buildings. In 2006, UNESCO declared these seven groups of monuments as a "World Heritage Site" (WHS). The seven monuments zones cover an area of 188.95 hectares, with the buffer zone extending to 239.34 hectares. The Seven Monument Zones (Mzs) inscribed originally in 1979 with a minor modification in inscribed year as 2006, are: Five monuments in Kathmandu – Durbar square of Hanuman Dhoka, Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Changunarayan, the Buddha stupas of Swayambu and Boudhanath; and two monuments outside Kathmandu city limits, in the satellite towns of Patan and Bhktapur – Durbar square at Patan, Durbar square at Bhaktapur. Brief details of the five Kathmandu city monuments are elaborated here.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square, is the royal palace of the old Bhaktapur Kingdom, 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) above sea level. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Patan Durbar Square is situated at the centre of the city of Lalitpur in Nepal. It is one of the three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of its attraction is the ancient royal palace where the Malla Kings of Lalitpur resided.

Rajopadhyaya is one of the five groups of Bramhan in Nepal. Witzel (1986) identifies the following five groups of Bramhans in Nepal, viz.

the Newārī-speaking Rājopādhyāya Bramhans
the Nepāli-speaking Kumāī Bramhans,
the Nepāli-speaking Pūrbe Bramhans
the Newārī-Maithilī-speaking Maithil Bramhans
the Bhaṭṭa Bramhans from South India

Pratap Malla, of Malla dynasty of the Indian subcontinent, present-day Nepal, was the ninth king of Kantipur after the division of the Kathmandu Valley into three kingdoms. He attempted to unify Kathmandu Valley by conquering Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, but failed in the effort. He was successful in extending and securing the borders of Kantipur and was responsible for the monopoly over trade with Tibet. The resulting prosperity was responsible for the construction of majority of the buildings around Durbar Square during his reign. His reign is seen as a cultural and economical high point of the Malla dynasty.

The Vimala Temple or Bimala Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Vimala (Bimala), located within the Jagannath Temple complex in Puri in the Indian state of Odisha. It is generally regarded as a Shakti Pitha, among the holiest temples dedicated to the Hindu Goddess.

Mohani is one of the most important festivals among the Newars which involves a packed itinerary of religious services, pilgrimages, family gatherings and outdoor celebrations lasting several days. Special dinners known as Nakhtya (नख्त्या), to which all the relatives are invited, continue for weeks later. Mohani is the equivalent of Nepal's biggest festival Dasain, and there are similarities and differences between the two.

Kumbheshwar Temple is one of the oldest temples, situated 200m from the northern part of Patan Durbar Square. It was built in the 14th century by King Jayasthiti Malla that makes it the oldest temple in Patan. It is one of the two free-standing five-storied temples, the other being the famous Nyatapola temple of Bhaktapur. The temple is noted for its graceful proportions and fine woodcarvings and is dedicated to Shiva, as indicated by the large Nandi, or bull, facing the temple.

Bisket Jatra Annual religious festival in Nepal

Commonly known as Biska Jatra is an annual event in Bhaktapur, Dhapasi Thimi and Tokha and other places in Nepal. The festival is celebrated at the start of the new year on the Bikram Sambat calendar, however, the festival itself is not related to Bikram Sambat.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Work index of Nyatapola temple". Goliath Business News. Retrieved 9 September 2009.

[2] Just returned from Bhaktapur, Nepal: Lesson learned the hardest way, ETN NEPAL, APR 29, 2015

[3] Man, baby rescued from rubble in Nepal, CNN, Apr 29, 2015, Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports from Nepal, at 1:48

[4] Nepal earthquake: Centuries of architectural heritage gone in 80 seconds, PTI, Mid-Day, 01-May-2015

[5] Research Note Work Index Of Nyatapola Temple, Contributions to Nepalese Studies, Vol. 32, NO.2 (July 2005), 267–275.