NERIC ACADEMY

Shankhamul, New Baneshwor Kathmandu, Nepal

A social studies project report on Patan Durbar Square

Submitted by:Nikita Dhakal Class: - Eight Roll No:- 15

Submitted To:Khagendra Prasad Ojha Social Studies Teacher Neric Academy

Acknowledgement

It is great pleasure to acknowledge the support and guidance received during the project duration for its successful completion. First and foremost, I would like to show our greatest appreciation to Neric academy for providing me this opportunity to do this project work. This project definitely helped me to expand my extra curricular knowledge. I am highly obliged to my Social studies teacher, Mr. Khagendra Prasad Ojha for his continuous support and guidance for this project. I also like to acknowledge the support and guidance of my respectful brother Mr. Bigyan KC helping me with the technical aspects. And finally, my appreciation goes to all my classmates for their cooperation.

Table of Content
Topic 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Page No. Acknowledgement ..i Introduction .1 Historical/Religious background .3 Socio-religious Importance 5 Economic Importance 5 Present Condition .7 Suggestion and Recommendation .9

Introduction

Patan Durbar Square is situated at the center of Lalitpur city. 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 Malla Kings of Lalitpur resided. Patan is also known as Manigal. It is best known for its rich cultural heritage, particularly its tradition of arts and crafts. It is called city of festival and feast, fine ancient art, making of metallic and stone carving statue. Patan Durbar Square is a spitting image of the temple in Kathmandu and is a mesmerizing assortment of palace structures, elegant courtyards and aesthetic pagoda sanctuaries.

Figure No 1:- Patan Durbar Square(from South) 1

Patan is a center of Buddhist and Hindu culture. The city is full of religious art, temples, and monasteries. Many religious festivals take place in Patan each year. One is the Buddha Jayanti festival, marking the birthday of Lord Buddha, which occurs on Jestha Purnima (full moon night in April or May). The birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated by Hindus at the Krishna Temple in Patan in August - September. Devotees gather at the Krishna Temple in Patan Durbar Square for a vigil through the night. The following day, the devotees visit all the Krishna shrines throughout the city. The largest festival in Nepal is the Dashain festival in September to October. This festival takes place at the Palace Complex in Patan as well as in the other cities of the Kathmandu Valley and commemorates a victory by the gods over wicked demons. The celebration lasts 15 days and includes kite flying.

Patan Durbar Square and its environs are stations for devotees of excellent art. Patan Durbar Square is permeated with wood and stone sculpture as well as metal and images and fancily decorated architecture. You will find a number of Buddhist and Hindu houses of worship around the Patan Durbar Square as well as about 1200 commemorative structures.

Historical/Religious Background

Lalitpur is believed to have been founded in the third century B.C. by the Kirat dynasty and later expanded by Licchavis in the sixth century. It was further expanded by the Mallasduring the medieval period. There are many legends about its name. The most popular one is the legend of the God Rato Machhindranath, who was brought to the valley from Kamaru Kamachhya, located in Assam,India, by a group of three people representing the three kingdoms centered in the Kathmandu Valley.

Figure No.2 :- Historical Picture of Patan Durbar Square

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One of them was called Lalit, a farmer who carried God Rato Machhindranath to the valley all the way from Assam, India. The purpose of bringing the God Rato Machhindranath to the valley was to overcome the worst drought there. There was a strong belief that the God Rato Machhindranath would bring rain in the valley. It was due to Lalit's effort that the God Rato Machhindranath was settled in Lalitpur. Many believe that the name of the town is kept after his name Lalit and pur meaning township. Lalitpur said to have been founded by King Veer Deva in 299 A.D., but there is unanimity among scholars that Patan was a well established and developed town since ancient times. Several historical records including many other legends indicate that Patan is the oldest of all the cities of Kathmandu Valley. According to a very old Kirat chronicle, Patan was founded by Kirat rulers long before the Licchavi rulers came into the political scene in Kathmandu Valley. According to that chronicle, the earliest known capital of Kirat rulers was Thankot. Kathmandu, the present capital was most possibly removed from Thankot to Patan after the Kirati King Yalamber came into power sometimes around second century A.D. One of the most used and typical Newar names of Patan is Yala. It is said that King Yalamber or Yellung Hang named this city after himself, and ever since this ancient city was known as Yala. In 1768, Lalitpur was annexed to the Gorkha Kingdom by Prithvi Narayan Shah in the Battle of Lalitpur. The Bhimsen temple which honors Bhim - great wrestler, brother of the Pandavs, and a deity to Nepalese businessmen - contains fine samples of metal craft. The best place, however, to see metal sculpture is the Hiranya Varna Mahabiliar, the "Golden Temple." It is a Newar monastery which contains wall paintings, fourteenth century statues, and scriptures. Its front facade is mostly covered in bronze. Note the stone gates and the figures upon them. These were built by Silakars whose descendants are active in the woodcarving industry today. Also interesting are the four metal monkeys at the corners of the temple. Monkeys have been featured in the temple decor of Nepal for several hundred years!

Socio-religious Importance

Just across the holy Bagmati river stands another ancient city called Lalitpur. A twenty-minute cab ride from Kathmandu city, Lalitpur is a charming city which has still retained its tranquil ambience. Walking down the quiet, narrow streets of the city, you would come across traditional building, exquisite temples and tiny shops of artists, metalworkers, wood workers and stonecutters. The city is indeed renowned for its fine craftmanship. The square, situated in the heart of the city, consists of enchanting melange of palace buildings, artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda temples. The former royal palace complex is the center of Patan's religious and social life and houses a museum containing an array of bronze statues and religious objects. There are three main courtyards or chowks, so named central Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk and Keshav Narayan Chowk in the square. The Sundari Chowk holds in its center a masterpiece of stone architecture, the Royal bath called Tushahity.

Economic Importance
Besides some of the residents working in agriculture, a sizeable portion of the population is engaged in various trades, like traditional handicrafts and small scale cottage industries. The highest number of renowned artists and finest craftsmen ever recorded in the history of Nepali art comes from Lalitpur. Even in the face of rapid urbanization and many social and political upheavals, Patan has managed to maintain a culture of craft work. Compared to Kathmandu the city is less urbanized, it also is the home for many workshops, stores, restaurants, hotels, schools, embassies and other important sectors of the Kathmandu Valley economy.

Figure No.3:- Tourists visiting Patan Durbar

Also the locals enjoy being in Patan Sitting around drinking tea, listening to music with earphones in their ear, or with friends having smooth talk etc. Patan has plesant environment whether with friends, or alone or with family, everyone will definitely love Patan Durbar Square visit.

Present Condition
The present status of the Durbar Square has three courtyards - Mani Keshar Chowk, Mul Chowk, Sundari Chowk, the Bhandarkhal Garden and Kamal Pokhari in its complex. The major temples can be found in and around the palace are : Bhai Degaa, Maharani Pokhari, Octagonal Krishna Temple, Shiva Pagoda, Hari Shankar Temple, Shiva Temple, Narshimha-Vishnu Temple, Jagat Narayan Temple, Krishna Temple, Vishwonath Temple, Bhimsen Temple, Mani Ganesh Temple, Degutale Temple, Taleju Temple, Shiva Pagoda, Ganesh idol, Hanuman idol and Hanuman idol. The Big bell, Statue column of King Yognarendra Malla, Statue column of Garuda, Mangal Water spout is also the parts of the complex. Besides, the public building of Taha Phalcha, Aayoo Guthi House and the platform of Mani Mandap also have their significance being the public places which shows the cultural proximity the palace permits to the public. The Patan Museum is sophisticated but it also stands as an example of the intrusion of the foreign technology in conservation of the archaeological monuments. Many archaeologists objected in the form the conservationist gave to the inner courtyard of the Keshav Narayan Chowk. Further, Shiva Pagoda Temple, Temples of Saugal, Ibahabahil, Machendranath, Minnath, Purnachandi, Kwalakhu area, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, Kumbheshwor, Chapat Ganesh Rudra Varna Mahavihar and Mahaboudha Temple are some other temples which are close to the historic palace and they all combine to make the Durbar Square a zone of UNESCO World Heritage Site. But though, this Durbar Square is waiting for conservation. Shops for modern appliances are rented in the Durbar Square and a rows of curio shops, squat upon
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the main area. One side of the palace is used as a school whereas the other side is left idle, after using it as a district court. The precious doors and windows are decaying and the local Royal Palace Protection Office, a section of Department of Archaeology is waiting for budget to renovate the heritage zone. The masterpiece Tusaa Hiti or Sundari Chowk is closed for several years afer a constly documentation, in the pretext that some international agency would come and renovate it for our sake. Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City started levying entrance fee from the tourists in Janaury 2000. Out of the money, it has recently stated renovating several temples outside the palace. But Department of Archaeology is yet to show its existence in the World Heritage Site. The modern buildings are rising in the vicinity against the Protected Monument Zone Act. The whole complex is standing without a single security personal to safeguard the mass of priceless monuments. Amazingly, it is one of the most favoured platforms for the Cummunist leaders to hold mass meeings. Even the radicals, who show their existance by dismantling historic temples in remote districts, choose the velnerable zone to hoist cycleand-hammer flag on temples being renovated. "In 1997 work on heritage conservation plan for Patan began with funding from the German Technical Corporation (GTZ) under its Urban Development through Local Efforts programme. Its publication, Patan heritage Conservation Action Plan, 1998, was prepared by Sandy Kentro Associates. This provides detailed suggestions for strategic, physical, and managerial planning with significant inputs also from the Department of Archaeology, but fails to relate its own recommendations to the historical background of earlier planning proposals for the Patan World Heritage Monument Zone," states an evaluation report of International Safeguarding Campaign for the Kathmandu Valley 1979-2001.

Suggestion and Recommendation

The Patan Durbar square, being one of the most important cultural heritage of Nepal attracts many tourists form all over the world. Therefore, we should conserve its natural and historical importance. I would like to recommend following suggestions for its conservation:1. Building high rise modern buildings in the durbar square should be restricted. 2. We should not allow to open shops and restaurants in durbar square. 3. The durbar square premises should be cleaned regularly. 4. Throwing wastes and spitting everywhere should be prohibited. 5. Public awareness program should be conducted for its conservation.