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About
Durbar Square |
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Kathmandu Durbar Square or Hanumandhoka Durbar Square is the
plaza in front of the old royal palace of the Kathmandu
Kingdom. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name
derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord
Ram, at the entrance of the palace. It is one of three Durbar
Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Durbar Square is enclosed
with wonderful architecture and intensely showcases the skills
of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The
royal palace was initially at Dattaraya square and was later
moved to the Durbar square location. The Kathmandu Durbar
Square holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled
over the city. Along with these palaces, the square encloses
quadrangles revealing temples and courtyards. |
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History and Foundation of Durbar Square |
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The
preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site
dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third
century. Even though the present palaces and temples have
undergone repeated and extensive renovations and nothing
physical remains from that period, names like Gupo and Gunapo,
which are the names referred to the palaces in the square in
early scriptures, imply that the palaces were built by
Gunakamadev, a king ruling late in the tenth century. When
Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna
Malla (1484–1520) the palaces in the square became the royal
palaces for its Malla kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked
the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he favored the Kathmandu Durbar
Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to
rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan
Hiti Palace.
The square is still the center of important royal events like
the coronation of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah in 1975 and King
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in 2001. Though there are not any
written archives stating the history of the Kathmandu Durbar
Square, the foundation of the palace in the square is attributed
to Sankharadev (1069–1083).
When Mahendra Malla was residing in Bhaktapur, he was highly
devoted to the Taleju Temple there; the Goddess being pleased
with his devotion gave him a vision asking him to build a temple
for her in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. With a help of a
solitary person he designed the temple to give it its present
form and the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.
His successors Sadasiva (1575–1581), his son, Shiva Simha
(1578–1619), and his grandson, Laxmi Narsingha (1619–1641), do
not seem to have made any major additions to the square. During
this period of three generations the only constructions to have
occurred were the establishment of Degutale Temple devoted to
Goddess Mother Taleju by Shiva Simha and some improvement in the
royal palace by Laksminar Simha. |
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Durbar Square Under the Shah dynasty |
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During the Shah dynasty that followed, the Kathmandu Durbar
Square saw a number of changes. Two of the most unique temples
in the square were built during this time. One is the Nautale, a
nine-storied building known as Vasantapur Durbar. It has four
stands and roofs at the end of Nasal Chok at the East side of
the palace. It is said that this building was set as a pleasure
house. The lower three stories were made in the Newari farmhouse
style. The upper floors have Newari style windows, tikijhya and
sanjhya, and some of them are slightly projected from the wall.
The other temple is annexed to the Vasantapur Durbar and has
four-stories. This building was initially known as Vilasamandira,
or Lohom Chok, but is now commonly known as Basantapur or
Tejarat Chok. The lower floors of the Basantapur Chok display
extensive woodcarvings and the roofs are made in popular the
Mughal style. Archives state that Prthivi Narayan Shah built
these two buildings in 1770.
In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European
architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken
over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs
Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European
styles. |
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Durbar Square Under Pratap Malla |
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In the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, the
square was broadly developed. He was an intellectual, a
religious devotee, and particularly interested in arts. He
called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that
he was learned in fifteen different languages. A
passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he
immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and
rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples,
stupas and shrines around his kingdom. There also took the
massacre called Kot Parva where the queen, prime minister,
head of the states, and other people with guards died.
This massacre took place in the court yard inside the
palace.
During the construction of his palace, he added a small
entrance in the traditional, low and narrow Newari style.
The door was elaborately ornamented with paintings and
carvings of deities and auspicious sings and was later
transferred to the entrance of Mohan Chok. In front of the
entrance he placed the statue of Hanuman thinking that
Hanuman would strengthen his army and protect his home.
In the process of beautifying his palace, he added
fountains, ponds, and baths. In Sundari Chok, he started a
low bath with a golden fountain. He built a small pond,
the Naga Pokhari, in the palace ornamented with Nagakastha,
a wooden serpent, which is said he had ordered stolen from
the royal pond in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
With the death of Pratap Malla in 1674, the overall
emphasis on the importance of the square came to a halt.
His successors retained relatively insignificant power and
the prevailing ministers took control of most of the royal
rule. After the earthquake in 1934, the temple was
renovated with a dome roof, which was alien to the Newari
architecture. |
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Architecture of Durbar Square |
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The
majority of the structures built in Kathmandu Durbar Square date
back to the 16th and 17th centuries, with some sections from the
12th century. The central feature of the square is the famous
Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex. The glorious palace was named in
honor of the monkey god, Hanuman, and a statue of the unusual
deity stands at the main entrance. The Hanuman Dhoka Palace
Complex served as the residence of Nepal's royalty right up to
the 1800s. It was also the gathering place of important
administrators and numerous ceremonies were hosted here. The
Nepali palace itself is a stunning structure with intricately
carved wooden windows and panels. Visitors to the palace are
welcome to wander through the Mahendra Museum and the Tribhuvan
Memorial Museum located here. |
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Kathmandu’s Durbar Square is UNESCO World Heritage Site |
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Kathmandu’s Durbar Square is one of three durbar (royal palace)
squares in the Kathmandu Valley. It is the site of the Hanuman
Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence
until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as
the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, still take place today.
The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows
and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the
Mahendra Museum. It is possible to visit the state rooms inside
the palace.
Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have
gone through renovation after being damaged by natural causes or
neglect. Presently there are less than ten courtyards in the
square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage
sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts
of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju temples are
only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
At the southern end of Durbar Square there is one of the most
prominent attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chowk. This gilded
cage contains the Raj Kumari, a girl chosen through an ancient
and spiritual selection process to become the human
personification of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. She is
worshiped during religious festivals and makes public
appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.
Kathmandu Durbar Square is no doubt a top attraction for
tourists in the Nepal city. This massive complex is home to
palaces, temples and courtyards. Visitors to the Durbar Square
of Kathmandu will be surprised by the architectural wonders
across several centuries. This important historical attraction
has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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