Continuity and Change in the Durbar Square at Bhaktapur, Nepal

Devi Chakrabarti

Department of Social Anthropology, University of Cambridge

The pagoda style tiered roof of the Bhairava Temple against the city residential quarters and the valley’s surrounding hills, 2022.

The pagoda style tiered roof of the Bhairava Temple against the city residential quarters and the valley’s surrounding hills, 2022.

DURBAR SQUARE

Bhaktapur's Durbar Square is one of three royal squares located in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley. It was built in the 13th century by Jayasithi Malla and functioned as the royal palace complex of the Hindu Malla Dynasty (1200-1769). The Malla kings fostered Bhaktapur’s extraordinary artisanship and shaped its sophisticated devotional landscape, through the introduction of complex rituals and construction of the valley’s best-known Hindu temples. The civilisation of the Newars, an ethno-linguistic community considered the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and known for their valuable contributions to Nepalese art, literature, and trade, flourished under the patronage of the Mallas.

Bhaktapur’s significance as a place of Hindu spirituality and its reputation as a symbol of national heritage and pride is linked to the religious and architectural history of the Durbar Square. In 1979, the Square and its surrounds constituting Bhaktapur’s old city, were recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. At present, the preservation of the the Square is managed by the Department of Archaeology and the Bhaktapur Municipality.

We see residents dressed in traditional attire assembled in prayer at dusk in front of the five-storey Pagoda style roof of the Nyatapola Temple in Bhaktapur.

Residents assembled in prayer in front of the Nyatapola Temple in Bhaktapur, 2022.

Residents assembled in prayer in front of the Nyatapola Temple in Bhaktapur, 2022.

MARGARET WILLIAMSON

The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge cares for a small selection of photographs of the Durbar Square, part of a much larger collection of objects and photographs from Tibet, Sikkim, and Bhutan. Margaret Williamson, the donor of this collection and author of several photographs therein, travelled to these regions in the 1970s, with her husband Frederick, during his posting as a Political Officer there. In June 1974, they travelled to Nepal, while visiting the fourth king of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, for his coronation.

Margaret mentions very little about her sojourns in Nepal in her memoirs. However, her photographs, featuring prominent temples and palace quarters in Bhaktapur, suggest her fascination with the city’s Newari architecture. Renowned for its uniformity, Newari architecture is a fusion of influences from Tibet, India, and other parts of Asia, characterised by intricate wood carving, brick construction, metal-plated doors and windows, as well as Shikhara and Pagoda-style roofs. Over the next few sections, I focus on elements in Margaret's images of the buildings in Bhaktapur to point out some of their notable aspects.

A portrait of Margaret Williamson wearing a printed dress sitting at her desk inside her office at the British Residency in Gangtok, where she and her husband, Frederick Williamson, lived during his posting as Political Officer. The room contains a dresser, armchair, desk chair, desk and rugs on the floor. There are framed pictures hanging on the wall and standing on the dresser in front of a jade screen.

A portrait of Margaret Williamson at her desk inside her office at the British Residency in Gangtok where she and her husband lived. MAA P.147782.WIL.

A portrait of Margaret Williamson at her desk inside her office at the British Residency in Gangtok where she and her husband lived. MAA P.147782.WIL.

Portrayed in this image of the Durbar Square is the Golden Gate, also known as the Sun Dokha. It was begun by Bhupatindra Malla and completed by Ranjit Malla in 1754. It is connected to the main courtyard of the palace of fifty-five windows, the inner courtyards of the Royal Palace, and the Taleju Bhawani Temple. This temple is dedicated to the tantric goddess Taleju, patron deity of Hindu Newars.

MAA N.103903.WIL.

The white building on the right is a wing of the palace remodelled during the regime of the Ranas, Hindu kings who imposed authoritarianism in Nepal between 1846–1951. Since most of Bhaktapur's temples were built during the Mallas' reign, there is currently some debate around restoring the remodelled facade to its original style in order to maintain architectural uniformity.

We also see the National Art Museum emerging from this section of the palace as a separate building. It is recognisable because of two iconic stone sculptures of lions and figures of Hindu deities, Hanumanta-Bhairava and NarSimha, guarding its entrance.

The white gate in the distance is the main entrance to Bhaktapur’s old city.

This is another image of the Golden Gate, made from a different perspective, and allowing a better glimpse into its craftsmanship.

MAA N.103904.WIL.

On either side of the Gate are metal inscriptions in Newar.

The copper-gilded arched gateway, also known as a torana, is set in red brick. It is widely regarded as an example of Nepal's finest repoussage, and features iconographic images of Hindu deity Garuda, and a four-headed, ten-armed figure of the goddess Taleju.

A photograph of the important structures in the Durbar Square - to the right is a gateway to a temple with a torn gilded in gold and copper with intricate metalwork, beside which is a the Palace Quarters built in white stone with wooden windows and doors, and in the distance is the National Art Museum built in brick, and temple built in brick and wood with a two tiered roof. This is a typical image of the Bhaktapur Durbar Square and we see also see a woman worshipping at a shrine, people walking, children praying, and a soldier guarding the palace quarters' gates.

A classic view of the Durbar Square. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103903.WIL.

A classic view of the Durbar Square. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103903.WIL.

LIVING HERITAGE

We can understand the significance of Bhaktapur's Durbar Square as a nexus of intertwined architectural history and religious traditions by examining the Golden Gate as an illustrative example. The value placed on traditional skills is evident in the Gate's metalwork and the artistry of Bhaktapur's temples as a whole. However, what truly animates these spaces are the practices and beliefs woven into their existence. The people of Bhaktapur perceive their heritage, and indeed have always done, as a 'living' entity.

Here we see a gateway that leads to a temple and palace that aren't fully visible in the photograph. The entryway has a golden arch and roof, with inscriptions in Newari, iconographic motifs and scriptures all carved in metal. In front of the temple gateway is a pillar with a mythological figure sitting atop, and beside the temple is small shrine.

The Golden Gate at the entrance of the Taleju Temple. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103904.WIL.

The Golden Gate at the entrance of the Taleju Temple. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103904.WIL.

One evidence of this is in one of the images we have been examining. In this, a woman offers prayers to a deity concealed in a shrine near the Gate. She wears a traditional sari called Haku Patasi, commonly worn by women from the Jyapu, or Newari farmers' caste, who constitute the majority of Bhaktapur's population.

Offering prayers, flowers, and food to different deities in shrines dotted around the city is quotidian practice in Bhaktapur. It is part of an attempt by the city's residents to sustain the vigour of religious activities in the city.

I’m an anthropologist researching local preservation practices and the rebuilding of temples in post-earthquake Bhaktapur. In photographs from my fieldwork conducted between 2021 and 2022, I tried to portray the ‘living’ nature of Bhaktapur’s heritage. My images feature people interacting with the city’s built environment, and participating in rituals at various temples and squares scattered throughout.

Item 1 of 5
A dancer dressed in a traditional white skirted gown is captured moving passionately in a dark inner sanctum of a temple with exquisite terracotta pillars. Am audience comprised of dancers dressed similarly, musicians and women look on.

A member of the Banmala community performs a dance at the NavaDurga Sanctum, 2022.

A member of the Banmala community performs a dance at the NavaDurga Sanctum, 2022.

Men dressed in black and grey traditional Newari outfits with colourful caps gather in ceremony at the Bhaktapur Durbar Square carrying a variety of crop that they have recently harvested. In the backdrop we see the roof of 55 window palace with its ornate windows and panels.

Men from the Jyapu or Farmers’ Castes performing rituals at the Durbar Square, 2021.

Men from the Jyapu or Farmers’ Castes performing rituals at the Durbar Square, 2021.

People dressed in colourful clothes with umbrellas gather on the steps of a temple to take shelter during the rain. They sit around stone sculptures of elephants and other mythical creatures bordering the main stairway that leads up to the temple.

People gathered on the steps of a temple with umbrellas while in rained during a public celebration, 2021.

People gathered on the steps of a temple with umbrellas while in rained during a public celebration, 2021.

People are seen in procession carrying an effigy of the cow that represents a deceased family member. The effigy is shaped conically and is made of wooden poles and an umbrella on top, and has flower garlands surrounding a photograph of the deceased that is mounted on the intersection of the poles. People are burning incense in honour of the effigy, and some are carrying umbrellas since it's sunny. They walk through a lane in a neighbourhood surrounded by houses built in brick and wood on either side.

Residents in procession with effigies of the deceased during the festival of Gai Jatra, 2022.

Residents in procession with effigies of the deceased during the festival of Gai Jatra, 2022.

Young residents, mostly women, are seen dancing in a traditional Newari black saree with a red border, decked in gold jewellery. Some women have ritual instruments made in gold in their hands.In the background we see the roof of a temple in brick, and a few more brick buildings in the distance.

Young residents performing a traditional dance in front of the Gopinath Krishna Temple during the festival of Gai Jatra, 2022.

Young residents performing a traditional dance in front of the Gopinath Krishna Temple during the festival of Gai Jatra, 2022.

Every accessible part of the Taleju Bhawani Temple is used for worship and revelry. Bhaktapur's Durbar Square transforms into a stage on which the devotional life of the city is performed. 

Men(NavaDurga dancers) wear elaborate fierce masks representing demonic goddesses. Here the masks are being blessed by a woman who is a senior member of the group. They are all gathered at the temple of the NavaDurgas and in the photograph we see a glimpse of the beautiful wooden panels and ornate pillars of the temple.

Masked Nava Durga dancers preparing for performance, 2021.

Masked Nava Durga dancers preparing for performance, 2021.

These spaces are not just emblems of a rich history of artistic patronage but are active sites of everyday worship. They are shelters for the deities residing within them. Urban space in Bhaktapur is constructed according to an invisible cosmological grid, or a mandala, which determines the placement of shrines defining the sacred boundaries of the city. This mandala is constantly revitalised by people’s interactions with the holy sites.

The images I share convey what these interactions look like on different occasions. They demonstrate that Bhaktapur's architecture doesn't exist in isolation.

Women dressed in a traditional Newari black saree with a red border are gathered in the Durbar Square. Some men are seen carrying harvested crop, while the women carry golden pots of water. In the background are temples built in brick and wood, and a single temple built in white stone. Each temple has a distinct and ornate roof that is clearly visible in the image.

Jyapu women performing rituals at the Durbar Square, 2021.

Jyapu women performing rituals at the Durbar Square, 2021.

VULNERABILITY TO EARTHQUAKES

Several courtyards and structures in Bhaktapur's Durbar Square were destroyed in earthquakes, with the most recent one occurring in 2015. Nevertheless, it is considered the best-preserved among Nepal’s historical temple complexes.

In this photograph by Margaret, we see construction materials in front of the Gopinath Krishna Temple. It may be difficult to discern what is under construction here as the temples in the background don’t seem to be in need of maintenance or under repair. A sight like this, of stacked bricks in front of Bhaktapur's temples, is not uncommon even today. Heritage sites are generally prone to deterioration over time, and Bhaktapur's vulnerability to earthquake damage further jeopardises its buildings and the sanctity of its religious sites. The following photographs from my fieldwork show the current state of temple reconstruction sites in Bhaktapur.

We see Construction material piled up infant of two temple, both with distinct roofs- one has a pagoda style and another has a shikhara two-tiered style roof. Both are built in wood and brick, and the constructional material too consist of brick and what seems like sand. In the distance we also see the arched white gateway of the Durbar Square.

Construction material piled up in front of the Krishna Gopinath Temple at the Durbar Square. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103905.WIL.

Construction material piled up in front of the Krishna Gopinath Temple at the Durbar Square. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103905.WIL.

We see construction material including brick and wooden panels piled up infront of a temple that is under construction. There are people working on the roof of the temple that is surrounded in bamboo scaffolding.

Ongoing reconstruction at the Pashupatinath Temple in Bhaktapur's Durbar Square, 2022.

Ongoing reconstruction at the Pashupatinath Temple in Bhaktapur's Durbar Square, 2022.

Bhaktapur’s temples have endured considerable damage over time, especially in the aftermath of earthquakes in 2015. The city's ongoing rebuilding initiative, spearheaded by its communist administration led by the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, emphasises collaboration with ordinary residents as well as local skilled and unskilled workers. Notably, this reconstruction effort is independent of international aid or assistance.

People fix a gold-gilded window set in a wooden frame carved intricately with HIndu mythological and religious motifs. The window is being fixed on to the first floor of a temple that is under construction and we see bamboo scaffolding around the temple.

Volunteers and skilled workers fixing a gold-gilded window on the façade of the Indrayani Deochenn Temple, 2022.

Volunteers and skilled workers fixing a gold-gilded window on the façade of the Indrayani Deochenn Temple, 2022.

Accounts of the rebuilding process and evolving priorities in preservation practices play a pivotal role in safeguarding the identities of Bhaktapur's temples and historical sites. The vulnerability of these sites underscores the importance of photographs like Margaret's and the visual more generally, serving as a critical archive for historical and anthropological analyses.

CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

In one of Margaret's photographs, I came across a building unfamiliar to me from my fieldwork. It has a sign above its door which reads, 'Nari Bikash Pustakalaya, translating to 'Public Library for Women'. In an attempt to recall its location, I asked my acquaintances in Bhaktapur about the Library's whereabouts. They informed me that it was probably destroyed during one of the city's major earthquakes, and has since been replaced by souvenir shops and cafes.

A picture of a building that looks like a one storied house with a roof made in brick. There is a signboard that in Nepali which says it is a women's public library. There are similar looking houses in the background, but they look old and dilapidated.

A women’s public library in the 1970’s in Bhaktapur. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103906.WIL.

A women’s public library in the 1970’s in Bhaktapur. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103906.WIL.

They also noted that the less distinct houses in the background were the former residences of the royal family's relatives, and now serve as homes for Bhaktapur's upper-caste Brahmin priests. But can these houses be considered homes to the erstwhile royalty?

One might anticipate grandeur and opulence in the former royal residences. Yet, as the photograph reveals, deterioration poses a threat to both the existence and appearance of these sites. Margaret's photographs therefore, serve as a testament not only to what endures and remains unchanged, but also to what has been destroyed and is susceptible to wear and tear.

A photograph of the important structures in the Durbar Square - to the right is a gateway to a temple with a torn gilded in gold and copper with intricate metalwork, beside which is a the Palace Quarters built in white stone with wooden windows and doors, and in the distance is the National Art Museum built in brick, and temple built in brick and wood with a two tiered roof. This is a typical image of the Bhaktapur Durbar Square and we see also see a woman worshipping at a shrine, people walking, children praying, and a soldier guarding the palace quarters' gates.

A classic view of the Durbar Square. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103903.WIL.

A classic view of the Durbar Square. Margaret Williamson. MAA N.103903.WIL.

Historically, efforts to rebuild Bhaktapur have centred on retaining authenticity through the use of traditional building methods and materials. The maintenance and preservation of temples is significant to both administrative authorities in the city and its local residents.

This is a photograph of Bhaktapur's skyline taken from the roof of a building. We see multiple temples, all built in brick and wood but the focus in the photograph is on the pagoda and tiered shikhara style roofs of the temples. The city looks visually coherent because of the extensive use of brick to build temples and the uniformity in architectural styles. In the background we see a silhouette of the lower Himalayan mountains and an overcast sky above.

Bhaktapur's skyline with its towering shikhara and pagoda style roofs, 2021.

Bhaktapur's skyline with its towering shikhara and pagoda style roofs, 2021.

A more recent photograph of Bhaktapur, providing a different vantage point to the Durbar Square and its notable sites, reveals that little has changed.

However, if you look closely, you will notice that some of these structures are now supported by wooden panels. These are a precautionary measure adopted in response to their vulnerable condition following the twin Gurkha earthquakes of 2015.

Margaret's photographs of Bhaktapur provide a captivating glimpse into the city's past, portraying its temples and palace quarters. Their comparison with more recent images showcasing the city's cultural life, offers a unique temporal perspective and highlights both resilience and transformation induced by urbanisation, natural disasters, and local conservation efforts.

Navigating this interplay of continuity and change, Bhaktapur's Durbar Square emerges as a living testament to the city's cultural vibrancy and its enduring quest for a tangible and intangible identity amidst the flux of time. The ongoing efforts to balance preservation with reconstruction underscore the delicate dance between safeguarding the past and embracing the inevitability of change in this culturally rich and vulnerable landscape.

We see people gathered around the temples clustered in one section of the Durbar Square.They have occupied every accessible part of the temples that are built wooden, brick and stone.

People gathered outside the 55-Window Palace at the Durbar Square, 2021. 

People gathered outside the 55-Window Palace at the Durbar Square, 2021. 

TopBuilt with Shorthand