Bhaktapur: an ancient Newar town

Bhaktapur, is also called Bhadgaon and Khvopa. An ancient Newar town to the east of Kathmandu, Nepal, which has a huge number of outstanding architectural monuments. With 78 000 thousand inhabitants is the third largest population and smallest of three royal cities of Kathmandu valley.

Bhaktapur is situated on the river Hanumante, and, just like Kathmandu, lies at the foot of Tibet, which could not but reflect on its history and features. The idea that this city is made up of distinctive landscape, pottery and Newar traditional music. More than 150 music and 100 cultural groups have created an image as the capital of arts Bhaktapur Nepal. Residents of the city for the most part belong to the Newari, 90% are Hindus and 10% – Buddhists.

From the XIV century until the second half of XVIII century the city was the capital of the Malla dynasty. From that time until we reached the building 172 temples, 32 artificial ponds, and many houses decorated with wooden bas-reliefs. Although in 1934 Bhaktapur was destroyed by an earthquake, it was soon rebuilt, and in 1979 the architectural heritage of the city was included in the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage.

Geographical position

Bhaktapur is located in central Nepal, 16 km east of Kathmandu, the capital of the same name being the District, the smallest of the 75 counties in the so-called area of ​​Bagmati. The area of ​​the city is situated at an altitude of 1341 up to 1404 meters. In the north of Bhaktapur limited Manogara river in the south – Mount Mahadev Pokhara, in the east – and west Survinayyak – again Manogara the river and the river Durga. In fact the city is located north of the river Hanumante Khola, named in honor of the monkey king Hanuman from the Ramayana, which collected magic herbs here for a wounded brother of Rama.

Geology

Bhaktapur is located on the southern edge of the foothills Gimalaevv the Kathmandu Valley. This valley has 25 CMS north-south and 19 km in the east-west and is surrounded by mountains up to 2900 m, while the valley itself lies at an altitude of 1340 m river valley system is independent from its mountainous situation, because it feeds waters of the Bagmati. The structure of this system includes such rivers as the Vishnumati, Moharana, Dhobi, Nahuas Kholar, as well as Hanumante, on which stands Bhaktapur. The body of the valley is composed of sand and loam. The exact cause of the composition of the soil is unknown, it is assumed that, perhaps, was located here before the lake. Nepal is situated at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian plates, as a result of the collision which gave rise to the Himalayas. This in turn leads to frequent earthquakes, the strongest of which were in the 1255 earthquake (magnitude 7.7), 1833 and 1934 (8.4 points).

Urban Zoning

In 1961 the city was divided into 17 districts. However, residents did not pay much attention to it, continuing to divide the old city in the 24 districts, so called. Tola. Contemporary same district are the following names: Duvakot, Dzhhaukhel, Changu Narayan, Chaling, Nagarkot, Bagesvori, Sudan, Tathali, Hitpol, Nankhel, Sipadol, Hund, Katundzhe, Dadhikot, and Svutar Balkot. Together with the county Vadhepur, known under the name Thimi, together they constitute the Bhaktapur.

Bhaktapur – also the capital of one of the Malla kingdoms

With the following kings of Bhaktapur – Pran Malla, Vishwa Malla and Malla Yagayoti – related changes in the architectural appearance of the city. The first king of Naresh Malla in 1637 ordered a decree to finish the temple of Taleju and install a window of sandalwood in the Mul Chowk. In 1644, ascended the throne of King Dzhagatprakash Malla. He ordered to build a temple Vasantpur, such as no one has ever seen. On his orders Taleju temple was built on, and the temple of Bhavani Shankar is installed near the western entrance to the royal palace.

For construction and cultural history of the city is very important during the reign of King Dzhitamitry Malla, who ascended the throne in 1672. Before our time the beautiful palaces of kings are located in the Kathmandu Valley, continue to compete with each other in beauty. Chronicle reports that in 1678, during the reign Thanathu Dubara were rehabilitated water sources, divided into many parks and courtyards built in the city. By his decree Kumari Chowk has been updated, gilded dome of the temple of Taleju and made other changes.

In 1696, took the throne Bhupatindra Malla. On his orders, was built by the royal palace with 99 courtyards and 55 windows. The city was the only one of three royal cities that controlled the road from north to south, situated south of Kathmandu and Patan, north of and controlling the way from India to Tibet. In Tibet, the time was extended circulation of Nepalese money due to the large influx of traders from the region. During the reign of King Bhupatindry Bhaktapur Malla had the exclusive right to mint coins for Tibet.

The Royal Palace

The division of the kingdom into three parts had a positive impact on the development of art and building things. The rivalry between the three kingdoms led to the emergence of competition in the construction of more and higher temples and places of worship. Funding for these projects was laid on the back of Newar traders, builders and artisans, overlaid by higher taxes. In 1768 the city was subjected to seizure by troops Prtihvi Narayan Shah  of the Gurkhas, who founded the Shah dynasty which lasted until 2008, Nepal.