Pride of Place
Living heritage in Kathmandu
By Augusto Villalon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:26:00 10/27/2008
Filed Under: Lifestyle & Leisure, Travel & Commuting, Culture (general)
MANILA, Philippines - Three independent royal city-states once stood next to each other in Kathmandu Valley.
After the unification of Nepal in the late 18th century, the former royal cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan evolved into distinct centers within sprawling, multitextured Kathmandu, capital of present-day Nepal.
Each of the three historic centers strongly reflects its individual heritage within the diverse mix of Hindu and Buddhist culture in present-day Nepal that they were inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List in 1979 as the monuments of “Kathmandu Valley.”
Kathmandu Valley is no commemoration of past memories. The former historic royal centers are not empty monuments. They are very much alive, still heavily used by the local community for everyday activities, functioning in the same manner today as in centuries past.
The only difference is that the former royal palaces are now either museums or civic buildings.
Within the demarcated World Heritage areas are stunning collections of former royal palaces, memorials, Hindu or Buddhist temples, promenades, bazaars, marketplaces and food stalls set around a large open square functioning as the outdoor community living room, where people sit and relax amidst the buzz of motorcycles and hawkers.
Devotees continue to crowd temples, bazaars remain in the same locations where they always have been, although these days, tourist shops appear to be resolutely edging out the traditional food and dry goods shops that supply the resident community.
Community center
In Kathmandu, historic areas continue to be the center of community life.
Considered among the better-preserved historic districts of Kathmandu, Durbar (royal) Square in Patan is a great example of living heritage. The complex includes the former royal palace, a large number of the town’s main temples and a bazaar.
Although smaller than those in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, Patan Durbar Square is perhaps the most cohesive and visually attractive of the three.
Since Patan lost its capital status after the unification of Nepal, its Durbar Square escaped physical changes by the succession of rulers, therefore it preserved its historic plan and layout that survives to this day.
People flow through Patan Durbar Square at all times of the day, from a warren of narrow pedestrian lanes that open up to shopping and transportation hubs situated around the square. They go about their business, worship at temples, sit-outdoors in the company of neighbors and tourists try to mingle with locals.
Mangal Bazaar is the commercial area running along the west side of the square where the labyrinth of lanes crammed with people, bicycles and motorcycles opens up to a crowded hawkers market where merchandise is displayed on floors or on the street.
In front of the bazaar is the Chyasing Deval, an eight-sided temple with multilevel porches that tapers to the top in the Shikhara Style of India, dedicated to Krishna in 1723, in memory of the 8 wives of King Yoganarendra Malla, who threw themselves on his funeral pyre to burn to death with their husband, following ancient Hindu custom of sati.
The former royal family of Patan, or Lalitpur, constructed the extensive palace complex on the eastern side of the square and a group of temples facing the entrance to their palace.
The royal palace popularly known as Patan Durbar stretches along one side of Durbar Square. Built in the 17th century of brick and wood finely carved into supports, windows framed in heavily carved wood are covered with fine wooden filigree. The surviving buildings, very well conserved, have undergone changes in function over the centuries. Today some are now interior quadrangles, government offices, school and museum.
Alive
Architecturally and urbanistically outstanding as Patan Durbar Square is today, its continued place as the center of community life makes its heritage alive. Aside from the former royal palaces, all the historic structures, especially temples, continue to be used as they have been over the centuries.
That its heritage is alive and in continual use is a special quality that makes Patan Durbar Square outstanding today, but it is precisely that same quality that threatens the future of historic district with the pressures of modern development.
An important force in the conservation of Kathmandu is the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT), a New York-based organization that maintains its Nepal headquarters at Patan Durbar Square, a training center, library, and a clearing-house for information about historic preservation in Nepal.
Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust has been documenting historic architecture in Kathmandu, maintaining architectural records and gathering useful research material for its undertaking of restoring monuments in the city.
The KVPT is developing South Asia’s first revolving fund to acquire or lease private historical buildings as a way of preserving them. It has participated in various types of historic preservation projects; from restoring historical monuments such as the Patan Royal Palace and assisting owners of historic buildings with re-use schemes to extend the life of their houses.
In Kathmandu, heritage lives on. Historic outdoor areas, the Durbar Squares, and traditional historic houses continue to be used today by the local community. Together with the rich mix of Hindu and Buddhist culture that colors contemporary Kathmandu life, it is a place not only to visit, but also to learn from.
Lecture on family heritage
Australian conservation expert Victoria Gill will hold “Conserving Family Heritage,” a series of informal talks designed to teach the recording of family history and the proper care for heirloom objects of sentimental and monetary value.
Lectures are free, But there is a charge of P500 for each personal item brought for discussion and evaluation. The series will start on Nov. 5.
All talks start at 10.30 am at 39 Ponce Street, San Lorenzo Village, Makati. Advance booking is necessary. E-mail victoria.gill@endangeredheritage.com
Email the author at pride.place@gmail.com
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