Friday, August 12, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tudikhel - the last 'green' standing?
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| Scalar Comparision of this core of Kathmandu with Central Park, NYC |
At the center of Kathmandu stands a lonely patch of
green with an almost forlorn, deserted look to it - Tudikhel. Probably one
of the last remaining public green spaces in the city, its value is immense.But
its like one of those things, in the midst of constant changes even while its
locked in a strange permanence of sorts and always fighting a
battle,a search for its identity. What is Tudikhel to the people of
the city - if its more than just an open space, why haven't any steps been
taken to organize this chunk of land into a green oasis in the middle
of a truly concrete jungle? At one point of time, it stretched from Tripureshwor to Bhotahiti capped
by Pratap Malla's marvelous sixteenth century pond(Rani Pokhari); it's been
fragmented to Ratna park, Khula Manch, Sainik Manch, Tudikhel today.
It was used for relief & rescue works, temporary camping sites following the devastating earthquake of 1934. Irrespective of its present condition, if you think about it, this stretch from Tripureshwor to Rani Pokhari all the way to the Garden of Dreams has tremendous potential to be developed as a major urban space which may even be a catalyst for the revitalization of the entire area. This spine can eventually be linked to the river and ultimately to the existing monuments scattered throughout the Bagmati river bank and other development plans - mainly focussing on re-integrating the river to the city as well as creating more usuable pubic space, which would no doubt go a long way into salvalging the image of this city. The Guest House at the banks of the River Bagmati has its own significant history and its immediate area can be used to open up the city to its rivers and through it to an invaluable past - one that links right back to the start.
Garden of Dreams next to the Kaisher Mahal as the northern edge and a gate-way to Thamel cab be the Northern bookend of this urban spine. Given the relatively small size of this ground, you wouldn't think, it would take a lot to work out a proper development plan.
Looking at the overwhelming rate of increased construction work in this city, its surprising that this has remained unscathed to the extent that it has over the years but the answer lies in the mysteries that surrounds almost every nook and corner of this valley. Yes, like many other things in Kathmandu, this place is very much associated with various myths and legends, which perhaps goes a long way to explain why this still exists.Of those myths and legends, the most famous is that of the demon Tundi from which the ground gets its name. In the story, the demon had spread terror and panic among the town’s inhabitants. The demon was eventually killed and buried, and horses were let loose over its grave to avert its resurrection. This is the origin of the annual Ghode Jatra or the horse festival, which still takes place in the month of March. The Tudikhel accommodates the grave of another demon, known as Gurumapa, who according to the legend also spread terror in the area. Legend says that it is the Gurumapa who does not allow three bricks to stand on one upon another at Tudikhel, and therefore, to this day, the land has remained free of any considerable building construction. The Tudikhel has also been used as a Parade Ground by the army from at least as early as the mid 1830s.
It was used for relief & rescue works, temporary camping sites following the devastating earthquake of 1934. Irrespective of its present condition, if you think about it, this stretch from Tripureshwor to Rani Pokhari all the way to the Garden of Dreams has tremendous potential to be developed as a major urban space which may even be a catalyst for the revitalization of the entire area. This spine can eventually be linked to the river and ultimately to the existing monuments scattered throughout the Bagmati river bank and other development plans - mainly focussing on re-integrating the river to the city as well as creating more usuable pubic space, which would no doubt go a long way into salvalging the image of this city. The Guest House at the banks of the River Bagmati has its own significant history and its immediate area can be used to open up the city to its rivers and through it to an invaluable past - one that links right back to the start.
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| Pedestrian connection between Khula Manch (Public Stand) & Sainik Manch (Army Stand) |
Garden of Dreams next to the Kaisher Mahal as the northern edge and a gate-way to Thamel cab be the Northern bookend of this urban spine. Given the relatively small size of this ground, you wouldn't think, it would take a lot to work out a proper development plan.
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| Tudikhel from the top of CTC Mall Looking NE |
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| View of the Army Parade area next to stands Looking SW |
Looking at the overwhelming rate of increased construction work in this city, its surprising that this has remained unscathed to the extent that it has over the years but the answer lies in the mysteries that surrounds almost every nook and corner of this valley. Yes, like many other things in Kathmandu, this place is very much associated with various myths and legends, which perhaps goes a long way to explain why this still exists.Of those myths and legends, the most famous is that of the demon Tundi from which the ground gets its name. In the story, the demon had spread terror and panic among the town’s inhabitants. The demon was eventually killed and buried, and horses were let loose over its grave to avert its resurrection. This is the origin of the annual Ghode Jatra or the horse festival, which still takes place in the month of March. The Tudikhel accommodates the grave of another demon, known as Gurumapa, who according to the legend also spread terror in the area. Legend says that it is the Gurumapa who does not allow three bricks to stand on one upon another at Tudikhel, and therefore, to this day, the land has remained free of any considerable building construction. The Tudikhel has also been used as a Parade Ground by the army from at least as early as the mid 1830s.
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| At the South-West Corner of Tundhikhel |
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At the North-West corner of Tudikhel beyond Shahid Gate
(Street Level View)
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| At the South-East corner of Tudikhel beyond Shahid Gate next to Bhadrakali Temple |
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| At the North-East corner of Tudikhel next to old bus park |
Historical pictures show how the Tudikhel was a place of refuge and home to many of the old city residents following the 1934 earthquake. My grandfather who was then an eleven year old boy has narrated his own experiences of surviving that day. I didn't think I'd live to speak of another harrowing day and months that followed. As the valley was repeatedly hit by aftershocks, residents whose homes had either been damaged or those people who felt unsafe to go back to the narrow lanes of the old city, lived in make-shift tents at Tudikhel for months following the 2015 earthquake. It reiterates the importance of this piece of land, and why we have to fight tooth and nail to preserve it, for the future.
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| Temporary tents provided an immediate respite (July 2015) |
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| Tudikhel as a place of refuge (July 2015) |
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| Tudikhel as a place of refuge (July 2015) |
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