Monuments just around the corner

Tudikhel - the last 'green' standing?

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.

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.

Tudikhel from the top of CTC Mall
Looking NE

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. 

At the South-West Corner of Tundhikhel

And then there are the Nameless Horsemen (unless you are a student of history, a plaque here would be useful), who stand as testimony of a time long gone. Irrespective of the past, the artistic value of these marvels in stone cannot be denied. Here are are two of those statues you can find near Shahid Gate.

At the North-West corner of Tudikhel beyond Shahid Gate

(Street Level View)

At the South-East corner of Tudikhel beyond Shahid Gate next to Bhadrakali Temple

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.

Temporary tents provided an immediate respite
(July 2015)

Tudikhel as a place of refuge
(July 2015)

Tudikhel as a place of refuge
(July 2015)

Carved public spaces - Piazza S. Ignazio

Piazza di Sant' Ignazio

A few minutes from the much simpler Piazza di Pietra and just around the corner from the Piazza di Pantheon lays the Piazza S. Ignazio composed of an interesting interplay of complex ovoid forms through the arrangement and configuration of the surrounding buildings. It almost feels theatrical if you look at how each building(solid) is almost carved out to work together and create the urban space(void). The piazza is composed of five residential buildings and tracing the transformation of this space through the Nolli map  to its present form - you almost get the sense that it's been meticulously carved out of the existing medieval fabric. Just like the shape of the surrounding buildings, the decorative effects of the buildings are an integral element in the overall design. The entire process lasted from 1727-35. Filippo Raguzzini was the architect .

This does not appear to be a crowd favorite of all the piazzas in Rome but if you spare more than a cursory glance, you will undoubtedly notice and appreciate how everything ultimately comes together here. Besides the architecture, urban elements - there is one more thing you can get here a plenty - lots of good...make that great places for a scoop of gelato around here, there is never a dull moment when you walk on those cobbled streets!

A case of two Piazza Colonnas

When in Rome, there is no way you can miss Piazza Colonna(center of the Rione of Colonna) which not only sits right opposite the Galleria Colonna across Via del Corso but also next to Piazza Parlimento that houses the Italian Parliament on its other side. It's named after the marble column of Marcus Aurelius which has stood there since 193 CE. The bronze statue of St.Paul that crowns the column was placed there in 1589 during the time of Pope Sixtus V. Much like other popular piazzas in Rome, Piazza Colonna also contains a fountain on its eastern edge parallel to Via del Corso - designed by Giacomo della Porta who also worked with Michelangelo on St. Peter's Basilica. The piazza also contains the church of  Santi Bartolomeo ed Alessandro dei Bergamaschi.

The column of Marcus Aurelius with the galleria in the background, Rome

The fountain at Piazza Colonna

It was by sheer chance that we ended up in this small town called Orte about 60 kms north of Rome on a pleasant Italian spring day. I remember running around the small town which is literally perched up on a high cliff, looking for a cup of coffee- the cappuccino never disappoints you anywhere in Italy and it was no different here. But what we did stumble upon was another Piazza Colonna, with a miniature column of its own. Now that was a surprise!

Piazza Colonna, Orte

Church, Orte

Tiber from the city

Newer part of the city

Water spouts at the heart of the public realm

You only have to wander a little outside, the UNESCO enlisted core areas, and if you are game enough to tackle, the dirt, a sea of people, the usually crazy motorinis (scootys) and traffic madness that follows it everywhere, and yes - those pesky street hawkers trying to sell you the best beads and the funkiest laughing Buddha you've ever seen - you are in for a treat! There is a lot to discover and encounter at every nook and corner. One such marvel is the ancient water conduits or dhungedharas of the city. While their numbers have reduced drastically over the years, their relevance and importance is clearly visible at those places where they still function. Public spaces of any city is invariably shaped by a host of factors - including various socio-cultural elements, which ultimately give shape to those unique places that are true to the culture that they belong to and therefore thrive in. Nepali dhungedharas are typologically similar to the step-well of India, and are usually constructed in a series of terraces of diminishing size (reverse of a typical pagoda temple). Typically the water spout at the lowest level is accessed via a stairway that leads to the stone paved (or brick in some cases) floor or the conduit basin. The number of water spouts may vary from one, three, five or more(very rare).

Location of traditional water conduits(sunken) in Kathmandu's historic core

Some of them no longer exist

Maruhiti, 2013

Dhungedhara at Bhimsensthan, 2013

TBD @ Bhimsenthan, 2013

Kohiti, Jaisideval - Kathmandu, 2013

Chi-baha at Kohiti , 2013

Pati(Public Resthouse) at Kohiti, 2013

Once an essential part of the water supply system of Kathmandu's historic core, it still serves the population today but like much of the history of this place, is inevitably intertwined with various myths and legends. Of the lot identified, some of these marvels have already been lost to the perils of modernization, encroachment or lack of proper care while some remain in memories of those people who knew the city much more intimately than any one of us can do today. A few are on the verge of being lost, some have been relegated to the confines of the National Museum at Chauni while others still defy rationale(Kohiti - more on that in another post). This looks at some of those Dhungedharas (water conduits) scattered throughout the historic core of Kathmandu city and what forms an integral element of the public realm of the city, its history and therefore intrinsically with everyday life. Speaking of which, it is no coincidence that we find most of these dhungedharas next to either an important temple or to a public rest house (dharmashala), truly making it an essential urban element.

Based on available inscriptions, water conduits of Kathmandu are believed to date back to the Lichhavi period (ca. 300-869 AD) and were an integral element of water supply to the ancient city. Inevitably, located within a chowk or bazaar adorned with temples and public rest-houses, the importance of these elements to the public realm cannot be stressed more. Primarily constructed using stone, water is brought to the dhara or hiti or spout through an underground channel lined with specially made ceramic tiles usually connected to a pond or rajkulo (water supply source). Ground water and canals are also usually considered as alternate sources of water. Usually, the most ornate element in a dhungedhara (water conduit) is the spout itself, which is normally a cantilevered spout made of stone or metals, bearing the form of the mythological creature Makara. One of the earliest written references to the construction of water spouts inside the valley, is the mention of a fountain at Hadigaon by Mandeva's grandson in 550 AD. The oldest surviving water fountain however is the Mangahiti at Patan Durbar Square which dates back to 570 AD. In contrast, the last of its kind to have been constructed in the valley is the fountain at Sundhara, which coincidentally also happens to be the largest one - and was constructed in 1829 AD. Of the two, Sundhara has been rendered useless by time, negligence and nearby construction. Bhotahity no longer exists because it was brought down during the construction of the subway.

While looking for information on the exact number of Hitis (stone spouts) I came across an article recently that had been published in the Himalayan Times earlier in the year (2011-02-05) titled, Stone spouts at the mercy of ruthless urbanization plans, according to which there were 165 water stone spouts in  Kathmandu, 61 in Lalitpur, 87 in Bhaktapur, 65 in Madhyapur Thimi and 11 in Kirtipur of which 34 in Kathmandu, 7 in Lalitpur, 3 in Madhyapur Thimi and one each in Bhaktapur and Kirtipur have already disappeared. It went to say that out of those existing numbers, 34 in Kathmandu, 18 in Bhaktapur, nine in Mahdyapur Thimi and seven in Lalitpur are under threat. Interestingly, 35 in Bhaktapur, six in Kathmandu and two in Madhyapur Thimi have been brought under the city supply line. I need to verify these numbers from a different source. Irrespective of the actual numbers, these changes not only show a change in cultural patterns but also reflect a change in the use and nature of public spaces and therefore a transition of the city from what it was to something else, whether that's a good thing or not is certainly debatable.

Sundhara in 2013, Kathmandu

Public space around Sundhara 

Sundhara  - c 1829 AD

Plan of Sundhara (28.3 x 28.9 sq. m)
Kathmandu

The oldest Hiti - Mangahiti, Patan

Ganabahal Dhara from street level
(Jan. 2017)

Ganabahal Dhara now runs dry
Water used to flow about 20 years ago
(Jan. 2017)

Dhara is in a typical sunken pit with Buddhist and Hindu
elements of worship (Ganesha statue, Chibaha etc.)
(Jan. 2017)

Images from the heart of a city

A walk through the ancient street that runs through the heart of Kathmandu's historical core reveals its unique architectural heritage...there is a lot more to see besides the Durbar square complex. 

Exquisitely carved windows on the southern face of Hanuman dhoka durbar

Buddhist Prayer Wheels at Jana Bahal

Colorful mementos for sale

Main square with temples

Inscriptions on Jaganath Temple plinth

Temple guards 

Taleju Temple Northern Entrance

A Typical Temple Entrance

A Model of Serenity - Buddhist statue at Jana bahal

Obviously this doesn't put out fires anymore!

West face of the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar

In complete contrast, we see neoclassical elements interspersed - all with a Nepali touch. Fading and yet waiting patiently for a revival. Is there is Renaissance coming?

Old buildings=Bad phone network. #PatanMuseum

Neo-Classical Motifs #BalMandir

Nepali Adaptation of the Corinthian #BalMandir