Architectural Marvel: Shikharas
Growing up in Patan, the unique temple of Krishna at Patan Durbar Square always marvelled me. As per locals, particularly elders busy discussing politics and indulging children in folk tales, masons carved it from one stone. I was pleasantly surprised! One single stone? To which they added, brought from Kailash, home of Lord Shiva. I was flabbergasted!
Later on, I learned how the story was completely false.
The emergence of this technique is in present-day India. One should not mistake it for Vimana style, which looks similar but is steps to create a pinnacle than a curve. In present-day Nepal, only the Shikhara format in Nagara style exist. This style of Shikhara is North Indian. It has various cousins such as Dravida, Vesara amongst the notables.
Newars took elements from their skills building stupa and pagoda and introduced them to Shikharas. They also began creating variations. They maintained the tradition and also amplified it. A great example of this is the Krishna temple..
Amongst various temples of this kind, the oldest in Kathmandu valley lay ruined in the Pasupati heritage region. The Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and their neighbouring areas feature plenty of temples in this format. Western Nepal also features a few temples in this style erected by Malla rulers.
As per local chronicles and beliefs, apart from the Shikhara's present in Pasupati, the oldest of this style is Matsyendra temple (Karunamaya) in Bungamati. The tale of his arrival into the valley is around the mid- Lichhavi era. This temple collapsed during the earthquake of 2015: reconstruction efforts are underway. The most popular are the Mahaboudha and Krishna temple.
They are called either Degah or Lhwaega. Lhwaega is a term used to acknowledge temples built of stone. Lhwa means stone in Newari. Degah, meaning home of god/ gods, is a general term.
Alike me, countless fall victim to either elders or pesky tourist guides about the material and make of these temples. Materials for their construction include special bricks, red brick, natural or dressed stone and terracotta. Polished bricks used for the facades are known as chika awpa. Chika means oil in Newari, whereas awpa means bricks. Unpolished big bricks are known as maha awpa. The Krishna temple of Patan features stone dressed and jointed tight. Whereas, Mahaboudha is a stunning hallmark of Newari terracotta masonry.
Mahadeva temple and Vatsala Durga temple of Bhaktapur are amongst the finest Newar masonry done in terracotta and natural stone.
A shikhara temple which was the crown jewel of Kantipur (former name of Kathmandu), was restored in full recently. It was the home of Khasarrpa Lokeshwara, established by Lichhavi king Gundakama-deva, the founder of Kantipur.
The temple was ransacked by soldiers from Western Nepal, according to historical sources. The protective deity of the temple, Bhairab, was stolen and established in their city. They also attempted to steal the chef idol, but due to some reason, they threw it at a river junction. During the rule of Yaksha Malla, the statue of Khasarrpa Lokeshwara was rediscovered but housed in another area. The temples original glory was restored by Pratapa Malla. He also dug a pond around it. During the earthquake of 1934 AD, the temple collapsed. The Rana rulers of Nepal built a Mugal dome as a keepsake.
Click Here: To read more on this temple and its deity.
Today, Rani Pokhari isn't just a pond but also a reminder of how things once lost can be revived. Numerous temples in Shikhara format used to exist before 1934 AD. Some are oblivious, while others lay in ruin. These temples should be celebrated by the world, not just as a house of god but as a marvel of architecture.