1. Jan-Feb 2011

HERITAGE
Nasal Chowk, currently housing the royal Museum, with the
towering temple of Panchamukhi Hanuman
to note the effect of social, political and economic situations on the
inclination towards construction as revealed by the construction
trends during the rule of Mahendra Malla, Shiva Singh and finally
the decline during Laxmi Narsimha Malla's reign.
The outer square of Hanumandhokha showcases the
contributions of many rulers, including the Jaggannath
temple by Mahendra Malla and the magnificent image of
Kal Bhairav installed here by Pratap Malla.
Laxmi Narsimha Malla was succeeded by Pratap Malla, a very
influential ruler, not only in terms of administration but also as a
patron of the arts. His interest in literature, music, dance, art and
architecture has not only helped him craft his popularity but has
also secured him an important place in history. Most of the Malla
monuments present in the Hanumandhokha Palace area were
created by Pratap Malla, including the statue of Hanuman from
which the entire complex gets its name. During the Malla rule the
trade route from India to Tibet passed through the Valley, and tax
collected from the traders was a major source of income. Pratap
Malla captured most of the trade junctions and hence his rule was
an economic success. Some monuments established by Pratap
Malla were in fact looted by him during his attacks on Bhaktapur
or collected from other different parts of the valley. Clearly, his
economic and political influence played a major role in his quest
towards building the palace complex.
The first monument established by Pratap Malla is the stone
pillar with metal lion in front of the Taleju Temple. The pillar was
constructed in B.S. 1699; in 1701 he placed a metal image of
himself at the temple of Taleju. The image shows the young king
folding his hands in respect towards the goddess. In B.S. 1705
he constructed the octagonal Krishna Temple, in the memory
of his two demised queens, Rupmatidevi, the princess of Bihar
Desh and Rajmati, the princess of Karnat Desh. This temple was
constructed in competition to the famous Krishna Temple at
Patan constructed by Siddhinarsimha Malla in B.S. 1693. Along
with the Krishna Temple the construction of Mohan Chowk was
also on way. After completion of Mohan Chowk in 1705, Sundari
Chowk was also constructed by 1707. Other important elements
like the Nasal Chowk, Bhandarkhal, Statue of Hanuman, Temple
of Panchamukhi Hanuman (inside Nasal Chowk) and Sundhara
(in Mohan Chowk) were also built by Pratap Malla. Kavindrapur,
the grandest temple of Nasal Dev (Natyeshwor Mahadev) and an
image of Narasimha at Nasal Chowk was established by Pratap
Maju Degal, commissioned by
Queen Mother Riddhilaxmi is
the highest temple in the
complex after Taleju and Degu Taleju
www.spacesnepal.com 74
January-February 2011