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Étai de toiture sculpté représentant une divinité tantrique (une des formes de Durga ?) du temple de Changu Narayan
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Le temple de Changu Narayan est considéré comme le plus vieux du Népal, il possède un toit en forme de pagode à 2 étages. Il a été reconstruit probablement au XVIIème siècle mais avec des éléments architecturaux et décoratifs beaucoup plus anciens.
Ce temple dédié à Narayan est au sommet d'une montagne considérée comme sacrée depuis 464 après notre ère comme en atteste une référence écrite à ce site qui date du règne du roi Licchavi Mandeva mais le site était probablement sacré depuis le 3ème siècle.
Dans la cosmologie hindoue, Vishnou lorsqu'il repose sur le serpent Ananta (Shesha) est appelé Nârâyana (Narayan) c'est à dire "Reposant sur les eaux" ou "Demeure-de-l'Homme" ou encore "Demeure-du-savoir". Nârâyana, qui signifie aussi "Refuge universel", est une des 24 images de Vishnou d'après le Rupa Mandana.
Article de Wikipedia sur Narayana (Narayan au Népal)
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narayana
Article de Wikipedia sur Changu Narayan
Shankha (Doong ou Conque) sur une colonne dans la cour du temple de Changu Narayan
Le Shankha est le nom sanskrit de la Conque que porte Vishnou en attribut. C'est un instrument de musique rituel dans l'Hindouisme, c'est aussi un instrument du Bouddhisme.
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Le temple de Changu Narayan est considéré comme le plus vieux du Népal, il possède un toit en forme de pagode à 2 étages. Il a été reconstruit probablement au XVIIème siècle mais avec des éléments architecturaux et décoratifs beaucoup plus anciens.
Ce temple dédié à Narayan est au sommet d'une montagne considérée comme sacrée depuis 464 après notre ère comme en atteste une référence écrite à ce site qui date du règne du roi Licchavi Mandeva mais le site était probablement sacré depuis le 3ème siècle.
Dans la cosmologie hindoue, Vishnou lorsqu'il repose sur le serpent Ananta (Shesha) est appelé Nârâyana (Narayan) c'est à dire "Reposant sur les eaux" ou "Demeure-de-l'Homme" ou encore "Demeure-du-savoir". Nârâyana, qui signifie aussi "Refuge universel", est une des 24 images de Vishnou d'après le Rupa Mandana.
Article de Wikipedia sur Narayana (Narayan au Népal)
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narayana
Article de Wikipedia sur Changu Narayan
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changu_Narayan
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Autre photo d'une conque rituelle
www.flickr.com/photos/dalbera/5941349262/in/set-721576270...
Changu Narayan is an ancient Hindu temple located near the village of Changunarayan in the Kathmandu Valley on top of a hill at the eastern end of the valley. Its location is 6 kilometres to the north of Bhakathapur and 22 kilometres from Kathmandu. The temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples of the valley, and is believed to have been constructed first in the 4th century. Changu Narayan is the name of Vishnu, and the temple is dedicated to him. A stone slab discovered in the vicinity of the temple dates to the 5th century, and is the oldest such stone inscription discovered in Nepal. It was rebuilt after the old temple was devastated. Many stone sculptures here date to the Licchavi period. Changu Narayan Temple is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The temple is a double-roofed structure where the idol of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayana is deified. The exquisitely built temple has intricate roof struts showing multi-armed Tantric deities. A kneeling image of Garuda (dated to the 5th century), the vahana or vehicle of Vishnu with a snake around its neck, faces the temple. The gilded door depicts stone lions guarding the temple. Gilded windows also flank the door. A conch and a disc, symbols of Vishnu, are carved on the two pillars at the entrance. Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple.
Child Play con Gurudass Kaur
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April 2015 earthquake: I have enjoyed Nepal, the vibrancy of Kathmandu, its monuments and its people and I feel for them at this time. If you are going to use any of my images on your blogs, reports, publications etc. please consider giving a donation to help the country and its people. My preferred charity is Medicins Sans Frontieres / Doctors Without Borders (www.msf.org,uk or www.msf.ch or other national sites)
Kathmandu Durbar Square or Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square is the plaza in front of the old royal palace of the then Kathmandu Kingdom. It is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Durbar Square is surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The royal palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to the Durbar square location.
The Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.
HISTORY AND CONSTRUCTION
The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. Even though the present palaces and temples have undergone repeated and extensive renovations and nothing physical remains from that period, names like Gunapo and Gupo, which are the names referred to the palaces in the square in early scriptures, imply that the palaces were built by Gunakamadev, a king ruling late in the tenth century. When Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna Malla (1484–1520) the palaces in the square became the royal palaces for its Malla kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace.
The square is still the center of important royal events like the coronation of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah in 1975 and King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in 2001.
Though there are no written archives stating the history of Kathmandu Durbar Square, construction of the palace in the square is credited to Sankharadev (1069–1083). As the first king of the independent Kathmandu City, Ratna Malla is said to have built the Taleju temple in the Northern side of the palace in 1501. For this to be true then the temple would have had to have been built in the vihara style as part of the palace premise surrounding the Mul Chok courtyard for no evidence of a separate structure that would match this temple can be found within the square.
Construction of the Karnel Chok is not clearly stated in any historical inscriptions; although, it is probably the oldest among all the courtyards in the square. The Bhagavati Temple, originally known as a Narayan Temple, rises above the mansions surrounding it and was added during the time of Jagajaya Malla in the early eighteenth century. The Narayan idol within the temple was stolen so Prithvi Narayan Shah replaced it with an image of Bhagavati, completely transforming the name of the temple.
The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560–1574). They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. This three-roofed Taleju Temple was established in 1564, in a typical Newari architectural style and is elevated on platforms that form a pyramid-like structure. It is said that Mahendra Malla, when he was residing in Bhaktapur, was highly devoted to the Taleju Temple there; the Goddess being pleased with his devotion gave him a vision asking him to build a temple for her in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. With a help of a hermit, he designed the temple to give it its present form and the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.
His successors Sadasiva (1575–1581), his son, Shiva Simha (1578–1619), and his grandson, Laxmi Narsingha (1619–1641), do not seem to have made any major additions to the square. During this period of three generations the only constructions to have occurred were the establishment of Degutale Temple dedicated to Goddess Mother Taleju by Shiva Simha and some enhancement in the royal palace by Laksminar Simha.
UNDER PRATAP MALLA
In the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, the square was extensively developed. He was an intellectual, a pious devotee, and especially interested in arts. He called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that he was learned in fifteen different languages. A passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples, shrines and stupas around his kingdom. There also took the massacre called Kot Parva where the queen, prime minister, head of the states,and other people with guards died. This massacre took place in the court yard inside the palace.
During the construction of his palace, he added a small entrance in the traditional, low and narrow Newari style. The door was elaborately decorated with carvings and paintings of deities and auspicious sings and was later transferred to the entrance of Mohan Chok. In front of the entrance he placed the statue of Hanuman thinking that Hanuman would strengthen his army and protect his home. The entrance leads to Nasal Chok, the courtyard where most royal events such as coronation, performances, and yagyas, holy fire rituals, take place. It was named after Nasadya, the God of Dance, and during the time of Pratap Malla the sacred mask dance dramas performed in Nasal Chok were widely famed. In one of these dramas, it is said that Pratap Malla himself played the role of Lord Vishnu and that the spirit of the Lord remained in the king's body even after the play. After consulting his Tantric leaders, he ordered a stone image of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Nara Simha, the half-lion and half-human form, and then transferred the spirit into the stone. This fine image of Nara Simha made in 1673 still stands in the Nasal Chok. In 1650, he commissioned for the construction of Mohan Chok in the palace. This chok remained the royal residential courtyard for many years and is believed to store a great amount of treasure under its surface. Pratap Malla also built Sundari Chok about this time. He placed a slab engraved with lines in fifteen languages and proclaimed that he who can understand the inscription would produce the flow of milk instead of water from Tutedhara, a fountain set in the outer walls of Mohan Chok. However elaborate his constructions may have been, they were not simply intended to emphasize his luxuries but also his and the importance of others' devotion towards deities. He made extensive donations to temples and had the older ones renovated. Next to the palace, he built a Krishna temple, the Vamsagopala, in an octagonal shape in 1649. He dedicated this temple to his two Indian wives, Rupamati and Rajamati, as both had died during the year it was built. In Mohan Chok, he erected a three roofed Agamachem temple and a unique temple with five superimposing roofs. After completely restoring the Mul Chok, he donated to the adjoining Taleju Temple. To the main temple of Taleju, he donated metal doors in 1670. He rebuilt the Degutale Temple built by his grandfather, Siva Simha, and the Taleju Temple in the palace square. As a substitute to the Indreswara Mahadeva Temple in the distant village of Panauti he built a Shiva temple, Indrapura, near his palace in the square. He carved hymns on the walls of the Jagannath Temple as prayers to Taleju in the form of Kali.
At the southern end of the square, near Kasthamandap at Maru, which was the main city crossroads for early traders, he built another pavilion named Kavindrapura, the mansion of the king of poets. In this mansion he set an idol of dancing Shiva, Nasadyo, which today is highly worshipped by dancers in the Valley.
In the process of beautifying his palace, he added fountains, ponds, and baths. In Sundari Chok, he established a low bath with a golden fountain. He built a small pond, the Naga Pokhari, in the palace adorned with Nagakastha, a wooden serpent, which is said he had ordered stolen from the royal pond in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. He restored the Licchavi stone sculptures such as the Jalasayana Narayana, the Kaliyadamana, and the Kala Bhairav. An idol of Jalasayana Narayana was placed in a newly created pond in the Bhandarkhal garden in the eastern wing of the palace. As a substitute to the idol of Jalasayana Narayana in Buddhanilkantha, he channeled water from Buddhanilkantha to the pond in Bhandarkhal due bestow authenticity. The Kalyadana, a manifestation of Lord Krishna destroying Kaliya, a water serpent, is placed in Kalindi Chok, which is adjacent to the Mohan Chok. The approximately ten-feet-high image of terrifyingly portrayed Kal Bhairav is placed near the Jagannath Temple. This image is the focus of worship in the chok especially during Durga Puja.
With the death of Pratap Malla in 1674, the overall emphasis on the importance of the square came to a halt. His successors retained relatively insignificant power and the prevailing ministers took control of most of the royal rule. The ministers encountered little influence under these kings and, increasingly, interest of the arts and additions to the square was lost on them. They focused less on culture than Pratap Malla during the three decades that followed his death, steering the city and country more towards the arenas of politics and power, with only a few minor constructions made in the square. These projects included Parthivendra Malla building a temple referred to as Trailokya Mohan or Dasavatara, dedicated to Lord Vishnu in 1679. A large statue of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, was added in front of it a decade later. Parthivendra Malla added a pillar with image of his family in front of the Taleju Temple.
Around 1692, Radhilasmi, the widowed queen of Pratap Malla, erected the tall temples of Shiva known as Maju Deval near the Garuda image in the square. This temple stands on nine stepped platforms and is one of the tallest buildings in the square. Then her son, Bhupalendra Malla, took the throne and banished the widowed queen to the hills. His death came early at the age of twenty one and his widowed queen, Bhuvanalaksmi, built a temple in the square known as Kageswara Mahadev. The temple was built in the Newari style and acted as a substitute for worship of a distant temple in the hills. After the earthquake in 1934, the temple was restored with a dome roof, which was alien to the Newari architecture.
Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule Kathmandu, built a temple for Kumari and Durga in her virginal state. The temple was named Kumari Bahal and was structured like a typical Newari vihara. In his house resides the Kumari, a girl who is revered as the living goddess. He also made a chariot for Kumari and in the courtyard had detailed terra cotta tiles of that time laid down.
UNDER THE SHAH DYNASTY
During the Shah dynasty that followed, the Kathmandu Durbar Square saw a number of changes. Two of the most unique temples in the square were built during this time. One is the Nautale, a nine-storied building known as Basantapur Durbar. It has four roofs and stands at the end of Nasal Chok at the East side of the palace. It is said that this building was set as a pleasure house. The lower three stories were made in the Newari farmhouse style. The upper floors have Newari style windows, sanjhya and tikijhya, and some of them are slightly projected from the wall. The other temple is annexed to the Vasantapur Durbar and has four-stories. This building was initially known as Vilasamandira, or Lohom Chok, but is now commonly known as Basantapur or Tejarat Chok. The lower floors of the Basantapur Chok display extensive woodcarvings and the roofs are made in popular the Mughal style. Archives state that Prthivi Narayan Shah built these two buildings in 1770.
Rana Bahadur Shah was enthroned at the age of two. Bahadur Shah, the second son of Prithvi Narayan Shah, ruled as a regent for his young nephew Rana Bahadur Shah for a close to a decade from 1785 to 1794 and built a temple of Shiva Parvati in the square. This one roofed temple is designed in the Newari style and is remarkably similar to previous temples built by the Mallas. It is rectangular in shape, and enshrines the Navadurga, a group of goddesses, on the ground floor. It has a wooden image of Shiva and Parvati at the window of the upper floor, looking out at the passersby in the square. Another significant donation made during the time of Rana Bahadur Shah is the metal-plated head of Swet Bhairav near the Degutale Temple. It was donated during the festival of Indra Jatra in 1795, and continues to play a major role during the festival every year. This approximately twelve feet high face of Bhairav is concealed behind a latticed wooden screen for the rest of the year. The following this donation Rana Bahadur donated a huge bronze bell as an offering to the Goddess Taleju. Together with the beating of the huge drums donated by his son Girvan Yudha, the bell was rung every day during the daily ritual worship to the goddess. Later these instruments were also used as an alarm system. However, after the death of his beloved third wife Kanimati Devi due to smallpox, Rana Bahadur Shah turned mad with grief and had many images of gods and goddesses smashed including the Taleju statue and bell, and Sitala, the goddess of smallpox.
In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European styles. The Gaddi Durbar is covered in white plaster, has Greek columns and adjoins a large audience hall, all foreign features to Nepali architecture. The balconies of this durbar were reserved for the royal family during festivals to view the square below.
Some of the parts of the square like the Hatti Chok near the Kumari Bahal in the southern section of the square were removed during restoration after the devastating earthquake in 1934. While building the New Road, the southeastern part of the palace was cleared away, leaving only fragments in places as reminders of their past. Though decreased from its original size and attractiveness from its earlier seventeenth-century architecture, the Kathmandu Durbar Square still displays an ancient surrounding that spans abound five acres of land. It has palaces, temples, quadrangles, courtyards, ponds, and images that were brought together over three centuries of the Malla, the Shah, and the Rana dynasties.
VISITING
Kathmandu's Durbar Square is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, still take place today. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum. It is possible to visit the state rooms inside the palace.
Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
At the southern end of Durbar Square is one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chowk. This gilded cage contains the Raj Kumari, a girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. She is worshiped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.
WIKIPEDIA
Une des 4 portes du temple de Changu Narayan
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Le temple de Changu Narayan est considéré comme le plus vieux du Népal, il possède un toit en forme de pagode à 2 étages. Il a été reconstruit probablement au XVIIème siècle mais avec des éléments architecturaux et décoratifs beaucoup plus anciens.
Ce temple dédié à Narayan est au sommet d'une montagne considérée comme sacrée depuis 464 après notre ère comme en atteste une référence écrite à ce site qui date du règne du roi Licchavi Mandeva mais le site était probablement sacré depuis le 3ème siècle.
Dans la cosmologie hindoue, Vishnou lorsqu'il repose sur le serpent Ananta (Shesha) est appelé Nârâyana (Narayan) c'est à dire "Reposant sur les eaux" ou "Demeure-de-l'Homme" ou encore "Demeure-du-savoir". Nârâyana, qui signifie aussi "Refuge universel", est une des 24 images de Vishnou d'après le Rupa Mandana.
Article de Wikipedia sur Narayana (Narayan au Népal)
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narayana
Article de Wikipedia sur Changu Narayan
UNIFICATION OF NEPAL
Nepal was unified by King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha kingdom in the mid-eighteenth century by winning over other kingdoms and moving his capital to Kathmandu.
EARLY RULERS
Nepal's recorded history began with the Kiratis, who arrived in the Kathmandu valley in the 7th or 8th century BCE from the east. Little is known about them, other than their deftness as sheep farmers and fondness for carrying long knives. The Kirats ruled for about 1225 years (800 BCE-300 CE); they had a total of 28 kings during that time. Their first and best remembered king was Yalambar Haang, who is mentioned in the epic Mahabharata.
The first record of the word Nepal is found in ancient Indian annals such as the puranas from the 4th century A.D where an area known as 'Newal' or sometimes as 'Newar' is mentioned, referring to what is now known as the Kathmandu Valley. However, the area of the sovereign state of Nepal has changed from time to time during its history, expanding and shrinking in area since ancient times.
Of the kings originating inside or outside of modern Nepal, a common characteristic of attempting to unify Nepal from mostly west to east, along the southern track of the Himalayas and the northern plain of Ganges, can be identified. No Nepalese ruler has been recorded attempting to cross the Himalayas to expand their states into Tibet or China, and none has been recorded trying to cross the Ganges plain into modern India. For the most part, Nepalese rulers seem to have been focused on the territories that more or less comprise modern-day Nepal, between the region of Kashmir in the west and Bhutan in the east.
Nepal as a political region has been united by different kings of different kingdoms at various times in Nepalese history. Common tradition holds that among the first uniters of Nepal was a king by the name of Mandev, who ultimately controlled territory from the Brahmaputra River in the east to the Gandaki in the west. Recorded details of his unification, however, are scarce, and Mandev's actions and his very existence cannot be definitively confirmed. The same may be said for various early recorded and traditional (i.e. not necessarily recorded) rulers of Nepal, all of whose kingdoms apparently broke up when their dynasties died out. While records and documents of several such rulers do exist, a lack of interest has made their accessibility difficult and limited the number of translations and analyses.
KING PRITHVI NARAYAN SHAH
King Prithvi Narayan Shah (1723-1775) was born in the Shah dynasty of Gorkha on 11 January 1723 (27 Poush 1779 B.S.) After the death of Narabhupal shah on 25th chaitra he became the king of Gorkha. He ascended to the throne of Gorkha kingdom on 3 April 1743. He was interested in politics and diplomacy and had interests in both visiting and conquering other countries since his days as prince. He decided to enlarge his kingdom that was confined to the small Gorkha region of present-day Nepal and had an area of just 2,500 square km (approx. 50 km x 50 km). He defeated major principalities in wars and unified them under his rule starting from the 1740s ending with shifting of his Gorkha Kingdom’s capital from Gorkha region to Kathmandu in 1769. While he was successful at conquering the Kathmandu valley and the Sen kingdoms further east of the Kathmandu valley, his efforts were limited to the west of his homeland. He then attacked and absorbed dozens of other small principalities and gave a new name "Nepal" to his Gorkha kingdom. He was able to conquer some of the 22 principalities or kingdoms, known as the (thebaise raj-ya, and some of the 24 kingdoms (the chaubasi raj-ya), which were two sets of allies west of the King's homeland of Gorkha, in what is now called western Nepal.Soon after he ascended the throne of Gorkha Kingdom, Shah tricked his way into the royal household of Bhaktapur for a number of months. He wanted the rich agricultural soil of the valley, and the strategic point of the Kathmandu valley as a transit point for expanding trade with both Tibet and India. Then he planned the conquest of the valley. To this end, he decided to first capture Nuwakot, which belonged to the state of Kantipur, as a strategic point. He also foresaw that taking over Nuwakot would significantly strengthen the position of his Gorkha nation and weaken the states occupying the Kathmandu Valley. Nuwakot held strategic importance, as there was already a fort there, and it had remained as a connecting pass the valley and Tibet.
NUWAKOT
Prithivi Narayan was a very ambitious king. Along with the invasion of the Gorkha he wanted it to protect it from the Gorkha troops, so he started to unify the small kingdoms to be a single country . One year after becoming King, in 1744 AD, Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked Nuwakot but was repelled because the Gorkha army was not well equipped. In addition, conflicts of interest between the Pandeys and Basnets - two important warrior clans in the Gorkha palace - arose to add domestic political tension. Shah then made Kalu Pande "Mul Kaji (equivalent to Prime Minister)" of his state and thus strengthened his domestic political position. Almost a year later, on 2 October 1744, he attacked Nuwakot again and won, thus expanding the bounds of his Gorkha state.
KIRTIPUR
Kalu Pandey employed a strategy involving a blockade of the Kathmandu Valley, and subsequently took over the surrounding settlements and strategic positions around the valley. In the next two years (during 1745-46) he captured Mahadevpokhari, Pharping, Chitlang, Dharmasthali, Naldrum, Siranchok and Shivapuri. He then focused his attention on Kirtipur and Makawanpur, two palaces which were also strategic military targets. Kirtipur was in an elevated position with a fort surrounded by walls and jungles, an ideal place to make inroads into the valley. Shah thought that if he could take over Kirtipur, occupying the rest of the valley would be much easier. On 4 December 1757 he made his first attack on Kirtipur. In this war he lost his strong general Kalu pandey which was a great loss for gorkha. Kalu Pandey had told him that it was not the right time to attack Kritpur. His body was buried in Kirtipur. Prithvi Narayan Shah himself was nearly killed in the battle. As a result, the Gorkha army, having lost a great deal of morale, was defeated. It is said that as revenge for his two earlier defeats, The Gorkha army was repelled again in August 1765.
After two defeats, the Gorkha army changed its strategy again and surrounded Kirtipur during the harvest season, effectively laying siege to the stronghold. The Gorkha army also took over the nearby Balaju fort. After several months of this blockade, the people of Kirtipur could not even get water to drink and were forced to surrender to the Gorkha army on 17 March 1766. This time the Gorkha army took over Kirtipur without a fight. Prithvi Narayan Shah had his army cut off the noses and lips of all the people of Kirtipur.
Conquest of Southern Nepal and the Kathmandu Valley
As Nuwakot was a key point for Kathmandu’s trade with Tibet, Makawanpur in the south was equally important for trade with India. While the battle to surround Kathmandu was going on in the north, the Gorkha army captured Sindhulikot, Timilakot and Hariharpur in the south and southeast of modern-day Nepal before it entered into the Makawanpurgadhi territories. Makawanpur was captured after only 10 hours of battle in August 1762. In 1763 AD, the Gorkha army conquered seven other villages, including Dhulikhel and Banepa, and expanded the Gorkha state's border line further north. With this, the Kathmandu Valley was completely surrounded and blockaded. After all the four passes (Sanga, Baad, pati and Chandragiri Bhanjyang, also known as Char Bhanjyang) of the Kathmandu Valley were controlled by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the eventual lack of salt, oil, spices, and even clothes led to turmoil in the valley and disaster struck Kathmandu. When the local government failed to pay its soldiers, the morale of its military dwindled.
The king of Kathmandu at the time, Jaya Prakash Malla, then asked for military aid from the British in British India. In August 1767, when the forces of the British India arrived in Sindhuligadhi, the Gorkha military conducted guerrilla attacks against them. Many of the British Indian forces were killed and the rest eventually fled, leaving behind a huge amount of weapons and ammunitions, which were seized by the Gorkha army.
This boosted the morale of the forces of Prithvi Narayan Shah and further demoralized the kings of the Kathmandu Valley, among which was the king of Kantipur. In addition to this, the political situation of the valley, political wrangling inside the palace, and personal enmity had rendered the people of Kantipur very weak because Jaya Prakash Malla, the king of Kantipur, was of a paranoid nature, and his own brother and courtiers became dissatisfied with him. The state of Lalitpur had also faced chaos after the death of its king Yogendra Malla. Six pradhans (courtiers) then took power into their own hands, and put Tej Narsingh Malla on the throne; but the actual power in Lalitpur remained with the pradhans. In Bhaktapur as well, the palace of King Ranjeet Malla was in disarray due to domestic political wrangling. When Ranjeet Malla wanted to declare his two-year-old son as his heir, a queen (not through marriage) opposed it. This forced the king to declare his older illegitimate son as his heir to the throne. This only fueled conflict in the palace, as a result of which the palace was weakened further.
While the three kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley were engaged in clashes and enmity, Prithvi Narayan Shah used this opportunity to impose an economic blockade against the entire valley region. He closed the trade route to Tibet, which passed through Nuwakot. The Gorkha army marched into the valley. On 25 September 1768, when the people of Kathmandu were celebrating the Festival of Indrajatra, Prithvi Narayan Shah won an easy victory over Kantipur.
Some historians doubt this version of the history written by the conquerors. They say that the valley was overtaken not in September but in cold December. The official version of overwhelmingly large force that captured Kathmandu is considered historically inaccurate. The truth, however, is that the powerful Pradhan courtiers of Kathmandu were promised lucrative positions in the new Kingdom in exchange for their help in killing the beleaguered king. The king realized that he had enemies galore and fled to the neighboring Bhaktapur, leaving the throne empty in Kathmandu. Upon easing his way to the throne of the Kathmandu, the very next day, he ordered the beheading of all of the Pradhan courtiers and their extended society.
Eleven days later (6 October 1768), he conquered Lalitpur. On 14 April 1769, he gained the town of Thimi and seven months later (17 November 1769) he took over Bhaktapur. In this way, the whole Kathmandu Valley came under the control of Prithvi Narayan Shah.
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Prithivi narayan Shah was very effortful to have good relations with different states for making his unification campaign a success. As a representative of his father, he had a pact with Lamjung, the old age enemy. Later he himself signed a treaty with King of Lamjung through the efforts sought be Kalu Pandey. Relations with the Malla Kingdoms was also important. PNS signed separate treaties with Kantipur and Bhaktapur, which are as follow : 1) to circulate the currency of either states in both states. 2) to carry joint trade with Tibet and share the incomes. 3) to enjoy rights to depute a state representative to Tibet. 4) to allow Kantipur to use the territory of Nuwakot for trade with Tibet. (Anush)
ESTABLISHMENT OF A UNITED KINGDOM OF NEPAL
After his conquest of the Kathmandu Valley, Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered other smaller countries south of the valley to keep other smaller fiefdoms near his Gurkha state out of the influence and control of the British rule. After his kingdom spread out from north to south, he made Kantipur the capital of expanded country which was known as Kingdom of Gorkha (Gorkha Samrajya).It was renamed as Kingdom of Nepal in 1930. by King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah.
Bas relief on a Chamba temple
The Lakshmi Narayan temples complex, devoted to the Vaishnavite sect, includes the main Lakshmi Narayan temple, built in the 10th century by Raja Sahil Verman. It has been built to suit the local climatic conditions with wooden chatries and has a shikara, and a sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha), with an antarala and a mantapa. A metallic image of Garuda, the vahana (mount) of Vishnu is installed on the dwajastamba pillar at the main gate of the temple. In 1678, Raja Chhatra Singh adorned the temple roof with gold plated pinnacles, as a riposte to Auranagzeb, who had ordered demolition of this temple. Source - Wikipedia
Scanned from a half frame Kodachrome slide (transparency)
Le temple de Keshav Narayan au centre de la cour (chowk) du palais royal de Patan à laquelle il a donné son nom (Manigal Durbar)
Ancienne résidence des rois Malla, ces bâtiments abritent aujourd'hui le musée de Patan.
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Le palais royal de Patan a été construit au XIVème siècle, il a été remanié et agrandi à plusieurs reprises par les rois de la dynastie des Malla. Ce palais est plus ancien que ceux de Katmandou et
Bhaktapur.
Article de Wikipedia sur Patan
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patan_%28N%C3%A9pal%29
Site officiel
www.lalitpur.org.np/e_home.php
Patan sur Insecula
Gorkha was the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Sha, conqueror of the Kathmandu Valley and founder of modern Nepal. It´s a major pilgrimage destination, particularly for Newars, who regard the Shah kings as living incarnation of Vishnu. The main attraction here is the Gorkha Durba, the former palace of the Shahs, which lords over Gorkha from a precarious ridge above the town.
SIGHTS
GORKHA DURBAR
Regarded by many as the crowning glory of Newari architecture, Gorkha Durbar is a fort, a palace and a temple all in one. This magnificent architectural confection is perched high above Gorkha on a knife-edge ridge, with superb views over the Trisuli Valley and the soaring peaks of the Annapurna and Ganesh Himalaya.
As the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Durbar has huge significance for Nepalis. The great Shah was born here in around 1723, when Gorkha was a minor feudal kingdom, in thrall to the larger citystates in the Kathmandu Valley. Upon gaining the throne, Prithvi Narayan forced the Kathmandu Valley into submission, forging a kingdom that extended far into India and Tibet. In 1769 the capital was shifted from Gorkha to Kathmandu and Gorkha was relegated to the status of a national monument.
To reach the durbar, you must climb an exhausting stairway of 1500 stone steps, snaking up the hillside above the Gorkha bus stand.
KALIKA MANDIR
Build in the reign of King Ram Shah (1606-36), but extensively remodelled over the years, the temple is a psychedelic fantasy of carved peacocks, demons and serpents. The woodcarving around the doors and windows is particularly striking - note the ornate peacock windows and the erotic scenes on the root struts.
Glory sacrifices of goats, chickens, doves and buffaloes are carried out in the courtyard in front of the temple to honour the Goddess Kali, the destructive incarnation of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. Only Brahmin priests and the king can enter the temple, but non-Hindus are permitted to observe sacrifices from the terrace.
DHUNI PATI
The other major structure in the compound is Dhuni Pati, the former palace of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Like the temple, the palace is covered in elaborate woodcarvings, including a magnificent window in the shape of Garuda, the man-bird vehicle of Vishnu. Non-Hindus cannot enter but can view the room where Prithvi Narayan Shah was born through an ornate star-shaped window.
GURU GORKHANATH SHRINE
Behind the palace is the mausoleum of Guru Gorkhanath, a reclusive saint who acted as a spiritual guide for the young Prithvi Narayan. This part of the compound is closed to non-Hindus, but you can descend some stone steps to peak into the cave where the saint once lived.
HANUMAN STATUE
If you leave via the northern gate, you´ll come to a vividly painted carving of Hanuman, the monkey god, and a series of carved stone steles. A path leads east from here past a large stone resting platform (chautara) to an exposed rocky bluff with awesome views of the mountains and a set of carved stone footprints, attributed variously to Sita, Rama, Gorkhanath and Guru Padmasambhava.
The durbar is an important religios site, and visitors must follow strict rules. Shoes should be removed and photography and leather - including belts - are banned inside the Durbar complex.
Une des 4 portes gardée par des animaux mythiques (griffons) du temple de Changu Narayan
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Le temple de Changu Narayan est considéré comme le plus vieux du Népal, il possède un toit en forme de pagode à 2 étages. Il a été reconstruit probablement au XVIIème siècle mais avec des éléments architecturaux et décoratifs beaucoup plus anciens.
Ce temple dédié à Narayan est au sommet d'une montagne considérée comme sacrée depuis 464 après notre ère comme en atteste une référence écrite à ce site qui date du règne du roi Licchavi Mandeva mais le site était probablement sacré depuis le 3ème siècle.
Dans la cosmologie hindoue, Vishnou lorsqu'il repose sur le serpent Ananta (Shesha) est appelé Nârâyana (Narayan) c'est à dire "Reposant sur les eaux" ou "Demeure-de-l'Homme" ou encore "Demeure-du-savoir". Nârâyana, qui signifie aussi "Refuge universel", est une des 24 images de Vishnou d'après le Rupa Mandana.
Article de Wikipedia sur Narayana (Narayan au Népal)
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narayana
Article de Wikipedia sur Changu Narayan
尼泊尔－巴克塔普尔－昌古納拉扬神庙
View of Changu Narayan temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Changunarayan VDC of Bhaktapur District, Bagmati Zone, Nepal. The ancient Hindu temple is situated at the top of the hill surrounded by forest of champak tree and a small Newar village, known as Changu Village. It is located about 8 miles east of Kathmandu and a few miles north of Bhaktapur. It is the oldest temple in Nepal, dedicated to Lord Visnu and held in especial reverence by the Hindu people.
© All rights reserved. You may not use this photo in website, blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
a pilgrim, in the street of narayan sarovar.
since vodafone took over hutch, services has deteoriated much.
see other images related to fiveprime.org/flickr_hvmnd.cgi?search_type=Tags&photo...
In the temple yard of Changu Narayan I was impressed by the richness in the art of woodcarvings the temples all over Nepal bare. It's so voluminous, so rich of color and craft, even so extreme that sexual education was explained to the Nepali thru 500year woodcarved Kamasutra-positions (since there where no books in previous times) - unfortunately not exposible on Flickr. As father of a woodsculptor (Simon) my heart was bleeding...
The ancient temple of Changu Narayana is located on a high hilltop about 8 miles east of Kathmandu and a few miles north of Bhaktapur. The Manahara River flows beside the hill. This shrine is dedicated to Lord Visnu and held in especial reverence by the Hindu people. This temple is considered as the oldest temple in Nepal.The temple is full of magnificent art works in metal and wood. In fact, it is one of the finest examples of Nepalese architecture. The first epigraphic evidence of Nepalese history found in the temple premises during the reign of the Licchavi King Mandeva dating back to 464 A.D. shows that Changu had already been established as a sacred site in the 3rd century A.D. The present structure was probably constructed in the 17th century, through older elements have been incorporated during the restorations. The pagoda style temple has several masterpieces of 5th and 12th century Nepalese art. Wikipedia
The two rishis Nara (Man) and Narayan (God) appeared as two four-armed Prophets who were also One Person. Nara appeared later as Arjuna and Narayan Rishi as Krishna Bhagavan.
Gorkha was the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Sha, conqueror of the Kathmandu Valley and founder of modern Nepal. It´s a major pilgrimage destination, particularly for Newars, who regard the Shah kings as living incarnation of Vishnu. The main attraction here is the Gorkha Durba, the former palace of the Shahs, which lords over Gorkha from a precarious ridge above the town.
SIGHTS
GORKHA DURBAR
Regarded by many as the crowning glory of Newari architecture, Gorkha Durbar is a fort, a palace and a temple all in one. This magnificent architectural confection is perched high above Gorkha on a knife-edge ridge, with superb views over the Trisuli Valley and the soaring peaks of the Annapurna and Ganesh Himalaya.
As the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Durbar has huge significance for Nepalis. The great Shah was born here in around 1723, when Gorkha was a minor feudal kingdom, in thrall to the larger citystates in the Kathmandu Valley. Upon gaining the throne, Prithvi Narayan forced the Kathmandu Valley into submission, forging a kingdom that extended far into India and Tibet. In 1769 the capital was shifted from Gorkha to Kathmandu and Gorkha was relegated to the status of a national monument.
To reach the durbar, you must climb an exhausting stairway of 1500 stone steps, snaking up the hillside above the Gorkha bus stand.
KALIKA MANDIR
Build in the reign of King Ram Shah (1606-36), but extensively remodelled over the years, the temple is a psychedelic fantasy of carved peacocks, demons and serpents. The woodcarving around the doors and windows is particularly striking - note the ornate peacock windows and the erotic scenes on the root struts.
Glory sacrifices of goats, chickens, doves and buffaloes are carried out in the courtyard in front of the temple to honour the Goddess Kali, the destructive incarnation of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. Only Brahmin priests and the king can enter the temple, but non-Hindus are permitted to observe sacrifices from the terrace.
DHUNI PATI
The other major structure in the compound is Dhuni Pati, the former palace of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Like the temple, the palace is covered in elaborate woodcarvings, including a magnificent window in the shape of Garuda, the man-bird vehicle of Vishnu. Non-Hindus cannot enter but can view the room where Prithvi Narayan Shah was born through an ornate star-shaped window.
GURU GORKHANATH SHRINE
Behind the palace is the mausoleum of Guru Gorkhanath, a reclusive saint who acted as a spiritual guide for the young Prithvi Narayan. This part of the compound is closed to non-Hindus, but you can descend some stone steps to peak into the cave where the saint once lived.
HANUMAN STATUE
If you leave via the northern gate, you´ll come to a vividly painted carving of Hanuman, the monkey god, and a series of carved stone steles. A path leads east from here past a large stone resting platform (chautara) to an exposed rocky bluff with awesome views of the mountains and a set of carved stone footprints, attributed variously to Sita, Rama, Gorkhanath and Guru Padmasambhava.
The durbar is an important religios site, and visitors must follow strict rules. Shoes should be removed and photography and leather - including belts - are banned inside the Durbar complex.
Gorkha was the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Sha, conqueror of the Kathmandu Valley and founder of modern Nepal. It´s a major pilgrimage destination, particularly for Newars, who regard the Shah kings as living incarnation of Vishnu. The main attraction here is the Gorkha Durba, the former palace of the Shahs, which lords over Gorkha from a precarious ridge above the town.
SIGHTS
GORKHA DURBAR
Regarded by many as the crowning glory of Newari architecture, Gorkha Durbar is a fort, a palace and a temple all in one. This magnificent architectural confection is perched high above Gorkha on a knife-edge ridge, with superb views over the Trisuli Valley and the soaring peaks of the Annapurna and Ganesh Himalaya.
As the birthplace of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Durbar has huge significance for Nepalis. The great Shah was born here in around 1723, when Gorkha was a minor feudal kingdom, in thrall to the larger citystates in the Kathmandu Valley. Upon gaining the throne, Prithvi Narayan forced the Kathmandu Valley into submission, forging a kingdom that extended far into India and Tibet. In 1769 the capital was shifted from Gorkha to Kathmandu and Gorkha was relegated to the status of a national monument.
To reach the durbar, you must climb an exhausting stairway of 1500 stone steps, snaking up the hillside above the Gorkha bus stand.
KALIKA MANDIR
Build in the reign of King Ram Shah (1606-36), but extensively remodelled over the years, the temple is a psychedelic fantasy of carved peacocks, demons and serpents. The woodcarving around the doors and windows is particularly striking - note the ornate peacock windows and the erotic scenes on the root struts.
Glory sacrifices of goats, chickens, doves and buffaloes are carried out in the courtyard in front of the temple to honour the Goddess Kali, the destructive incarnation of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. Only Brahmin priests and the king can enter the temple, but non-Hindus are permitted to observe sacrifices from the terrace.
DHUNI PATI
The other major structure in the compound is Dhuni Pati, the former palace of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Like the temple, the palace is covered in elaborate woodcarvings, including a magnificent window in the shape of Garuda, the man-bird vehicle of Vishnu. Non-Hindus cannot enter but can view the room where Prithvi Narayan Shah was born through an ornate star-shaped window.
GURU GORKHANATH SHRINE
Behind the palace is the mausoleum of Guru Gorkhanath, a reclusive saint who acted as a spiritual guide for the young Prithvi Narayan. This part of the compound is closed to non-Hindus, but you can descend some stone steps to peak into the cave where the saint once lived.
HANUMAN STATUE
If you leave via the northern gate, you´ll come to a vividly painted carving of Hanuman, the monkey god, and a series of carved stone steles. A path leads east from here past a large stone resting platform (chautara) to an exposed rocky bluff with awesome views of the mountains and a set of carved stone footprints, attributed variously to Sita, Rama, Gorkhanath and Guru Padmasambhava.
The durbar is an important religios site, and visitors must follow strict rules. Shoes should be removed and photography and leather - including belts - are banned inside the Durbar complex.