NEPAL
GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE
The word Ne (holy) and pal (cave) and thus Nepal to describe "Holy Cave"
The capital city of Nepal is Kathmandu which has a population of over two
million people
Total Area comprises 147,181 sq.km. Nepal is bordered by Tibet
Lies between two great civilization:
o India - South, west, and east
o China - Tibetan autonomous region of people's Republic of China in the
North
Situated between the trade routes of India, Tibet and China, Nepali architecture
reflects influences from these cultural strongholds.
Nepal is divided into 3 geographical regions known as:
Himalayan Region
Mountain Region
Terai Region
3 Main cities:
Kathmandu
Bhaktapur or Bhadgao
Patan or Lalitpur
KATHMANDU VALLEY
Crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia
Named after a structure in Durbar Square: "Kaasthamandap" - "wood
+covered shelter"
Nepali architecture or Nepalese architecture is a unique blend of artistic and
practical considerations.
CLIMATIC INFLUENCE
Ranges from sub-tropical in the lowlands to Arctic at higher altitudes
Nepal Seasons:
Spring (Basanta) April - May
Summer (Grishma) June-July
Moonsoon (Barsha) Late June - Mid September
Autumn (Sharad) September - November
Winter (Hinud) December - January
Windy (Sisir) February - March
GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCE
Wood is used as posts, beams, rafters
Metals such as iron, brass, bronze; used on religious and door facings, lattice-
works and hardwares
Natural stone; sedimentary & metamorphic stones
Bricks were used for walls
Clay tiles used for roof and pavings
Newars and Gurkhas (Tibetan Mongol origins) settled in early times and
established an indigenous style in architecture
Art flourished during the reign of Mulla Rajas (13th-.18th C.)
MOUNT EVEREST / RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES
The highest mountain in the world, as well as the Himalaya Mountains. 1st of
the world's 18 highest mountain peeks are in Nepal.
Also known in Nepal as Sagarmatha and in Tibet as Chomolungma, is the Earth's
highest mountain
Height: 8,850 Meters equal to 29,035 feet
It is also the Birth place of Buddha.
The national and most spoken language of Nepal is "Nepali"
Religion in Nepal (2011)
Hinduism (81.3%)
Buddhism (9.0%)
Islam (4.4%)
Kiratism (3.0%)
Christianity (1.4%)
Others (0.9%)
And now we are going to discuss the prominent styles in Nepal Architecture which
includes
Pagoda style
Stupa Style
Shikhara style
Newa Architecture
But first let us determine the architectural character of Nepal Architecture
Drawn from Indian and Chinese cultures
Stupas/Chorten
Temples
Sikhara type temples -Indian character Multi-tiered temples resembling Chinese
pagodas
Towns usually have a gigantic pillar supporting a metal superstructure
embellished with mystical symbols, a group of divinities, and regal statues.
Elaborately treated interior courtyards on Street facade houses
Buildings are of 3 storey
Trabeated system of construction (trabeated - designed or constructed with
horizontal beams or lintels.)
Combination of structural and ornamentation
Each floor supported by ornately carved brackets and struts
Roof- most striking feature
Wooden structural with columns at center line
Double pitched roof
Covered with Jhingati (special clay tiles) with metal gutters
Intricate lattice screens on windows
Evident fine craftsmanship
Structures decorated with carvings, embossing, tinkling bells and hanging lamps
(embossing - any process used to create a raised or depressed surface )
Rural houses made of stone and clay
Symmetries in layout and facade design
Slightly trapezoidal form, heavy at the bottom (Stone foundations) and light at
the top, generally with battered walls ( battered walls - it is any kind of wall that
has been built with an intentional slope)
Flat roofs with parapets (parapets - a barrier that is an extension of the wall at
the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure.)
Detailed code for the decoration of doors, windows and parapets
Painted black frames around doors and windows, and complex wooden
overhang decorations.
Intricately carved interior timber frame following standardized design principles.
Organic design - buildings appear to grow out of the landscape
Prominent styles of Nepal Architecture starting with the Pagoda Style
Prominently in Nepalese temples, with multi-roofed structures and wide eaves
which are supported beautifully carged wooden struts
The roof is often topped by a triangular spires whice enclose an inverted bell,
while projecting windows are either latticed or grilled
The protruding windows are characterized by latticed architecture, which has a
crisscross pattern.
Originally made of gold and alloys such as brass and bronze.
This style is believed to have originated somewhere around the beginning of the
13th century.
Evolved from the dome-shaped stupa which was used to store sacred relics and
became a distinctive feature of Newari architecture.
It was adopted across East and Southeast Asia and, over time, blended with the
architecture of Chinese Towers and pavilions into what became known as
pagoda style.
The Kasthamandap wooden pagoda for which Kathmandu is named is one of the
most impressive examples of the pagoda style, built during the Malla period.
Other notable examples include the Basantpur Palace which was built by King
Prithvi Narayan Shah, as well as the Pashupati, Taleju and Changu Narayan
temples.
THE STUPA STYLE
A square base is mounted upon a hemispherical structure.
The square bases, also known as Harmika has pairs of "all- seeing" eyes painted
on each of its exposed sides.
Monuments has a typical hemispherical dome shape with a pyramid-like
structure on top and a square base.
Originating in ancient India, stupas are Buddhist in their concept and execution,
designed as a tomb-like structure to house sacred relics. They have since spread
across Asia and into Nepal, evolving into different forms and incorporating
elements specific to different regions.
The stupa shape represents Buddha, with the top of the spire representing his
crown, his head being the square at the spire's base, and his body being the
hemispherical dome shape. The four steps on the lower terrace at the foot of his
throne depict his legs, while the four sides of the square base (harmika) are
typically painted with pairs of "all seeing" eyes. This architecture is claimed to
reflect the five Buddhist elements of Earth (the square base), Water (the
hemispherical dome), Fire (the conical spire), Air (the top lotus parasol), and
Space, and is thought to have been introduced by Emperor Ashoka in Nepal (the
sun and the dissolving point).
Among Nepal’s finest examples of the stupa style is Swayambhu which sits atop
a hill in the Kathmandu Valley and is considered the most sacred pilgrimage site
for Newar Buddhists. Also, of note is the Boudhanath stupa on the outskirts of
Kathmandu. This ancient UNESCO World Heritage-listed stupa is one of the
largest in the world and particularly sacred to Tibetan Buddhists due to its
position along an ancient trade route from the Kathmandu Valley to Tibet.
THE SHIKHARA STYLE
Nepal's Shikhara style consists of 5 or nine vertical sections forming a high
pyramidal or curvilinear tower- like structure.
A prominent feature of Nepal's Hindu Temple aqrchitecture. It is a curvilinear or
pyramidal tower. It translates from Sanskrit as "mountain peak" and usually
exhibits a highly ornate exterior. Shikhara were designed over the sanctum
sanctorum where the presiding deities were enshrined and topped by a bell-
shaped "alasha", or sacred brass receptacle.
Highly elaborated and intricate artworks adorn the exteriors of shikhara style
monuments or temples.
The most impressive example of Shikhara style of Nepal architecture in the
Kathmandu Valley can be seen in Patan’s Krishna Temple which was built in
1637 by Siddhi Narsimha Malla. It merges a Gupta Shikhara style with an open,
multi-storied Moghul architectural style. It was built as a copy of a Hindu temple
dedicated to Lord Krishna in Mathura, India, with elaborate stone carvings of
gods and goddesses.
NEWA ARCHITECTURE
The Kathmandu Valley is also noted for its Newa Style of Nepal Architecture, an
indigenous style which has long been used by the Newari people in building
everything from residential housing to chaitya monastery buildings. It is marked
by impressive brickwork and wooden carvings, with the architect Arniko
influential in its export across Asia.
Traditional Newari houses were generally three-storied, with pitched roofs and a
small courtyard or chowk. They normally featured narrow windows exhibiting
fine wooden latticework and entrance doors barred with large wooden planks.
