Bungamati’s Beauty | Walk With Wave

Participants at the arts activity, Madal making, for Walk with Wave IX
On 17 June, we set out on a 20-min drive in a reserved microbus from Lagankhel to Bungamati. As we drew nearer and nearer, all of us were oohing and aahing at the wonderful scenery. Bungamati is believed to be the home of Rato Machchhindranath. Legend has it that during King Narendra Dev's reign, a 12-year famine hit the valley. The Lichchhavi ruler brought the patron deity from Kamrup, Assam. Hence the tradition of the Rato Machchhindranath Rath Jatra began.

The temple of Rato Machchhindranath is built in Sikhara style. The chowk includes temples of Lanikuni Bhairav and Hyangreeba Bhairav. Opposite the mandir is three distinctive pillars of different heights. Long ago, three gallant statues of the valley's kings stood on those pillars. Between the pillars and the temple is a rectangular ditch, nearly two metres deep. The bottom is laid with uniquely designed bricks and slates. It's sides display several layers of plaster, every layer different from the other.

At 10.20 AM, we reached a Bihar where a statue of Buddha in Bhumi Sparsa Mudra from 500 BC stands. Apparently, Buddha meditated here also in search enlightenment. The place, though small, is appealing. It has an abandoned and haunted look and is in need of renovation. Last on our list was Karya Binayak's temple. From there, we could see Bungamati valley. It was awesome.

There were people everywhere carving wood. Ratnaji, an expert woodcarver, told us, "Almost 70 percent of the people here are woodcarvers." At noon, with the sun burning hot above us, we headed back home. It was a great weekend. Next time you want to escape Kathmandu, head for Bungamati, highly recommended.

Old and new

In the past, there were more temples than houses in Kathmandu valley but things have changed. Even the traditional buildings are falling to pieces or being replaced by concrete structures that are mushrooming like crazy. Few buildings are renovated. Today, one can literally count the number of renovated buildings in the Valley.

On 21 June, the Shrestha and Rajbhandari houses in Patan were inaugurated. The programme highlighted the ways by which old houses could be renovated and used for both residential and commercial purposes. Such restored buildings play a vital role in encouraging the local community to conserve for the future.

The basic problem of private conservation is lack of technical knowledge, the assumption that old houses cannot be restored to suit changing lifestyles and the belief that restored buildings are of little economic value. Middle and low income owners are not in a position to spend the amount needed for restoration even if they wished to do so. High income owners who are economy-oriented do not want to restore such buildings. Modern concrete architecture slowly blots across the traditional streetscape. We need to encourage people with retrofitting techniques, on which research has begun. It is a start forward, we need to take it further at a national level.

NEELAM PRADHANANGA

NOTICE:
Walk With WAVE Arts Activity Metal and repousse art on 22 July with master craftsman Rajkumar Shakya. Meeting place: Patan Durbar Square (in front of Krishna Mandir) at 8.30 AM. Registrations at letters@wavemag.com.np. Walk With WAVE will take a monsoon break until further notice.