Transplanting Urban Design of Bhaktapur into Newari Settlement of Bandipur - exploiting natural resources, responding to the mountain topography and conserving cultural heritage -

Ref.: 67
Área temática: 01 Integridad física de los paisajes urbanos históricos
Fecha de recepción: 19/11/2008

AUTORES (* Autor principal)

K. SHRESTHA, Bijaya * (Nepal) - Khwopa Engineering College
SHRESTHA, Sushmita (Nepal) - Khwopa Engineering College

ABSTRACT

Crisscrossed by trading routes between the north [Tibet via Gorkha] and the south [India via Chitawan] with excellent climate and malaria free location, Bandipur has been developed as a small ethnically diverse settlement, originally inhabited by `Magars' and `Bhattarai' from Rampur followed by `Brahmins' from the surrounding districts and ultimately by the `Newars' in the early nineteenth century from Bhaktapur. The permanent settlement of Newars particularly in the main bazaar area [hill top] has not only caused the development of Newari art, architecture and culture but also flourished the trade and commerce. While transplanting the urban design and traditional architectural vocabulary of Bhaktapur [Newari architecture in urban context], it had to be fitted in the rural setting of the mountain topography in line with local lifestyle of Bandipur. However, combination of numerous factors has converted this area, once most vibrant business centres of Tanahu district (western Nepal) into the ghost town. A community of elders and young school going children supported by their relatives working somewhere else and a society without leadership and entrepreneurship had emerged.
A detail study of Bandipur town by visiting the site and conducting detail questionnaire survey was carried out focusing on the exploitation of natural resources, identification of urban form of Newari settlement and its spatial linkages with other ethnic community including conservation of those cultural heritages having representative values and shared meanings, not only to recover the past lost glory but also to fulfil the present day needs.
The settlement pattern and the building form best illustrates how Newari architecture of the Kathmandu Valley was fitted in the rural setting of the mountain topography with local lifestyle of Bandipur. Such adjustment can be perceived in different fronts. First, unlike the compact building layout clustered around courtyards and street squares in the Kathmandu Valley, the Newari settlement in Bandipur was laid down on the one side of the hillock in a linear form with buildings on both sides of the streets placing at different levels. Streets of different levels converse at one point in an acute angle to form the street nodes, which often comprise of temple, Rest house (paati), and Piple tree at one corner. Second, both the front and back facades of the buildings are equally significant for light and ventilation as well as for viewing the background mountainous views and they are emphasised in facade treatment unlike the neglected and unimportant backside of the houses of the valley. Third, the kitchen (and dining area) is often located on the lower floor adjacent to the open space on the back of the house, which accommodates toilet, tap, washing area and in some cases even water tank and the small vegetable garden acting as part and partial of the ground floor use. Fourth, there is a continuous covered walkway over the pedestrian footpath with continuous balcony on the first floor (top of the walkway) on the one side of street with building facing towards the south side. Moreover, balcony projection on the buildings of the opposite side can be seen towards the southern side and not towards the street side façade. Finally, majority of the buildings have wooden louvered windows good for ventilation.
However, such unique features that acts as another face of the same coin of the existing knowledge on Newari town planning and architectural vocabulary have been gradually under destruction not only due to vertical division of traditional buildings, haphazard renovation [of door and window openings] and addition of RCC structures on the existing mud-mortar walls but also because of reduction of cultural and religious activities associated with public structures [rest house] and temples and shrines. Moreover, special ethnic groups associated with numerous religious activities including local customs, crafts and music have been gradually disappearing. Finally, due to village status, there hardly exist any rules and regulations to regulate new development and building construction.
To reverse the present trend, both `top down' approach for socio-economic development and tourism promotion as well as `bottom ­up' strategy for conservation of unique cultural heritage and regulation of transformation of the settlement is essential. Development of academic institutions and health centre for quality education and public services including upgradation of the local slate and silk industries is crucial for socio-economic development whereas promotion of physical infrastructure, recreation facilities as well as cultural centre is recommended for community development and tourism industry. Moreover, numerous adjustments carried out to fit the newari architecture of urban context into mountain topography, local climate and culture of Bandipur needs to be preserved through detail urban design guidelines and mandatory legislation. Last but not the least, there is an urgent need for a common platform which provides ample opportunity not only to unite the disintegrated society and isolated individual but also to revive and continue the unique traditional cultural and religious functions. In fact, this study of Bandipur complements the existing knowledge on Newari town and architecture, which are basically focused in the urban context only.

BIBLIOGRAFÍA

1. Gutschow, N. (1996), 'Bisketjatra of Bhaktapur. Continuity and Change of an Urban Ritual,' In Siegfried Lienhard (ed.), Continuity and Change, Studies in the Nepalese Culture of the Kathmandu Valley. Edizioni Dell'oros, pp. 285-302.
2. Hoek, A.W. van den (1990), 'Does Divinity Protect the King? Ritual and Politics in Nepal,' Contributions to Nepalese Studies, 17(2): 147-55.
3. Maskey, S. (1982), 'Kathmandu Upathyaka Newar Samudayale Manaunne Chadparva,' Nepali Samskriti, Year 1, No. 3, Cultural Corporation, HMG, 2042 BS. [in Nepali].
4. Oldfield, H. A. (1974), Sketches from Nepal, Delhi: Cosmo Publication.
5. Parajuli, Y. K. (1986), 'Bhaktapur Development Project-Experiences in Preservation and Restoration in a Medieval Town [1974-1985]', BDP, Ministry of Panchayat and Local Development, Lalitpur, Nepal.
6. Scheibler, G. (1982), Building Today in a Historical Context: Bhaktapur, Nepal, Ratna Pustak Bhandar, Kathmandu, Nepal.
7. Shah, B. [2003], 'Heritage Conservation and Planning New Development in Bhaktapur, Nepal,' a paper presented at the 6th US/ICOMOS International Symposium 'Managing Conflict and Conservation in Historic Cities,' April 24-27, 2003 in Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.A.
8. Tiwari, S. R. (no date), Bhadgaon - the Structural Changes Over History, CARD newsletter no. 1, Institute of Engineering, Nepal.
9. Vajracharya, D. and Malla, K. P. [1985], The Gopalarajavamsvali, Wiesbade n: Franz Steiner.