Bhaktapur is a popular day-trip destination for tourists visiting Kathmandu. Lately, with more air-pollution in Kathmandu, more tourists are staying in Bhaktapur for a few days, before trekking arrangements are finished. In addition, although the Mount Everest (i.e. Sagarmatha) is breathtaking and the landscape of Lord Buddha (i.e. Founder of Peace) mysterious, tourists visiting Nepal still don't feel their sojourn complete unless they have experienced Bhaktapur, Nepal's ancient "City of Culture".
Pottery is one of the main tourist attractions in Bhaktapur besides the architecture. In Nepal the city is renowned for its yoghurt or curd Ju-Ju Dhau, traditionally sold in clay bowls.
It is the home of traditional art and architecture, historical monuments and craft works, magnificent windows, pottery and weaving industries, excellent temples, beautiful ponds, rich local customs, culture, religion, festivals, musical mystic and so on. Bhaktapur is still an untouched as well as preserved ancient city, which in fact, is itself a world to explore for tourist.
From time immemorial it lay on the trade route between Tibet/China and India. This position on the main caravan route made the town rich.This place is of Newr lacality.
Bhupatindra Malla
King Bhupatindra Malla's Column is dedicated to the best-known Malla king of Bhaktapur. His image sits with folded arms atop the column, studying the magnificent entrance gate to his palace and the supremely sacredTaleju Temple, which is closed to non-Hindus. When leaving, look for the old royal bath half-hidden in a crumbling courtyard. It is overgrown with ferns now, but the beautiful metal spout remains, along with a naga standard set in the bathing pool.
Beside the king's statue is the stone Vatsala Durga Templebuilt by King Jagat Malla in 1672. It is similar to the Krishna Mandir in Patan. In front of it is theTaleju Bell, which was erected by King Jaya Ranjit Malla in 1737 to call the faithful to prayer at the Taleju Temple. The Barking Bellbuilt by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1721 is a smaller bell on the temple's plinth. It was supposedly built to counteract a vision the king had in a dream. To this day, dogs are said to bark and whine each time the bell is rung.
The elegant, octagonal Chyasilin Mandap was one of the finest in the square until it was destroyed in the 1934 earthquake. Originally a viewing point for nobles observing festivals and rituals, it has been totally rebuilt using some of the original components and offers a good view over the square from the inside.Newar Society
The Newa (Nepal Bhasa: नेवाः Newā(h), Classical Nepal Bhasa: नेवार Newār or नेवाल Newāl) are the indigenous people of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. Newars are a linguistic community of mostly Tibeto Burman and some Indo-Aryan ethnicity, bound together by a common language.
The term Newar applies roughly to the descendants of citizens of Medieval Nepal (consisting of Kathmandu Valley as the capital and the territory ever changing with farthest extent being Gandaki river to west and Koshi river to the east, Tibet to north and Terai in south). Their common language beingNepal Bhasa ("Newari" according to Statistics Nepal) or the linguistic progenitor of that language. Many Newar communities within Nepal also speak their own dialects of Newari, such as the Dolakha Newar Language. According to Nepal's 2001 census, the 1,245,232 Newar in the country are the nation's sixth largest ethnic group, representing 5.48% of the population . Nepal Bhasa is of Tibeto-Burman origin (but heavily influenced by Indo-Aryan languages like Sanskrit, Pali, Bengali and Maithili). Nepal Bhasa also contains Austro-Asiatic words and phrases. In 2001 the language is spoken by 825,458 Nepalese as their mother tongue.Newar History
The different divisions of Newars had different historical developments before their arrival in the Kathmandu valley. The common identity of Newar was only formed after their arrival in the valley. Until the unification of Nepal, with the possible exception of the Muslims under Gayasuddin who attacked and destroyed many parts of the valley, all people who had inhabited the valley at any point of time were either Newar or were progenitors of Newar. So, the history of Newar correlates to the history of Kathmandu valley prior to the unification of Nepal.
The earliest known history of Newar and the Kathmandu valley were recorded in the form of mythical scriptures. One such text, which recounts the creation of the valley, is the Swayambhu Purana. According to the Swayambhu Purana, the Kathmandu valley was a giant lake called Nāgdaha until the Bodhisattva Manjusri, with the aid of a holy sword called Chandrahrāsa, cut open part of the southern hill of Kachchhapāla and then cut open Gokarnadaha and drained the giant lake, allowing humans to settle the valley land. This apocryphal legend is supported by some geological evidence of an ancient lakebed and it provides an explanation for the high fertility of Kathmandu valley soil.
According to the Swayambhu Purana, Manjusri then established a city called Manjupattan (Sanskrit "Land Established by Manjusri"), now called Manjipā, where he crowned Dharmākara as the king of the land. A shrine dedicated to Manjusri is still present in Majipā.
No recorded historical document has been found after this era till the advent of Gopal era. A genealogy of emperors is recorded in a book called Gopal Raj Banshawali. According to this manuscript, Gopals were followed by Mahispals, and Kirats before Licchavis entered from south. Some claim Buddha to have visited Nepal during the reign of Kirat emperor Jitedasti.
The Licchavi dynasty ruled for at least 600 years, followed by the Malla dynasty in 12th century AD. The Nepal Bhasa script is estimated to be at least 1200 years old. Nepal Bhasa inscriptions in an ancient manuscript, Nidan, from 901 AD and on a stone tablet from 1173 AD in the courtyard of Bajrayogini Temple at Sankhu, attest to the deep roots of Newar culture in the Kathmandu valley.
Newar reign over the valley and their sovereignty and influence over neighboring territories ended approximately 250 years ago with the conquest of the Kathmandu valley in 1769 by the Gorkhali Shahdynasty founded by Prithvi Narayan Shah. Newars were engaged in business between Tibet and Moguls in India. So, to affect the Mogul empire's treasury, the British East India Company supplied weapons and advice to Prithvi Narayan Shah, who in return would conquer Kathmandu Valley and put an end to the trade between Tibet and Moguls of India. Systematic brutal suppression of the Newar people was pursued for generations during early dynastic rule in order to discourage the Newar people from any political aspiration.
The Newar maintain a highly literate culture and their members are prominent in every sphere, from agriculture, business, education and government administration to medicine, law, religion,architecture, fine art, and literature. There is a wide acceptance of the fact that Newar architects may have been responsible for developing Asia's hallmark multi-tiered pagodaarchitecture.[citation needed] Newar devotional pauba and thangka painting, sculpture and metal craftsmanship are world-renowned for their exquisite beauty. The fine temples and palaces of Kathmandu,Patan (Yala) and Bhaktapur are largely the product of Newar architects, artisans and sculptors.Now the enterprising Newars are spread across Nepal, Bhutan, the state of Sikkim and the district of Darjeeling in India.
Religion
Newar practice both Hinduism and Buddhism. According to the 2001 Nepal Census, 84.13% of Newars were Hindu and 15.31% were Bhuddhist.
Out of the three main cities of Kathmandu valley which are historically Newar, Patan is mostly Buddhist containing the four stupas built by Ashoka, Bhaktapur is primarily Hindu whereas Kathmandu is mixed. Generally, both Hindu and Buddhist deities are worshiped and festivals are celebrated. However, for ritual activities, Hindu and Buddhist Newar have their own priest and cultural difference.
Music
The Newari Music consists mainly of percussion instruments. Wind instruments such as flutes and similar instruments are also used. String instruments are very rare. There are songs pertaining to particular seasons and festivals. Paahan chare music is most probably the fastest played music whereas the Dapa the slowest. The dhimay music is the loudest ones. Gunla bajan are mostly played in groups during the month of gunla according to the official Nepali calendar (Nepal Sambat).Art
Traditional Newari art is used in rituals and festivals. The prevalent art forms are Paubas (water based gouche paintings on cloth), sculpture (lost wax process bronzes, terracotta, wood and stone), masks (metal and paper-mache), woodcuts and murals. The Chitrakar and Vajracharyas are the traditional painters and the Shakyas are the sculptors. Along with being traditional painters, theChitrakars are also mask makers (paper-mache), woodcut printers and mural painters. And Prajapati are traditional potters, they make different artifact including terracotta sculpture.
Dance
The Newar Dance can be broadly classified as masked dance and dance without the use of masks. The most representative of Newari dance is Lakhey dance. Almost all the settlements of Newar haveLakhey dance at least once a year. Almost all of these Lakhey dances are held in the Goonlaa month of Nepal Sambat - a newar lunar calendar. So, they are called Goonlaa Lakhey. However, the most famous Lakhey dance is the Majipa Lakhey dance. It is performed by the Ranjitkars of Kathmandu. The dance takes place for a week during the week containing the full moon of Yenlaa month. The Lakhey are considered as the saviors of children.
