Shaphalya Amatya

Some weeks ago, I was asked to take a tour of the Bagmati corridor, where, with the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank, the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project (BRBIP) has been implementing a project for the restoration of monuments lying in between Teku to Kal Mochan Ghat, Thapathali.
The Bagmati River system is the life vein of the people of Kathmandu valley. For both Hindus and Buddhists, the Bagmati has been a place for salvation since ages, where our physical body is brunt and its remnants or ashes are immersed in the holy river. Therefore, it is very holy and sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. It is the ultimate desire of every Nepali to be cremated on the banks of a holy river or the Bagmati.
Until 1960, the Bagmati was flowing naturally and unpolluted, as a result, the edifices or structures like Ghats (banks), Sattals (rest houses), temples, shrines, and other related monuments and structures, built by our ancestors were well maintained and surviving. Ineffectiveness of Guthi System after 1970, changes in our attitude or value system and morality, the influx of refugees and squatters after 1961 slowly turned this holy river into big sewerage.

Unplanned Urbanisation
The unplanned and uncontrolled urbanisation of the valley mercilessly damaged the sanctity and purity of Bagmati. Once a religious and cultural hub, the Bagmati lost its glory and importance. Gradually, the monuments such as ghats, sattals, temples, shrines, and other related structures began to deteriorate and disappear. Similarly, the beautiful sculptures of various deities adorning these temples and shrines, and lack of maintenance of these edifices which have richly carved windows, pillars and other architectural structures, and misuse of these monuments, have not only reduced its’ importance, value and use but also severely damaged their physical structures.
The BRBIP has embraced all the monuments big or small covering the area from Teku Dovan to Thapathali, which is about one and a half kilometres long. There are about ten important Ghats like the Teku-Dovan Ghat, the Munshi Ghat, the Panchanari Ghat, Pachali Ghat, the Hanuman Ghat, the Kali Ghat, the Kaji Ghat, the Puret Ghat, the Juddha Ghat, the Chandra Ghat, and the Kal Mochan Ghat.
Important among the Sattals are the Munshi Sattal, the Manandhar Sattal, the Chaughera Sattal of Lashmishwar Mahadev temple, the Sattals of Pachali Ghat, the Rajbhandari Sattal, the Chaughera Sattal of the Bombikateshwar Mahadev temple, the Sattal of the Kaji Ghat, the Sattals of the Puret Ghat, the Chaughera Sattal of Purneshwar, the Sattal of the Juddha Ghat, the Sattal of the Chandra Ghat, the Chaughera Sattal of the Tripureshwar Mahadev temple, and the Sattals of the Kalmochan Ghat. Besides them, there are many Patis or Phalechas (resting places) built for the welfare of the pilgrims and kith and kin of dead people.
This area has some of the biggest and most beautiful monuments and temples built during the 19th and 20th centuries. Such as the Radha-Krishna Temple at Teku Dovan, the Jagannath Temple near the solid waste management office at Teku, the Lashmishwar Mahadev Temple at Pachali, the Bombikateshwar Mahadev temple at Pachali, the Tripureshwar Mahadev Temple, and Jang Hiranya Hem Narayan Temple at Kalmochan.
All these temples, as well as the Chaughera Sattals built around most of these monuments, are rich in beautifully carved wooden structures such as carved pillars, windows, balconies, doors and some other architectural assemblages like struts, tympanums, etc. Besides, most of these monuments have also decorated by stone and bronze artefacts and statues. The Bagmati corridor was once compared as Benaras of Nepal. In fact, the Shahs and the Ranas desired to build it as a mini replica of Benaras of India.
When I carried out a study of Teku-Thapathali area in 1994, there were around 27 units of various types of monuments, buildings, open spaces, and other structures. At Teku Dovan, also called Chitamani Tritha, there are numerous votive stupas or Chaityas and numerous stone sculptures of Hindu deities like Jalasayana Narayan, Ganesh, Surya, Harihar, Mahadev, Bhairav, Mayadevi, etc. It has crematoriums for both Hindus and Buddhists. It is a very sacred confluence of holy rivers, the Bagmati and Bishnumati.
The Radha-Krishna Mandir is the first large monument near the confluence at Teku-Dovan. This Sikhara-style terracotta temple of the Vaishnavite Sect was constructed by the junior mother of Prime Minister Deva Shumsher in BS.1944. Inside the sanctum, there are three big sculptures of Krishna, Subhadra and Rukmani. Krishna is standing in the middle and playing his flute.

Manandhar Sattal
The Manandhar Sattal was built by Subba Ganesh Das Manandhar of Marutole, Kathmandu. Near to this Sattal there is a small monastery known as Teku Dhovan Baha built in AD1941. Next to the Sattal there stands a modern structure built in BS 2038by the then Kathmandu Nagar Panchayat to establish an electric crematorium, which was never used. Next to it, there are two Sivalayas called the temples of Bhutnath. A small patio or resting place is belonging to Ranjitkar family, in front of it there is their crematorium on the bank of the river.
The Munshi Ghat is a Sattal, temple and Ghat complex built by Subba Lakshmi Das Munshi in BS1928. A temple with a bell-shaped roof known as the Lakshmi-Bhakteshwar Mahadev temple is located inside a courtyard in the northern end. On the east of the Munshi Sattal there is another Sattal and a Shivalaya constructed by Ratna Bir Karanjit of Jhyabhal, Kathmandu. This Shivalaya is called Rajendreshwar Mahadev. In front of the Sattal on the bank of the river, there is a crematorium of the Karanjits.
The Jagannath temple is one of the largest temple complexes in this area. It is situated little bit inside in the northern side of the main road while coming from Teku on the way to Black Bridge or Kalo Pul. This terracotta Sikhara style temple is located in the middle of a quadrangle surrounded by beautifully carved wooden windows and other structures. This is one of the very unique temples in this area which is very rich in architecture and artworks.
The temple was constructed by Bhava sing Pradhan also popular as Taudik Bharo and his wife Siva Lakshmi in BS 1849. It is a Vaishnavite temple with the sculptures of Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra. The temple courtyard has numerous sculptures of different Hindu deities. The main entrance has two lions as gatekeepers. The overall condition of this beautiful temple is very bad, it's Sattal in the western side which had a most artistic carved window in which Lord Krishna is playing the flute while riding on the shoulders of beautiful nude Gopinis. As a whole, this is a very distinct or unique temple in that area which has to be revived but at present, the condition of this temple is very pathetic.
The Hem Mukteshwar and the Dirgha Bhakteshwar are the twin dome roofed Shikhara style temples constructed by Dirgha Lakshmi, wife of General Bir Bhadra Kuwar Rana in BS1910. Next to this temple complex, there is a Sattal built by Kazi of BS1972. The windows of the first floor of this Sattal are full of carvings. The Bhasmeshwar Mahadev Chakadol in temple lies on the western side of this Sattal.

Shah, Rana Period
During the early phase of The Shah and the Rana period, the rich and religious-minded people used to construct Sattals or rest houses for the pilgrims and Malami or people who accompany the family members of the dead person when he is taken to the Ghat to be burnt. Along the Bagmati River Ghats between Kalo Pul and Lakshmishwar Mahadev Temple, there are numerous such Sattals and Patis.
The BRBIP is restoring the Lakshmishwar Mahadev temple, which is one of the best and largest temples in this area. The temple was constructed by Rani Lakshmi Devi, the queen of Rana Bahadur Shah in BS1869. All the architectural accessories of this temple-like pillars, doors, struts, windows etc., have full of carvings. This three-storey temple is surrounded by the Chaughera Sattal. At present, the BRBIP is restoring the temple as well as the Chaughera Sattal.
The Pachali Ghat and the Pachali Bhairab area consist of numerous sculptures and religious structures. The Bombikateshwar Mahadev temple another big temple complex is also popular as Teen Dewal. It was constructed by General Bom Bahadur, the youngest brother of Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana in AD1850. This is also another unique terracotta temple complex. It is unique in itself because it has three Shikhara towers standing separately in a row on the terrace. The middle Shikhara is having four arcades in four directions. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is represented by three Shiva lingam installed within a common sanctum in a row. It is constructed on three diminishing platforms. An arcade is formed by twenty-four stone pillars, each pillar support is made up of a cluster of four pillars set on monolithic bases having decorative capitals.
The BRBIP is restoring this temple complex with full capacity. In the periphery of Bombikateshwar Mahadev temple or Teen Dewal there are some small shikhara temples, among them Panchalinga Mahadev temple built in a cylindrical architecture seems to be unique. From Pachali Ghat after crossing Rajbhandari Sattal we reach Ramchandra temple and Hanuman Ghat. The marble images of Ranchandra, Sita and Hanuman are beautiful. After crossing the Ramchandra Temple we reach Kaji Ghat. The Kaji Ghat was built by Kaji Bhagwat Bhakta Mathema, the great grandfather of Martyr Dharma Bhakta Mathema. Then comes the Kali Ghat and the Bista Pati.
The Puret Ghat is a Sattal and temple complex. Among them, two temples are of octagonal and lotus shape domes as roofs. The main Sattal has a wooden window with five openings. Such windows are very rare and unique. Then we reach in an area which is illegally captured by squatters.

Occupied By Squatters
The Juddha Ghat and Sattal have been used by a local high school named Vishwa Niketan. Next to this school the Purneshwar Mahadev temple complex and the Chaughera Sattal occupied by the squatters, which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1934 needs to be restored.
Similarly, the largest temple complex in this area known as the Tripureshwar Mahadev Mandir built in AD 1822 by the queen of king Rana Bahadur Shah, Lalit Tripura Sundari Devi. From time to time, some minor repair and restoration works have been done in this temple as well as in other minor monuments in this complex to make it more attractive and bring it to its originality more works have to be conducted here. The BRBIP should give proper attention to it also. Last but not the least the temple of Jang Hiranya Hem Narayan destroyed by the earthquake of AD 2015which has been restored recently but the Chaughera Sattal and other structures have yet to be reconstructed.
Once all the monuments big or small are restored the Bagmati corridor will look beautiful and it will again attract pilgrims and tourists and also regain its lost glory. The most important is that it will certainly help the Valley to regain their lost religious sentiments and add one more site in the world heritage list.

(Amatya is an expert on Nepal's heritage and culture)