Embassy of Nepal
Copenhagen, Denmark
Nepalese Architecture
Nepal is famous for fascinating historical buildings & unique architectural designs
which has been always famous in the world mostly inspired Asian countries.The
historical architecture captures the culture and essence of Nepal. The popular
places like bhaktapur, Basantapur where people can explore outstanding
Nepalese architectural structures. The Nepalese architecture can be divided
iinto three non-specific style, pagoda style, stupa style & shikhare style.
The Pagoda Style
This style of architecture refers to multi-roofed structures with wide eaves
supported by carved wooden struts. Windows, either latticed or grilled,
are usually projecting, while the roof is generally topped off by triangular
spires enclosing an inverted bell of stucco or burnished gold. The
pagoda style architecture shows the finest specimens of the architectural
genius of Nepal. The style was later adopted in China and from there
spread to other Asian countries. For this, the tribute goes to a young
architect-sculptor-painter named Balbahu, (or Ar-ni-ko as the Chinese
call him), who led a delegation of eighty Nepalese artists to Tibet during
the late 13th century at the invitation of the Chinese Emperor Kublai
Khan. The best example of the pagoda style in the Katmandu Valley
is Kasthamandap a wooden pagoda built in the Malla period; this is
also the structure from which the capital city is derived. The
nine-storied Basantpur Palace built by King Prithvi Narayan Shah
is another outstanding pagoda specimen. The Pashupati , Taleju
and Changu Narayan temples are also notable examples.
The Stupa Style
The Swayambhu and Baudhanath Shrines are Nepal's first examples of
stupa or Chaitya style. This style architecture is purely Buddhist in
concept and execution. The outstanding feature of stupas is a
hemispherical mound topped by a square base supporting a seried
of thirteen circular rings. Narrowing towards the top these are crowned
by parasol. The four sides of the square base or the harmika , as it
is called, are painted with pairs of mystic "all-seeing eyes." The
stupas in Patan, said to have been built by King Ashoka, are considered
to be the most ancient stupas of Nepal.
The Shikhara style
The Shikhara style forms yet another architectural design found in Nepal.
The super-structure of this style is a tall curvilinear or pyramidal tower
whose surface is broken up vertically into five or nine sections. The final
section consists of a bell-shaped part at the top. The Krishna temple in
Patan, consecrated by Kind Siddhi Narasingh Malla is the finest specimen
of the relatively less popular Shikhara style.
