The tradition that resulted in the carved wood, columns, doors, windows and tympanums seen in temples and palaces all over Nepal today, date from the 5th century. This is when the Licchavi Dynasty took over the Kathmandu Valley.  The earliest wooden structures in the Kathmandu Valley date from the 14th Century when Alaudin Ilyas, Sultan of Bengal, invaded the Valley and destroyed most of its religious and secular structures.  The Sultan was repelled by the local Mallas dynasty who began to rebuild the Kathmandu Valley.

The Malla Kings were from an ethnic group known as Newars, whose origin is still a matter of dispute. Some say the Newars have their roots in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, while others say they are of Mongolian descent, having migrated through Tibet.  The Newars and their Malla Kings ruled the Kathmandu Valley, dividing into three rival kingdoms, Kantipur (now Kathmandu), Patan Bhadgeon (now Bhaktapur), and Kirtipur.  The Mallas reigned until 1786, when Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the Valley, consolidating the four kingdoms and turning Nepal into the Nation it is today.

The Mallas developed a great appreciation for art and architecture.  The three rival kingdoms competed not only for political and military dominance, but also for cultural achievements.  It was in this environment that the Newar craft guilds (guthis) grew up and the beautifully carved wood temples and stone votaries were created.  Each guild built their own temple as a contribution to the religious infrastructure of the society, and, as an advertisement of their own abilities.  The result is the temples that we see today in Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur and throughout the Valley, adorned with carved wood architectural members depicting Hindu dieties, avatars, scenes from the Rama yana and the life of Buddha.

So it was that the Newars developed a rich artisan tradition that grew and deepened throughout the centuries. Even when Prithvi Narayan Shah, who was not a Newar, conquered the Valley and took over the country, he continued to allow, if not promote, the Buddhist and Hindu arts of the Newars. The religious eclecticism of the Newar’s work is still reflected today, where temples will at once portray carvings of both Hindu and Buddhist themes.

In the mid-20th Century precast concrete buildings made their debut, crowding out many of the temples and palaces created under the Newar tradition. Nevertheless, the woodcarvers, stone craftsmen, and metal workers who, for centuries, held together in guilds and family groupings still pursue their crafts. The exquisite columns, windows, doors, and other elements they turn out today are in no sense copies. They are made by the same artisans, following the same traditions developed over centuries.  The only difference is their work is now available to the outside world, not as antiques, the collection of which would threaten existing structures, but as the contemporary expression of an age-old tradition.

Web Page and Graphic Design By Jake DuCharme jake@brownhoundIT.com