Nyatapola is a five-story historic temple in Bhaktapur that makes all Bhaktapurians proud. People may have a limited understanding of Bhaktapur. They did, however, provide a page where the enigmatic Nyatapola legends are always alive within that tatter of information.
Nyatapola is a nebulous subject with elements of mystery, religious beliefs, and facts. Furthermore, this may be the only monument with more historical evidence than any other.
However, when it came to discussing its accessories, it remained a perplexing mystery.
Yes, no one knows why the temple has five Ganesha, five levels, five plinths, 33 steps, 108 struts, and 360 battens. In tantrism, however, all of these numbers play an important role. Furthermore, it ambiguously demonstrates the tantric influence of the time.
Why does Nyatapola remain closed all the time?
The goddess Siddhi Laxmi is revered in this temple. However, the majority of people are unaware of her appearance. Only the priest who was given permission to enter the temple is aware of her appearance.
However, the shards of evidence suggest that she has an outlandish appearance. Her black-shaded statue has nine heads and eighteen hands. She is reported to be accompanied by the Masan Bhairava and Mahakal Bhairava first and foremost. The statue was prepared in accordance with the extreme tantric procession.
Perhaps this is why she is unavailable to the general public. However, the images carved on the temple's struts can be admired as less violent manifestations of the indolent deity.
Nonetheless, during Dashain and Pancha prachar puja, the temple doors are opened for the priest. A priest from the Karmacharya caste from Taleju performs a Nitya puja and Aarati for the temple.
Wait, the non-opening doors here don't seem to fit the description of a restricted area. Rather, it is an open temple that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You are free to visit whenever you wish. You can sit on its pedestals, take photographs, do a circumrotation of it, and enjoy a good view of Bhaktapur from the top plinth.
The Nyatapola temple has some fascinating facts.
· There are no jatras or Guthi related with the temple. That is strange because practically all of the important temples are linked to the jatras, as well as the guthis and bhajans. Particularly in Bhaktapur.
· Because of its five stories, it is locally denominated as a panch tale mandir. Where, those five stories indicate the earth, water, fire, air, and the sky from down to up respectively.
· Similarly, Nyatapola means "five-storied" in Nepali bhasa, where Nyata means "five" and Pola means "tiers."
· This majestic temple is also Bhaktapur's highest Nepalese roofing-styled temple. Nepal, with a height of 33 meters, is another example.
· Nyatapola's entire building was raised in about 214 days. Meanwhile, there was no advanced construction equipment available at the time.
· The wind bells that hung from Nyatapola's tiers were supposed to number in the hundreds. However, arranging them in the order 48, 80, 104, 128, and 168 from top to bottom outlasts a wind bell. That was regarded as the unlucky wind bell at the time. And the truth is that no one knows where it is or when it was placed until today. Or, to put it another way, what happened to it?
Learn more about Nyatapola.
· It has five plinths, same as the five storeys. Each plinth has a pair of guardians that are ten times more powerful than the ones underneath it.
· The original guardians are known as Jai and Pratap, two formidable wrestlers from the time period.
· According to legend, they are ten times stronger than the average person.
· A couple of elephants, lions, Griffins, and minor deities named Simhini and Vyagini are positioned above them.
· On the one side, Nyatapola is King Bhupatindra Malla's most gorgeous creation. In 1702 A.D., he built it. Thankfully, it still stands in front of us, inviting us to sit on its thrones.
· Despite surviving the deadliest earthquakes in history in 1934 and 2015 AD. Apart from that, it is still significant as Bhaktapur's pride.
· As a result, this temple appears to be a magnificent structure.
Renovations and Earthquakes
Nepal is one of the places where earthquakes are very likely to occur. As a result, Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, is among the top ten cities in the world with a high risk of earthquake damage.
The erection, as well as Nyatapola's continued existence after all these years, astounds everyone. Before the earthquake of 1835 A.D., there are no records (1891 B.S.). However, there are a series of events that follow that are depicted here.
Starting with the earthquake of 1835 A.D. (1891 B.S. ), it didn't have much of an impact on Nyatapola. Indeed the Nyatapola was 131 years old, then.
Then came the earthquake of 1934 A.D. (1990 B.S. ), which severely destroyed the temple's uppermost tier. However, Nyatapola's nearest temple, namely That earthquake devastated Bhairavnath temple to the ground. As a result of that incident, a common proverb was born: "Nyatapola chata maru, Bhaila: Dyo patta maru." And, precisely, this word refers to the circumstances of Nyatapola and Bhairavanath temples at the time, when “Nyatapola lost its one uppermost layer, but Bhairavnath temple vanished into the earth.”
The temple was 230 years old at the time. King Tribhuvan would occasionally renovate it.
After then, the earthquake of 1989 A.D. (2045 B.S.) occurred. The temple suffered some little damage as a result of this, but it was minor.
Bhaktapur Municipality undertook a restoration in 1997 A.D. that lasted around 9 months. Yes, where they make use of some of the old materials, such as timbers and Jhingati.
Unfortunately, the disastrous earthquakes did not spare the year 2015 A.D. (2072 B.S.). Although it had a minor impact on Nyatapola, it was undoubtedly fatal.
At the moment, Nyatapola
The Bhaktapur Municipality considered restoring it after the recent quake caused little damage. Along with the rest of the historical landmarks. Nyatapola's refurbishment was done for half of the budgeted cost.
Nonetheless, it was only achievable because of the citizens of Bhaktapur's support. As a result, the Nyatapola has been fully restored. In the year 2020, A.D., there will be a lot of changes in the world.
King Bhupetendra Malla and Nyatapola Temple
During the construction of the Nyatapola temple, King Bhupetendra Malla labored alongside the other workmen and assisted them. King Bhupatendra Malla had carried three bricks on his shoulder while laying the foundation of the temple, and it was completed in five days. The people brought all of the materials required for the construction of the temple to the site. A particular Peasant Jyapoo sown grains of paddy in his field at the fortunate moment of laying the foundation. When he tried to get them out later, he had to use a spade. This demonstrates the foundation's strength. As a result, even during the tremendous earthquake of 1934 A. D., Nepal's tallest temple, Nyatapola, did not tumble to the ground. The highest roof was the only one that collapsed.
After performing Kotyauhouti Yagya, King Bhupatendra Malla inaugurated Nyatapola. At that time, he gifted the Brahmans with a gold coronet. He was the reincarnation of a Buddhist monk from Lhasa Tibet's Buddhist Gumba. He was the Lama of a Lhasa Gumba in a past incarnation.
Once upon a time, King Bhupatendra Malla was examining the Nyatapola temple's construction. An eagle appeared out of nowhere in the newly constructed roof of Nyatapola temple at that time. The eagle was the Tibetan Chief Monk's messenger, who arrived in the shape of an eagle. “O King, when you are returning to the Gumba of Lhasa in eagle's scream,” he remarked (voice). After then, King Bhupetendra Malla answered, "After finishing this Nyatapola temple, we returned in the Gumba after twelve years in eagle's scream (voice)."
The construction of Nyatapola temple was completed after twelve years by King Bhupatendra Malla. He died according to his own intentions as soon as the temple was finished. In his next incarnation, he returned to the Gumba of Lhasa, Tibet. The Nyatapola temple in Bhaktapur was built at the same time as the Taj Mahal in Agra, which was built by India's Shabjahan Mugal Emperor. Shahjahan created the Taj Mahal in remembrance of Mumtaz, who died while giving birth to their 14th child at the time. It was built with no expense spared to make it the world's most stunning white marble monument.
The valley of Nepal is fascinating in many ways. With the sovereign peaks of the Himalayan ranges, it is a maze of mountains, deep valleys, and rivers. The Kathmandu valley's Nepalese are a religious people. As evidenced by the numerous temples and shrines dedicated to Goddess Durga throughout the valley.
