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56-572: Rani Pokhari was built in 1670 AD by King Pratap Malla , one of the most illustrious monarchs of the Malla dynasty that ruled Nepal for more than 600 years. Pratap Malla had the tank constructed to console his queen who was distraught with grief after their son was trampled to death by an elephant. He had water collected from various holy places and river confluences in Nepal and India like Gosaikunda , Muktinath , Badrinath , Kedarnath and poured into

112-452: A century. In the year 1661, Pratap Malla, the then King of Kathmandu received Albert d’Orville and Johann Grueber – a Belgian and an Austrian with open arms into the valley. They were visiting Kathmandu from the imperial Chinese Observatory in Peking via Lhasa , seeking a land route to India . He granted them permission to preach the new religion, but without waiting for permission for

168-601: A crucial period in the relations between Nepal and Tibet. By 1600, Tibet was in a state of near chaos as a result of the struggle between competing Buddhist sects and the more basic regional conflict between the two central Tibetan provinces, of which Lhasa and Shigatse are the political centers. The powerful figure of the Fifth Dalai Lama , the head of the Gelugpa (yellow) sect of Tibetan Buddhism , gradually gained control, both spiritual and temporal, over Tibet in

224-619: A drink of tea or wine three times for the first woman. While drinking, they fix three pieces of butter to the rim of the cup. Later on they fix this butter to their foreheads. They have another custom here, fearsome in its barbarism. When sick people are near death and there is no hope for their recovery, they are thrown out of the house into the ditches of the field full of corpses. There, being exposed to all injuries of nature, these die without any acts of devotion or lamentation. After dying, these are left to be devoured by birds of prey, wolves, dogs, and other creatures. They persuade themselves that it

280-491: A form of the Hindu deity Shiva , stands at the center of the pond. There is an idol of Harishankari, which is said to be the only one idol of both Saraswoti and Laxmi. It is reached from the street by a causeway. A large stone statue of an elephant bearing the images of Pratap Malla and his two sons Chakravartendra Malla and Mahipatendra Malla is situated on the tank's southern embankment. There are four smaller temples situated at

336-449: A little smile on her lips; so he announced that anyone who made the queen laugh would be rewarded adequately. During the festival of Gai Jatra, the cow procession was brought before the grief-stricken queen. Then the participants began ridiculing and mocking the important people of the society. Finally, when the social injustices and other evils were highlighted and attacked mercilessly, the queen could not help but smile. The queen laughed and

392-454: A new lakeside café. After a series of local protests it was decided to restore the pond to the way it was in 1670. The reconstruction was completed in October 2020. Rani Pokhari is surrounded by historical buildings and famous structures. The clock tower Ghanta Ghar is situated across the road on the eastern side of the pond. The original clock tower, which had a more elaborate architecture,

448-592: A permanent stay, they left for Agra , the headquarters of the Tibet-Hindustan Mission in India. They determined the latitude of Kathmandu to be 27"5', which is low by 37', the actual latitude being 27"42'. In China Illustrata , by Athanasius Kircher , where the account of their journey is described, the very first description of Nepal is given to the Europeans. Despite the good hospitality shown by

504-508: A quadrangular reservoir of water situated near the northeastern part of the city. He also noted the existence of many temples on the sides of Rani Pokhari, some of which were of considerable height and size. Restoration work on Ranipokhari after the 2015 earthquake began in January 2016 and has been fraught with controversy. The original plans used concrete for the restoration, instead of the traditional brick and clay, and included fountains and

560-400: A temple of Guheshwari. He offered a gold umbrella to Pashupatinath temple . He had great respect for Buddhism . He introduced Seto Machchhindranath Jatra. Pratap Malla died a sudden death. While he was watching the religious dance of Harisiddhi, he fell down unconscious and died. After ruling for 33 years, he died in 1674. During his reign for thirty-three years (1641 A.D. to 1674 A.D.) there

616-488: A treaty with Bhaktapur. Pratap Malla was a lover of literature. He himself was a poet. He gave himself the title of "Kavindra." Kavindra means "the King of poets". He was tolerant of all religions. He was fond of building temples. He set up an image of Hanuman beside his palace. Since then, the palace is called "Hanuman Dhoka". Besides this, he built a temple of Krishna with the image of Kala Bhairav in front of Hanuman Dhoka and

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672-449: Is a uniquely glorious monument for the dead to obtain a sepulchre in the stomachs of living animals. The women of these kingdoms are so ugly that they seem more like devils than humans. For religious reasons they never wash themselves with water, but only with totally rancid oil. Moreover, besides exhaling an intolerable stench, they are so stained by the oil that you would call them ghouls and not humans. The king showed marked kindness to

728-469: Is accompanied by his two wives, Satyabhama and Rukmini , all of which, according to a Sanskrit inscription, bear deliberate resemblance to Pratap Malla and his own two queens. Inside are the images of Krishna and two goddesses, which, according to a Sanskrit inscription, are modelled on the king and his two wives. Across from the Krishna Temple, standing on a slightly raised platform in front of

784-441: Is also alleged to have raped a virgin girl, which ultimately resulted in her death. Pratap Malla is said to have repented this act so much so that he wanted to absolve himself of his sins and consulted the wise and learned men on the matter. Acting on their suggestions, he set up hundreds of Lingas at Pashupati and installed a statue of his own with his two queens. He also performed Koti Hom , weighed gold on one scale and himself on

840-615: Is fenced with iron bars and opened once a year during Bhai Tika, the fifth and final day of the Tihar , and Chhath festival. The world's largest Chhath festival takes place every year in RaniPokhari. Rani is also dedicated to (Nepalese Maithil) Women who go into the cold water and pray to the Sun God. Among the earliest references to Rani Pokhari is an account by Italian Jesuit Ippolito Desideri who visited Kathmandu in 1721 when Nepal

896-456: The 2015 earthquake was reconstructed by preserving its style. The reconstruction was completed in 2020. The Pokhari can be seen filled with water and rebuilt colored temple. The reconstruction following the devastating earthquake of 2015 saw a change in the colour scheme as well as the style of architecture used in the construction of the temple in the middle of the lake. It was in Dome style before

952-584: The 2015 earthquake while the reconstructed temple of Matrikeshwor Mahadev is in the Stupa style of ancient architecture. The change was because the Ranipokhari, established in 1725, was a similar temple during the construction period. The temple was rebuilt twice during the Rana period. The dome style of the temple we saw before the earthquake was a form of the same Rana period. The present renovation has restored

1008-670: The Hanuman Dhoka is the square stone pillar, known as the Pratap Dhvaja. It is topped by a statue of King Pratap Malla, seated with folded hands and surrounded by his two wives and his five (including an infant) sons. He looks towards his private prayer room on the third floor of the Degutaleju Temple . The column was erected in 1670 by Pratap Malla and preceded the similar columns in Patan and Bhaktapur . North of

1064-472: The Jagannath Temple is the figure of Kala Bhairab. Bhairab is Shiva in his most fearsome aspect, and this huge stone image of the terrifying Kal Bhairab has six arms, wears a garland of skulls and tramples on a corpse, which is symbolic of human ignorance. The figure is said to have been brought to its present location by Pratap Malla, having been found in a field to the north of the city. The image

1120-520: The Law of Christ to be introduced into his kingdom. Research however shows no proof of most of these claims. Historians from the Tribhuwan University say that, these false documentation maybe written by the missionaries to portray Christianity in a more glorious fashion by downgrading the religion that was followed in the kingdom portraying it as barbaric. The octagonal Krishna Temple

1176-414: The beginning, Durbar High School admitted only the children of the ruling classes. It was opened to the general public in 1902 AD. Tundikhel , a parade ground and ceremonial grass field and a Kathmandu landmark, formerly extended from the southern side of Rani Pokhari. A section next to the pond was fenced off and converted into a public park and flower garden in the mid-1960s. The damaged Rani Pokhari by

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1232-456: The borders of Kantipur and was responsible for the monopoly over trade with Tibet. The resulting prosperity led to the construction of the majority of the buildings around Durbar Square during his reign. His reign is seen as a cultural and economic high point of the Malla dynasty. A statue of Pratap Malla is found standing on a column facing the palace in the square. His image can also be seen in

1288-458: The characters of Tibet, others Persia, others Greece, besides several others of different nations; and in the middle there is a line of Roman characters, which appears in this form AVTOMNE WINTER LHIVERT; but none of the inhabitants have any knowledge how they came there, nor do they know whether or not any European had ever been in Nepal before the missionaries, who arrived there only the beginning of

1344-469: The country for one year in turn. But unfortunately, his second son Chakrabartendra Malla died the day after he took over the administration of the country. He often fought with Lalitpur and Bhaktapur to annex them to his kingdom but could not succeed. He tried to play the kings of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur against each other. Sometimes he sided with Bhaktapur and posed a menace to Lalitpur. Sometimes he sided with Lalitpur and fell upon Bhaktapur. His main aim

1400-482: The fathers, especially because of the telescope, which he had never heard of before, and because of the other scientific instruments shown him. In fact, he was so captivated by these things that he decided to keep the fathers with him, and they would not have been allowed to depart had they not promised to return. If they would do this, he promised to build a house there for our use and the mission work of our order and to provide ample income. He also gave full permission for

1456-531: The first half of the 17th century, with the valuable assistance of the Khoshote Mongols. During this critical period, two ambitious kings, Ram Shah of Gorkha (1606–33) and Pratap Malla of Kantipur, took advantage of Tibetan weakness to seize control of the vital border-pass areas through which most of the trans-Himalayan trade passed. Ram Shah's incursions into Tibet occurred toward the end of his reign, probably from 1625 to 1630, after he had conquered

1512-404: The four corners of the pond: Bhairava temples in the northwest and northeast, Mahalaxmi Temple in the southeast and Ganesh Temple in the southwest. The temples on the eastern side now lie within the compounds of Tri Chandra College and a police station which has undermined their cultural importance. During recent excavations, four dhunge dharas were found, one at each of the four corners of

1568-436: The great Pratap Malla. The pond is fenced with iron bars, apparently to prevent suicide by drowning, and opened once a year during Bhaitika, the fifth and final day of Tihar. When King Pratap Malla lost his son, his wife, the queen, remained grief-stricken. The king was very sad to see the condition of his beloved queen. The king, in spite of several efforts, could not lessen the grief of his wife. He desperately wanted to see

1624-406: The grounds of insanity and sat on the throne in 1641 A.D. He was a very ambitious king. Pratap Malla had two queens: the first being a Maithali lady of Southern Nepal and the second being a sister of Zil-gnon dbang-rgyal rdo-rje, a prominent Tibetan Buddhist guru, who had served as an advisor to him. Some modern historians have given him the reputation for being lewd and maintaining a harem. He

1680-416: The inside of the wall they pour water into the holes, and in the courtside, each hole having a closed canal, every person may draw water to drink. At the foot of the stone is a large ladder, by which people ascend to drink; but the curiosity of the stone consists in its being quite covered with characters of different languages cut upon it. Some lines contain the characters of the language of the country; others

1736-583: The intervening territory between Gorkha and Kirong district in Tibet. The first Gorkhali invading force was defeated, and the severed heads of the two commanders were sent to the Panchen Lama at Shigatse. Ram Shah led another army into Kerong area, defeated the Tibetans at Khinchog and advanced as far as Kukurghat. He reached an agreement with the Tibetans under which the boundary line between Gorkha and Tibet

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1792-478: The king instituted a tradition of including jokes, satire, mockery, and lampoon into the Gaijatra celebration. As per the traditions, every family who has lost a relative during that past year participates in a procession through the streets leading a cow. If a cow is unavailable, a young boy dressed as a cow is substituted. In 1614 additions and renovations of Swayambhunath complex were made by Zhamarpa VI during

1848-511: The king, the following unflattering picture of Nepal during the reign of Pratap Malla emerges in the book: From Nesti is a journey of six days to Cadmendu, the capital of the kingdom of Necbal, situated at 27”5’ North. Here there resides a powerful, but pagan, the king who is not unfriendly to the Christian law... Cities of this kingdom are Cuthi and Nesti. It is the custom of this tribe when drinking to women, for other men or women to pour out

1904-502: The lucrative trade between India and Tibet, as well as the right to extend their commercial activities to Lhasa. The king of Kathmandu also profited substantially from the process under which he minted coins for the Tibetan government, for he deducted a certain percentage of the silver provided by Lhasa as his fee for this service. These Nepali coins, called "Mahendramalli," were the sole currency in circulation throughout Tibet for more than

1960-521: The niche above the Hanuman Dhoka Palace gate. The niche above the gate is Krishna in his ferocious tantric aspect, flanked by more gentle, amorous Krishna surrounded by gopinis , and by King Pratap Malla playing a lute, and his queen. He was born to his Maithali origin mother and a Malla origin father Lakshmi Narasinha Malla. Even when his father was alive, Pratap Malla had the experience of administration. He imprisoned his father on

2016-603: The north-western corner of Rani Pokhari. Of these four dhunge dharas, only Swora hiti is in working order. A temple stands at the centre of the lake, which is open to the public only once a year: during the Yamapanchak or Tihar, the Festival of Lights. Traditionally, it opens on the Day of "Bhaitika" when sisters bless brothers for longevity and good health. This temple is also called Yamaleshwar or Bhrateshwar. Rani Pokhari

2072-442: The other and gave it away in charity. In order to commemorate the occasion, he also raised a pillar on the southern gate of Pashupati, and established a grazing ground near the area. Pratap Malla had five sons: Bhupendra Malla, Chakrabartendra, Nripendra, Mahipatendra, and Parthibendra. He wanted his sons to have experience in the administration of the country even during his own lifetime. With this aim in view, he made them rule over

2128-521: The places important from the strategic point of view. Dambar Shah, son of Ram Shah had come with a contingent to help Siddhi Nara Singh Malla, but his troops were waylaid and put to rout. Pratap Malla gave a lot of trouble to Narendra Malla, King of Bhaktapur. He made Narendra Malla pay tribute to him in the form of elephants. Later, again he sided with Shree Niwas Malla and laid a siege on Bhaktapur. He plundered Bhaktapur and carried away many valuables. But when Lalitpur sided with Bhaktapur, Pratap Malla signed

2184-560: The pond to sanctify it. The pond is recharged by water flowing in through an underground channel, but there are also seven wells inside the pond. King Pratap Malla installed a stone slab at Rani Pokhari with writings in three languages: Sanskrit , Nepali and Nepal Bhasa . It is dated Nepal Sambat 790 (1670 AD) and describes the construction of Rani Pokhari and its religious significance. It also mentions five Brahmins , five Pradhans (Chief-ministers) and five Khas Magars as being witnesses. A temple dedicated to Matrikeshwor Mahadev,

2240-723: The pond. During the construction of the Ratnapark Subway, starting in 1984, Nhera hiti was discovered. Some of the stone spouts are now in the National Museum of Nepal . An unnamed dhunge dhara is known to be buried on the premises of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Then there is Swora hiti or Tin Dhara at Durbar Marg . The fourth dhunge dhara is named Jhanga hiti. It is located in Jamal, on

2296-486: The present century. They are manifestly two French names of seasons, with an English word between them. The two French names of the seasons are AVTOMNE = autumn and L'HIVERT = winter. The word WINTER could also be winter in German or Dutch. Ranipokhari lies in the heart of Kathmandu, with about fifteen minutes walk from Kathmandu Durbar Square. Rani Pokhari, meaning Queen's pond, is the artificial square-shaped pond with

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2352-550: The reign of Pratap Malla. Access from Kathmandu was improved with the construction of a long stairway and a bridge across the Vishnumati. At the bottom of the 400 stone steps are three painted images symbolizing the Three Precious Jewels of Buddhism , which were erected in 1637 by Pratap Malla and his son, Lakshmandra Singh Malla. Pratap Malla also placed a large vajra placed in front of the stupa. Flanking

2408-470: The southern embankment is a statue of an elephant carrying three passengers on its back, thought to be three of the male members of the Pratap Malla's family, while a fourth person is held in its trunk. Various myths and legends have come to be associated with Rani Pokhari over the years. It is said to be haunted by ghosts, including one especially seductive female spectre which managed to unnerve even

2464-492: The spout in the middle if somebody is able to decipher all fifteen languages. The account of the wall and the inscription is given by Fr. Giuseppe, writing at the end of eighteenth century: In a wall of the royal palace of Kathmandu, which is built upon the court before the palace, there is a great stone of a single piece, which is about fifteen feet long, and four or five feet thick: on the top of this great stone there are four square holes at equal distances from each other. In

2520-411: The temple of Shiva in the middle. The Rani in question was Pratap Malla's queen who in 1667 commissioned its construction in memory of their son, Chakravatendra Malla, who, following his father's abdication in favor of his four sons each of whom would rule for one year, died on the second day of his reign, apparently having been trampled by an elephant. The water with which the pond was originally filled

2576-404: The temple to its original form. The return of the temple to its original form is of historical significance. Pratap Malla Pratap Malla (1624–1674 A.D.) was a Malla king and the eighth King of Kantipur from 1641 until his death in 1674. He attempted to unify Kathmandu Valley by conquering Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, but failed in the effort. He was successful in extending and securing

2632-417: The vajra, he also added two white shikhar (spires) temples, known as Anantapur (southeast) and Pratapur (northeast), which were built in 1646 to house the protector deities Bhairab and Bhairabi. Ghanta Ghar (Kathmandu) The Ghanta Ghar (घन्टाघर), situated in the capital city of Kathmandu , is the oldest clock tower of Nepal . It lies in front of Rani Pokhari and near Trichandra College . It

2688-461: Was built in 1648–49 by Pratap Malla, either as a response to rival Siddhinarshingh Malla 's Krishna Temple in Patan or as a religious consolation for his earlier failure to conquer that city, or in memory of his two wives, or a combination of all three. The three-tiered traditional Newari building is supported by stone columns around the circumference of the base. The image of Krishna inside the temple

2744-467: Was destroyed during the Great earthquake of 1934 . The present clock tower was built after the earthquake. It stands on the premises of Tri Chandra College , the first college in the country which was established in 1918 AD. On the western side of Rani Pokhari stands another historical building, Durbar High School , built in 1854 AD. It is the first school in Nepal providing education along modern lines. In

2800-544: Was drawn at Kukurghat, thus giving Ram Shah control over one of the main channels of communication between Nepal and Tibet. This posed a serious problem for Kathmandu merchant community, which normally used the route through Kirong in their trade with Tibet. Pratap malla decided against contending directly with the Gorkha ruler for control of Kerong, but sought instead to bring the second major trade route, via Kuti, under his authority. An army commanded by his brother, Bhim Malla,

2856-646: Was originally cut from a single stone but the upper left-hand corner has since been repaired. It is said that telling a lie while standing before Kala Bhairab will bring instant death and it was once used as a form of trial by ordeal. On the outside of the white wall of Kathmandu Durbar, opposite the Vishnu Temple, is a long low stone inscription to the goddess Kalika written in fifteen different languages, including European languages. Pratap Malla, renowned for his linguistic abilities, set up this inscription on 14 January 1664. A legend tells that milk will flow from

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2912-412: Was peace and prosperity at home and no danger from outside. Trade with India and China made Nepal prosperous. Art and literature flourished. Kings of Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and other neighbouring kingdoms did not dare to invade Kantipur. Just as Muslim culture reached its height in the time of Shah Jahan, so did Nepalese culture reached its height in the time of Pratap Malla. The 16th and 17th centuries were

2968-422: Was ruled by the Malla kings. He was travelling from Tibet to India , and has mentioned in his travelogue seeing a large pond outside the main city gate with flights of steps and banks sloping down to the water. The father has also written that there was a tall column at the center resting on a magnificent pedestal. The British Indian Army officer William Kirkpatrick , who visited Kathmandu in 1793, wrote about

3024-474: Was sent to Kuti in the 1630s and again in the period between 1645 and 1650. On the second occasion, Bhim Malla overran the border district and advanced some distance toward Shigatse before he was met by the deputies of the Dalai Lama, with whom he negotiated a peace settlement. The terms of this treaty were, in summary: Thanks to the treaty, the merchants of Kathmandu valley gained a virtual monopoly over

3080-464: Was taken from fifty-one sacred rivers throughout Nepal and India, thus ensuring its sanctity. The temple in the middle of the pond has a domed roof reminiscent of classical Indian Mughal architecture and is surmounted by a copper spire. The main image is of the Shiva lingam, but other deities also feature. Four small shrines at each corner contain images of Bhirab, Harishankar, Shakti, and Tarkeshwari. On

3136-434: Was to annex Lalitpur to Kathmandu. But his aim was not fulfilled as the king of Lalitpur had the king of Gorkha, Ram Shah, as his ally. Moreover, Shree Nivas, son of Siddhi Nara Singha was no less inferior to Pratap Malla in courage and diplomacy. In 1634 A.D., when Siddhi Nara Singha Malla was engaged in performing Koti Hom , Pratap Malla availing himself of the opportunity, made a surprise attack on Patan and conquered some of

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