Thursday, March 10, 2016

TRIP TO BHAKTAPUR DURBAR SQUARE | A MELTING POT OF ENERGY

Standing atop the bricked pavement in Bhaktapur, a locality that was UNESCO heritage in entirety, I realized that the eclecticism and verve flowing from the travelers and locals alike would funnel to converge at its Durbar, (a term used analogous to Square, predominantly in Nepal). Intricate architecture adores the landscape of clear blue skies and the Himalayan ranges in the backdrop. While recent earthquake has had devastating impact on the buildings, the resilience to overcome has been impeccable. (Read more on this at : Resonating Resilience of Bhaktapur)

Durbar Square - Melting Pot of Energy
Durbar Square - Melting Pot of Energy
The wooden architecture seamlessly merges with stone carving of Newari architecture. Carvings in woods speaks loads about The design and science appears as excellent to an extent it gets as clinical as it may get, with a distinct influence of the Pagoda and the Shikhar forms of architecture. This facet of the coexistence appears to be distinctly unique to Bhaktapur.
Intricate Architecture in Wood - Pagoda Style of Temple
Intricate Architecture in Wood - Pagoda Style of Temples

Meticulous Wooden carving in the architecture
Meticulous Wooden carving in the architecture
The geometry in the shape and design is unbelievable and so is the meticulous symbiosis of the different forms of architecture.

Outstanding Geometry of the temple architecture
Outstanding Geometry of the temple architecture 

But amid all the human spirit and effort that had gone behind this marvel, there were also the remnants of the merciless earthquake. While the bricks and the walls surrounding some of the temples had been broken, the eternity of the faith in the hearts of the worshipers remained as firm as ever.

Eternity of Faith
Eternity of Faith

The hallmark resilience, post earthquake, and human faith was validated in efforts to recover post the massive destruction that had impacted the country all across. Among the mountains lay the mountainous task of rebuilding and regaining through an undeterred human spirit.

Resurrection of the lost glory
Resurrection of the lost glory
It was disturbing to realize the scale and impact of the earthquake had cast on this heritage as also the amount of collective global spirit that would be warranted to regain the past glory of Bhaktapur. The Shikhar of the namesake Shikhar architecture lay amiss within the leaps of stones and the (contrasting ) human faith.

Broken Temple - An opportunity and not a lost battle
Broken Temple - An opportunity and not a lost battle

The place also derives its uniqueness from the fact that the best of different worlds merge and flow at the Durbar. Different architecture, locals and non-locals, the excellence of nature and human efforts and nature's fury and even stronger resilience.

Diversity in unity of different forms of architecture
Diversity in Unity of different forms of architecture

The foundations of several buildings were supported by logs of woods. However there was not an iota of human desperation or a lost battle. It reflected the dutifulness in the minds and the opportunities that had sprouted to revive the hard works of their Newari architecture.

Glory to be reclaimed
An inspiring walk along the Glory to be reclaimed back

Envious space of symmetry abound
Envious space of Symmetry

Golden gate of Taolja Temple
Temple with Golden Gate - Taloja Temple
On the Durbar lay the golden gates of the Taleju Temple, the next stop destination.

Note:(All the images and the content above are proprietary material to the author and the author alone.)