Patan Durbar Square houses many ancient Hindu temples. Each one of them is an architectural marvel and representative of Nepalese Hindu culture. Culture is the shared belief that binds individuals and the communities and ‘temple’ architecture is the expression of this shared faith. Ancient temple architecture of Nepal thus is the manifestation of Nepalese Hindu culture.
One amongst them is Vishwanath temple dedicated to Bhagwan Shiva. This elaborately carved pagoda-style temple was built in 1627 by King Narasinh of Lalitpur.
The temple showcases ornate wooden carving, especially on the toran type wooden arches above wooden columns. These columns form a colonnade on the facade of the ground floor. The inner chamber containing ‘Shivlinga’ is surrounded by a verandah with wooden columns supporting the overhang of the upper floor. Carved wooden brackets supporting the overhang of the upper floor is also a unique feature of the temple.
The wood that was used in the old temples and palaces of Nepal was locally called ‘dhumsi’ or ‘chasi’ which means ‘as strong as a tiger’. This particular timber has a legendary reputation, claiming that it has a life of 3,000 years – 1,000 years as a standing tree, 1,000 years as timber and 1,000 years in water. Sal wood is used in contemporary buildings. Sal is one of the most important timber in India and Nepal.
Some may describe these as erotic sculptures. Mount Kailash, Nandi, elephants and many other Shiv icons are all over the place creating the desired ambience in and around the temple. The temple was heavily damaged in 1988 and 2015 earthquakes. However, it has been repaired and restored to some extent.
The care and dignity which these structures demand from coming generations depends on the maturity of ‘Samskaras’ received by that generation . One who cares for parents and understands that he owes his existence to them would always strive to conserve them to their original form.
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