Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur
𑐏𑑂𑐰𑐥𑑅‎ (Newar)
Bhadgaon
Municipality
Bhaktapur Municipality
Tamārhi, the main square of Bhaktapur which contains the Nyatapola.
Tamārhi, the main square of Bhaktapur which contains the Nyatapola.
Official seal of Bhaktapur
Seal
Etymology: From Classical Newari: Khopring, lit. 'rice village' (See Etymology).
Nickname(s): 
City of Festivals and dance[1]
Motto(s): 
Nepali: पुर्खाले सिर्जेको सम्पत्ती, हाम्रो कला र संस्कृति, lit. 'Creation of our ancestors, our heritage and culture'
Bhaktapur is located in Bagmati Province
Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur
Location in Bagmati Province, Nepal
Bhaktapur is located in Nepal
Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur (Nepal)
Coordinates: 27°40′20″N 85°25′40″E / 27.67222°N 85.42778°E / 27.67222; 85.42778
CountryNepal
ProvinceBagmati
DistrictBhaktapur
Founded12th century
Founded byAnanda Deva
Wards24 (historical)
10 (current)
Government
 • MayorSunil Prajapati (NWPP)
 • Deputy MayorRajani Joshi (NWPP)
Area
[2][3]
 • Total6.889 km2 (2.660 sq mi)
Elevation
[3]
1,401 m (4,596 ft)
Population
 (2021)[4]
 • Total79,136
 • Density11,000/km2 (30,000/sq mi)
 • Ethnicities
Newar people
 • Religions
Newar Hinduism and Newar Buddhism
Demonym(s)Newar: Khape
Nepali: Bhaktapure
Language
 • Official languageNepal Bhasa and Nepali
Time zoneUTC+05:45 (NST)
Postal code
44800
Area code01
Websitewww.bhaktapurmun.gov.np

Bhaktapur (Nepali and Sanskrit: भक्तपुर, pronounced [ˈbʱʌkt̪ʌpur] ⓘ; lit. "City of Devotees"), known locally as Khwopa[3] (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐏𑑂𑐰𑐥𑑅‎, Khvapa) and historically called Bhadgaon, is a city in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal located about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from the capital city, Kathmandu.[3][5] Bhaktapur is the smallest city of Nepal as well as the most densely populated.[3][6] Along with Kathmandu and Lalitpur, Bhaktapur is one of the three main cities of the Kathmandu Valley and is a major Newar settlement of the country. The city is also known for its Newar tradition, cuisine and artisans.[7] Bhaktapur suffered heavy damage in the April 2015 earthquake.

As part of the Kathmandu Valley, it shares its history, culture and language with the other cities of the valley. Although chronicles like the Gopal Raj Vamshavali put the foundation of Bhaktapur in the 12th century, it has been the site of numerous settlements since at least the Licchavi dynasty.[8] The capital place of Kasthamandu was Bhaktapur Nepal during the first half of Malla dynasty from the 12th century to 1482 when Nepal split into three independent kingdoms.[3][9] The Malla dynasty is considered a golden period for Bhaktapur and even after its division in 1428, Bhaktapur managed to stay as a wealthy and a powerful Newar kingdom, mostly due to its position in the ancient India-Tibet trade route.[8] In 1769, Bhaktapur was attacked and annexed into the expanding Gorkha Kingdom (which later became the Kingdom of Nepal).[10] After its annexation, Bhaktapur remained largely isolated from other parts of Nepal which led to stagnation in the development of its economy and arts and to allowed it to remain as a homogeneous Newar city.[11] Due to being isolated and overlooked by the central government in Kathmandu, its infrastructure and economy deteriorated and the 1934 earthquake further exacerbated the situation.[12] Bhaktapur's economy and infrastructure would only improve from the 1980s, largely due to tourism and aid provided by West Germany as part of the Bhaktapur Development Project.[12]

Compared to other Newar settlements, Bhaktapur is predominantly Hindu and speaks a distinct dialect of Nepal Bhasa.[11][2] Bhaktapur is one of the most visited tourist destination of Nepal with the city attracting 301,012 tourists in 2014.[13] The Nyatapola, a five roofed pagoda completed in 1702 is the most famous structure of Bhaktapur and along with the former royal palace, it forms the tourism center of Bhaktapur. The city is also famous for its numerous festivals and carnivals like the spring festival of Biskā jātrā and the carnival of Sāpāru (or Gai jatra) both of which are significant part of the local culture and contribute well to tourism.[14] Bhaktapur is also called the "Capital of Music and Dance" (Nepali: नाचगानको राजधानी) in Nepal due to presence of over 200 types of traditional dances, most of which are masked dances and expect for a few, are a part of the annual carnival of Sāpāru (or Gai jatra).[15] It is also famous for its cuisine with the jūjū dhau, a type of yogurt made from buffalo milk being the most popular. Bhaktapur's potters and handicraft industries are also known nationwide.[16][17] Due to its well preserved medieval nature, UNESCO inscribed Bhaktapur as a World Heritage Site since 1979.[16][13]

  1. ^ "भक्तपुर नगरपालिका संक्षिप्त परिचय | भक्तपुर नगरपालिका". bhaktapurmun.gov.np (in Nepali). Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Bhaktapur Municipality; the municipality of world's heritage". Bhaktapur.com. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Brief Introduction - Bhaktapur Municipality". bhaktapurmun.gov.np. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  4. ^ Nepal Government, Central Bureau of Statistics. "Results of the 2021 National Census". censusnepal.cbs.gov.np. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  5. ^ Mahat, Sunny. "Reclaiming Kathmandu's old Newari landscape". The Annapurna Express. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  6. ^ Shrestha, Rajani; Duwal, Sunil; Duwal, Suman (11 April 2018). Making Bhaktapur a Rain-Efficient City. International Conference in Water, Environment and Climate Change, Knowledge Sharing and Partnership (10-12 April 2018). Kathmandu, Nepal.
  7. ^ Tuladhar, Alok. "Resurrecting Rani Pokhari Right". Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Arora, Vanicka. "Five years on from the earthquake in Bhaktapur, Nepal, heritage-led recovery is uniting community". The Conversation. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Unasylva - No. 121 - Nepal: urban renewal - Nepal: urban renewal - The restoration of Bhaktapur". www.fao.org. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  11. ^ a b Levy 1990, p. 20.
  12. ^ a b Haland 1982, p. 4.
  13. ^ a b Prasad, Bardal Bharat (2014). "Tourism in Bhaktapur". Nepjol.
  14. ^ "Bhaktapur: City of Festivals". Inside Himalayas. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  15. ^ Rana, Jagadish (1989). "Bhaktapur, Nepal's Capital of Music and Dance" (PDF). Kailash.
  16. ^ a b "Opinion - Cultural heritage and tourism in Bhaktapur". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  17. ^ Shrestha, Purushottam Lochan (2016). "Bhaktapur the Historical city—A world heritage site" (PDF). Tewā Nepal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.