Bhupatindra Malla

Bhupatindra Malla
King of Bhaktapur
Mural at a courtyard of the royal palace.[1]
King of Bhaktapur
Reign1696 –1722
Coronation21 September 1696[2]
PredecessorJitamitra Malla
SuccessorRanajit Malla
Chief MinisterHāku Bhāju
Born3 November 1674[3]
Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Kingdom of Bhaktapur
Died19 May 1722(1722-05-19) (aged 47)[4]
Bhaktapur, Kingdom of Bhaktapur
Spouse
​
(m. 1687)​
IssueRanajit Malla
Regnal name
Sri Sri Jaya Bhupatindra Malla Deva
DynastyMalla dynasty
FatherJitamitra Malla
MotherLālamati Devi
SignatureBhupatindra Malla's signature

Bhupatindra Malla (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐨𑐹𑐥𑐟𑐷𑐣𑑂𑐡𑑂𑐬 𑐩𑐮𑑂𑐮‎; 3 November 1674 – 19 May 1722) was a Malla Dynasty King of the Kingdom of Bhaktapur (present day Bhaktapur, Nepal) who reigned from 1696 until his death in 1722. He is the most widely known king of Bhaktapur and is among the most popular of the Malla dynasty.[5] He is popularly known in Bhaktapur as nepaḥ juju, meaning the king of the Newars.[6] His reign was characterized by the construction of numerous palaces and temples with the Nyatapola temple being his most revered contribution.[5] An integral part of the local folklore, Bhupatindra Malla is regarded as a great builder and a lover of arts whose reign is considered the cultural high point of Bhaktapur.[5][7] In particular, he was a scholar of the Maithili language and composed 26 plays in Maithili throughout his lifetime.[8]

His parents, Jitamitra and Lālamati, wanted him to be a skilled ruler and since childhood he was given a chance to rule alongside his father. He was also keen on building, having built a hiti and a public shelter (called a phalcā in Nepal Bhasa) at Thimi as a prince. His most famous contributions are the Nyatapola Temple, a Nepalese-style five-storey temple completed in a six month period between 1702 and 1703 and the palace of fifty-five windows, both of which are often considered an apogee of Nepalese architecture. He was also an avid lyricist and playwright with some of his songs still being sung in Bhaktapur. Bhupatindra Malla was also a politically strong figure in the Nepal Valley and established the reputation of Bhaktapur as a strong military principality similar to that of Kantipur.[9] He has been described by Ippolito Desideri as "the first ruler of Bhaktapur to not pay tribute to the king of Kantipur".[10] Bhupatindra Malla is among the most popular and influential of the Malla kings and also has great cultural importance in Bhaktapur. The silhouette of his gold-plated bronze statue at the royal palace complex is often used by various organizations and corporations as a symbol to represent Bhaktapur.

  1. ^ Vaidya 2002, p. 69.
  2. ^ Poudel 1974, p. 24.
  3. ^ Upadhaya 2009, p. 197.
  4. ^ Upadhaya 2009, p. 202.
  5. ^ a b c "Was there a yeti in the Royal Zoo?- Nepali Times". archive.nepalitimes.com. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :43 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :20 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Yadav, Ramawatar (2011). "Medieval Maithili stagecraft in the Nepalamandala: the Bhaktapur school". Contributions to Nepalese Studies.
  9. ^ Regmi 1966, p. 425.
  10. ^ Desideri 2010, p. 314.