| Nyatapola | |
|---|---|
𑐒𑐵𑐟𑐵𑐥𑑀𑐮 | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hindusim |
| District | Bhaktapur |
| Province | Bagmati Province |
| Deity | Devi in the form of Siddhi Lakshmi[1] |
| Location | |
| Location | Tamārhi tvā Bhaktapur, Nepal |
| Country | Nepal |
  Location in Nepal | |
| Geographic coordinates | 27°40′17″N 85°25′43″E / 27.67139°N 85.42861°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Traditional Nepalese architecture[2] |
| Founder | Bhupatindra Malla |
| Completed | 15 July 1702 |
| Specifications | |
| Height (max) | 33.23 m (108.26 ft)[3] |
| Elevation | 1,401 m (4,596 ft)[3] |
Nyātāpola (from Nepal Bhasa: 𑐒𑐵𑐟𑐵𑐥𑑀𑐮, "ṅātāpola", lit. 'something with five storey') is a five tiered temple located in the central part of Bhaktapur, Nepal.[4][5] It is the tallest monument within the city and is also the tallest temple of Nepal. This temple was commissioned by King Bhupatindra Malla, the construction of which lasted for six months from December 1701 to July 1702.[6] The temple has survived four major earthquakes and its aftershocks including the recent 7.8 magnitude April 2015 earthquake which caused major damage the city of Bhaktapur.[7]
The Nyatapola is noted for its unique architecture as it is one of only two five storey temples in the Kathmandu Valley, the other one being the Kumbheshvara in Lalitpur and its five level plinth which along with steps to the top part also contains pairs of stone statues of animals and deities serving as the temple's guardians.[8] Along with the Bhairava temple and other historical monuments, the Nyatapola forms the Tamārhi square, which forms the central and culturally the most important part of Bhaktapur and a popular tourist destination.
The temple itself has no religious significance to the locals; it is culturally used as a symbol of Bhaktapur. Its silhouette is used by the municipality in its coats of arms as well as by most of the corporations of the city. Reaching to a height of 33 m (108.26 ft), the Nyatapola temple dominates the skyline of Bhaktapur and is the tallest monument there.[4] The Nyatapola Square also divides the town of Bhaktapur into two parts: Thané (lit. 'Upper one') and Konhé (lit. 'Lower one').[9]
The gates of the temple is only opened once a year in July on the anniversary of its establishment during which the Avāla subgroup of the Newars plant a triangular flag on its top and the Karmacharya priests perform a ritual on the deity.[10] Since the public is not allowed in, the deity housed inside is also not known to the public although it is generally accepted that the temple houses a powerful Tantric incarnation of the mother goddess.[4] Even the contemporary manuscript dealing with the construction of the temple does not mention the name of the deity housed inside.[11]
- ^ Vaidya 2004, p. 56.
- ^ Dhaubhadel 2021, p. 36.
- ^ a b Vaidya 2004, p. 1.
- ^ a b c "Nyatapola, the tallest pagoda of Nepal". Bhaktapur.com. 2019.
- ^ Dhaubhadel 2021, pp. 33–50.
- ^ Dhaubhadel 2021, pp. 43–48.
- ^ Dhaubhadel 2021, p. 40.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Machamasi, Amit (2021). "Biska celebration begins in Bhaktpaur". Nepali Times.
- ^ Dhaubhadel 2021, p. 48.
- ^ Vaidya 2004, p. 66.