Newar architecture explained

Newar architecture or Newa architecture is an indigenous style of architecture used by the Newari people in the Kathmandu valley in Nepal. Newar architecture consists of the pagoda, stupa, shikhara, chaitya and other styles. The valley's trademark is the multiple-roofed pagoda which may have originated in this area and spread to India, China, Indochina and Japan.^{[1] [2]} Residential houses, monastic courtyards known as baha and bahi, rest houses, temples, stupas, priest houses and palaces are the various architectural structures found in the Kathmandu valley. Most of the chief monuments are located in the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, the old royal palace complexes built between the 12th and 18th centuries.^[3] The style is marked by striking brick work and a unique style of wood carving rarely seen outside Nepal. The style has been propagated by Nepalese architects including Arniko.^{[4] [5] [6]}

Pagoda temples

A few of the most prominent Newari-style pagodas include:

• Chandeshwori Temple
• Changu Narayan Temple
• Kasthamandap Sattal
• Kathmandu Durbar Square - The nine storied Palace
• Kumbheshwar Temple
• Muktinath Temple
• Naradevi Temple
• Narayanhity Royal Palace
• Nhugha Dega Temple
• Nyatapola Temple
• Pashupatinath Temple
• Taleju Bhawani temple

See also

• Bahal
• Newar window

Further reading

• Slusser, Mary Shepherd. Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley (Two Volumes), Princeton University Press 1982.
• Pruscha, Carl. Kathmandu Valley - The Preservation of Physical Environment and Cultural Heritage - A Protective Inventory, Vol. 2, Wien 1975
• Korn, Wolfgang. The Traditional Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley, Ratna Pustak Bhandar, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1979

Notes and References

1. Web site: American University. Architecture. Area Handbook for Nepal (with Sikkim and Bhutan). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. May 1964. 22 March 2024. Pages 105–106.
2. Hutt, Michael et al. (1994) Nepal: A Guide to the Art and Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. Kiscadale Publications. . Page 50.
3. Web site: Kathmandu Valley: Long Description. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 22 March 2024.
4. Book: Bangdel, Dina. 978-1932476545. Architecture of the Newars: A History of Building Typologies and Details in Nepal, by Niels Gutschow. 2013. Serindia Publications.
5. 0970-2369. 14. 5. 107. Shah. Biresh. Pant. Deepak. Contemporary Architecture. Architecture Plus Design. 1997.
6. Weiler. Katharina Maria Lucia. The Neoclassical Residences of the Newars in Nepal. Transcultural Flows in the Early 20th Century Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. 2009.