General Characteristics

• Courtyard System

• It consists of TWO distinct sections:

• 1) Palace with its temples and courtyards
• 2) Group of Temples built in front of the palace complex.

• 2-3-4 floors, No towers in early days

– Temple towers of the Mallas
– Living towers of the Shahs

• House- Palace
• Main Entrance

• Construction : Brick wall gable, Jhingati-tile roof, doors, windows, struts

• Telia tiles floor etc.
• Use of courts: Residence, worship, bath, garden, ponds, entertainment,
etc.
Source: S. R. Tiwari
Astamatrika Plan

Source: S. R. Tiwari
Traditional Route

Source: S. R. Tiwari
 Patan Palace
Durbar Square
• Built between 1620-1684 AD
• Location - Patan
• Entrance and Orientation
• No axiality.
• Geometric planning in layout
• Tripurasundari Mandala & √2
• 4.69m, 6.62m, 4.69m
• 16m, 11.31m, 9.38m
• 16÷√2=11.31 & 2x4.69=9.38
• Planned Layout
• Architectural Form
• Main Street
• Main Square
• Relation with residential
architecture
Source: S. R. Tiwari
• Gate and falecha
 Orientation

Azimuth angle of
setting Sun on
Manikeshav
Narayan’s Day

Source: S. R. Tiwari
Tripurasundari
Mandala

Source: S. R. Tiwari
Measurements

Source: S. R. Tiwari
Source: S. R. Tiwari
Source: S. R. Tiwari
PATAN PALACE (DURBAR SQUARE):

• Initially it was ruled by Seven groups jointly advisors or

priests (Pradhan) on behalf of the Malla.

• They ruling from Keshav Mohan Chowk.

• Later Siddhinarsimha Malla removed them from the power

and Malla rule strated, ruled from Sundari Chowk.

• Centrally planned town, geometrically almost tried to be

centre. Geometrically axial planning.

• Entrance to Malla Palaces, along the main street.

• The route of Mangal Bazaar developed as a major road.

• The previous route to the palace was the road from Patan
Dhoka following Patuko hill (northernside).

• Historical development of Malla Palaces had already been

existed.

• Additional of courtyards leads to informal development.

• Patan Palace is least organic than compare to Kathmandu

Palace (grew as per need) and Bhaktapur Palacce (formal
planning of Tripur Palace).

• Where schematic development are workout.

Patao
Palace and Palace Area (Darbar Square)
A- Mani Keshar Narayan Chauk
B- Digutale temple
C- Taleju temple
D- Mui Chauk
E- Agam temple
F- Sundari Chauk
G- Bhandarkhal

Temples in the traditional style

1- Mani Ganesh
2- Bhimsen
3- Vishvanath
8- Char Narayan
9- Narayan
11- Harish<!_nkar
13- Biseshavar

Temples in the Shikhara style

7- Krishna
10- Narasinha
12- Krishna
15- Shiva

Other buildings of the Palace area

4- Mani Mandapa
5- Mandapa
6- Mani Hiti
14- Chaukvatha- Dharmashala, 26 PATAN DARBAR SQUARE M--,o----s
• Majority combination of Patan durbar is three courts.

• 1) Keshav Mohan Chowk

• 2) Mul Chowk and

• 3) Sundari Chowk.

• Siddhinarsimha Malla built the Sundari Chowk in 1627AD,

• Just mirror reflection theme of Keshav Mohan Chowk with
the axis of Degutale apex.

• Later Keshav Mohan Chowk rebuilt as Kwatha.

• Mulchowk was built at last phase.

• The whole construction of changing was completed more

or less within 1627 – 1680 AD.
• After 20 years, Bhandarkhal constructed at Sundari chowk.

• The Char Narayan in square built after Siddhinarsimha Malla.

• Some images at the North of the bhandarkhal are even older

than Char Narayan,

• Which proves that the old route to the palace was from
Northern part before the rule of the Siddhinarsimha malla.

• Square courts – Space for

– Living,
– worship (mulchowk, Talaju, Degutale),
– Defense (Chaukhat, Kwath, Kot),
– Bathing (Ponds/stone conduits),
– Garden (Bhandarkhal – flower for worship)

Interlinking doors
Sundari Chowk –
• it is Single bayed with parallel load bearing walls.

• Initially it had north entrance.

• Three dalans on the three faces, except in South.

• At the frieze level, the courses in the ground floor are carved with
Shivalingas (570 nos.). Which are so arranged that tells the main
entrance at the north.

• At South, can find continuous carving of shivalingas defining no dalans.

• It built on the concept of Vastupurusha Mandala.

• During renovation in 2034 BS, there has been removing & replacing of
images.

• Still one old image of Indra untouched which is placed according to the
Vastupurusha Mandala.

• Carving on the different doors with different motifs, erotic carving

related to Kamadevea.
Source: S. R. Tiwari
Sundari Chowk –
Ground Floor Plan
• Palace architecture is similar to residential.
• Courtyard house is for common people.

• Ground floor was not used.

• First floor is just bed room.
• Second floor is living room.
• Falecha- guard used to stay.

• In Sundari Chowk, the north east room would be King +Queen bed room ,
• Five bayed entrance door between two walls of Mulchowk and Sundari
Chowk. In this chowk, have a north side entrance. Later south door
opened for priest.

• Mulchowk built at the last probably it closed the door way of Sundari
Chowk, which is interconnected by Agam Mandir.

• In bed room, there is mural painting of the Machhindra Nath Jatra on the
wall in north side.
• First floor is long continuous rooms.

• Where rooms are not interconnected as per security

purpose.

• Discontinuous as many functions held by King there.

Approached from many access.

• Second floor again discontinuous but connected through

balcony.
• It is not usual characteristic of Durbar. May be later added.
• The unique character of this Palace is corner window (only
three corner windowed building).
• Tusa hiti was built in the centre of the courtyard in octagonal
shape ( king’s devotion towards the eight nagas).
4 STAIRS : 4 Apartments
Gr Floor Stair & anteroom
access from Peti in Court,
(Corner stair also accessed
directly from outside )
F Floor 2 small rooms, stair
and 1 large room
Units separate
S Floor Living and other
spaces
linked through balcony to other
units.

Source: S. R. Tiwari
Sundari Chowk –
First Floor Plan
Sundari Chowk –
Second Floor Plan
Sundari Chowk –
Internal view
Sundari Chowk
Sundari Chowk
• From one court to another courtyards has interlocking doors.
• The Palace has Towers and Temples.

• King court would not be in outer part, there are different courts to come
for the king.
• There is no formal path way, one must go through different courts. Which
are good from defense point of view.

• Courtyards are single bay construction,

• it has Doorways dalan, window etc.

• Doorway have Toranas, inside the dalans also have torans.

• Different types of windows Sanjhyal, Gaajhyal, Vimanjhyal, Tikijhyal,

Kajhyal, Pashukhajhyall, Bakoo Jhya, Kun Jhya,etc.

• Concept of guarding is already there.

• Still at Keshav Mohan chowk ; Lions,
• In Sundari chowk; Ganesh & Narshimha are placed as mythological
guardian to the Palaces.
Wood carving & Torana
Agam Tower
• The constr. technology is load bearing system (brick and mud motor).

• Construction materials – Brick, timber, mud floor / , tiling, Jhingati roof etc.

• Timber used for joists, frame, windows, doors, floor planks, etc.
• The foundation would be brick. Some has got footing.

• it is said that Sundari chowk building has got no foundation, wall itself
acting as foundation.

• Roofs to have ridge, centre post raised in King post truss, roofs are
supported by struts.
• The corridors / balconies walkways (cantilevers) are supported by struts.

• Windows and doors are not load bearing components. So A lots of

carving (Krishna) had done.

• The windows openings are normally slope narrow out.

• Sundari chowk is 3 storeyed building (same as Keshav Mohan chowk).
Mul chowk was 2 ½ or 2 storeyed building.
• After earthquake (1934 AD) Rana constructed in two bay wall
construction.

• In Keshav Mohan chowk, only three wings are of Malla style.

• The whole layout in Patan is based on certain proportion.

• Diagonal of Sundari chowk is equal to side of the Mulchowk and Keshav

Mohan chowk.

• Which shows that Sundari Chowk built with the first principle of layout
applied.

• Mulchowk of Patan is 2 ½ floors.

• Degutale was done in 16th century AD.

• Degutale is even lower than present day.
• It is four storeyed structure, which dedicated to goddess Taleju Bhawani

• Inside temple had one room for king, who could retire for meditation,
prayers, and mantra recitation.
• The earlier court is at the northern or kwatha.

• Mulchowk – dedicated to goddess durga, small gilt

sanctuary (Istadevta) located in the inner court.

• It had two storeyed wings building, surrounded by

courtyard where lived palace priests.

• In courtyard, various dances and ceremonies were

performed.

• The Agamdevta temple erected in the southern wing of the

mulchowk.

• Bhandarkhal has a Pokhari having tunnel to flow of water

to Bagmati (Shankhamul).
• The most important structure in every palace is the Taleju
Temple, which contains the House god of the kings.

• In Patan, there is a triple – roofed temple on a three –

storeyed palace base dating from 1671 AD.

• The corner of the roof were cut back to create the octagonal
towers

• The three main chowk ( Keshar narayan chowk, Mul chowk

and Sundari chowk has no organized communication, built
as separate units.

• Each chowk has its own main gate leading to square,

smaller one at the rear which lead to the garden.
Patan Durbar
Square;
social & cultural
activities are
performed in
the Open spaces
• The palaces and adjoining groups of temples were surrounded by walls
and gates that acted as fortifications.

• All the temples standing in front of the palace in durbar square have been
so arranged that their entrance steps or main doors are faced to the
palace.

• Eg. Three Shikhara – style temples (Krishna, Narasinha, Shiva – like

Indian stone temple) .

• There are seven temples in the traditional style. Eg. Mani Ganesh,
Bhimsen, Char narayan, Harishanker etc.

• Other building of the palace area are : Manimandapa, Mandapa, Mani

Hiti, Dharmashala.

• The Keshar Narayan cowk – started in1675 AD to 1734 AD. By Shrinivasa

Malla. It was extension to the palace.