ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION

SUMAN LAMA 073-BAE-246

Bhakhya Hiti Sapan Tirtha Mandir

Taleju Mandir
 SAPAN TIRTHA
TEMPLE

TALEJU TEMPLE

BHAKHYA HITI

BHOOTKHEL
All the information are based on local’s interpretation.
TALEJU TEMPLE

• NavaDurga Mandir
• Arsenal of ancient weapons, rituals in every
bada dashain and chaite dashain.
• Rituals done by Karmacharya
• Every jatra is performed at the premises of
mandir
TALEJU TEMPLE

HISTORY

• Used be the ‘Jaypur’ durbar premises

• Later the kings left the city and later the durbar
went extinct.
• And ‘Tokha’ was named after TuKhya ‘Tu’
means sugarcane and ‘Khya’ means field.
TALEJU TEMPLE

HISTORY

• In 1990 BS, earthquake destroyed the temple.

• Later 2018 BS, temple was rebuilt
• Again in 2072 BS, earthquake destroyed the
building leaving the building without roof.
• Later in around 2075-76 BS , it was again
rebuilt in collaboration with DOA, Mul nayek,
and locals
TALEJU TEMPLE

• At the reconstruction process, maximum

materials including the bricks, door , window
and tiles are imported from bhaktapur.
• Few reminiscence were place at the
foundations.
TALEJU TEMPLE

• At present, the rituals are done as a ‘Sarkari Puja’ in

supervision of karmacharya and mul nayek.
• And then the jatra are initiated.
• Local said “ In my childhood, We used to play
around the mandir, and later after the rituals groups
of people would play musical instrument like ‘shenai’
and we were supposed to go to the house because
after that ghost would come there. But its been
around 25 years the activity is fading.”
TALEJU TEMPLE

• At gaijatra and indrajatra, this is the center for rituals.

• The rituals would be at the open space between the
mandir and the ‘pati’.
• Other community activities also occur in the
premises.
TALEJU TEMPLE

• The conservation of the ancient norms and values are

inspected by the ‘Mul Nayek’ of tokha.
• The ‘Mula Nayek’ is assigned by the guthi and the
locals from the meeting before bisket jatra every
year.
• He is suppose to manage every rituals throughout the
year.
• And Tokha culture conserved area development
committee.
SAPAN TIRTHA MANDIR

• On the first day of the Nepali calendar

(Baisakh 1), many people line up to take a dip
in a holy pond in Tokha in Kathmandu and the
locals, for the next four days, celebrate ‘Sapan
Tirtha Mela’ when the entire village joins in on
the celebration with a ‘rath yatra’ (chariot
ride), prayers, and fests. The water in the pond
is believed to have healing properties and
people bathe there to rid themselves of their
ailments and pray to Goddess Sapana Tirtha.
• “Sapan Tirtha Mela is an important ritual for
the locals of Tokha. This common belief that
the pond and the Goddess can make their
wishes come true is what binds the locals.
SAPAN TIRTHA MANDIR

LEGEND

• Legend has it that, centuries ago, on the northern side of

Kathmandu lived a king who had seven daughters. The
king was famed for his wisdom, moral characteristics,
and brilliant political tactics. One day, he called his
daughters and asked them to tell him the characteristics
of men they wanted to marry. Four of them expressed
their desire to marry someone who was rich, handsome
and physically strong. The other two said they were not
ready for marriage yet. However, the youngest princess
said she would marry anyone her father chose for her.
The king, jokingly, told her to spend the rest of her life
with a physically disabled beggar who lived near a pond.
SAPAN TIRTHA MANDIR

• To everyone’s surprise, the youngest princess decided to

marry that man as a mark of respect for her father’s
words. After getting married, they started living together
near the pond itself. The pond was a confluence of two
different rivers, Bahu Mukhi Ganga and Dudh Mukhi
Ganga.  One day, the princess was out in search of food
and, while waiting for his wife, the disabled man noticed
a grasshopper with no limbs jumping into the pond and
coming out of it all healed. Wanting to test the magical
powers of the water, he asked the villagers to push him
into the pond and he too came out healed. Ever since
then, people have believed that bathing in that pond will
heal all ailments and make your wishes come true. Being
grateful for such miracles, the people there built a
temple for Goddess Sapana Tirtha, a name given to a
Goddess who made dreams come true. 
SAPAN TIRTHA MANDIR

• Every year, tokha residents prepare for the festival.

• youths prepare for the concerts to be held during the
festival.
• the elderly people of the village will be taking care of the
rituals.
• There is even a ‘guthi’ in place with more than 100
members who are managing the logistics of the festival.
SAPAN TIRTHA MANDIR

• The temple vicinity including the pond is cleaned and the

statue of Goddess Sapana Tirtha is placed there,
following which no one is allowed to go near the temple,
not even insects and birds.
• In the past, the locals used to block the junction of the
two rivers so as to maintain the water level in the pond
throughout the festival.
• “In case there is less water in the pond, more water is
brought from a bore well set up at the junction of the
rivers. ” said by resident.
SAPAN TIRTHA MANDIR

PAST PRESENT (2077 BS)

RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS
AS PER LOCAL THE RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS IS BEING DONE BY THE DOA AND THE GUTHI IN COLLABORATION
SAPAN TIRTHA MANDIR

PAST PRESENT (2077 BS)

RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS
PRESENT CONDITION (allocation of the materials)
LIST OF NAMES WHO DONATED CAPITAL
PAATI
WATER COLLECTOR STONE SPOUT
BHAKHYA HITI

• Stone spout near bhootkhel

• Used to have cultural significance as “ the
people after burning the dead would have to
bath here before returining to the house.
BHAKHYA HITI

• At present, the cultural significance is fading

• The source of soil water dried and the bore
well water is being connected with pipes
• The stone carving details were destroyed and
concrete is used at present with less detail.
THANK YOU