365 Days of Exploring Bhaktapur

365 Days of Exploring Bhaktapur Uncovering the Hidden Gems of Bhaktapur.

Celebrating the legacy of ङातापोल्हँ felt even more meaningful because it was, once again, a community coming together w...
17/07/2026

Celebrating the legacy of ङातापोल्हँ felt even more meaningful because it was, once again, a community coming together with a shared purpose.

To us, the day before yesterday - Asar Shukla Pratipada, N.S. 1146 (31 Asar 2083) - was not just another day.

It marked 324 years since the completion of the extraordinary ङातापोल्हँ Temple.

We see, this temple is far more than an architectural masterpiece. It is a window into the civilization that built it - the people, the leadership, the values, and, above all, the spirit of community and collective effort that made such an extraordinary monument possible.

Centuries have passed, yet that spirit continues to live on in Bhaktapur, finding new ways to express itself. This year, I found a glimpse of it in - people coming together not merely to ride, but to contribute towards a shared purpose: empowering girls and women through cycling.

That is why Cycle Connect Bhaktapur - the team behind Kora Bhaktapur 2026, and 365 Days of Exploring Bhaktapur came together to commemorate the anniversary of ङातापोल्हँ.

We felt there couldn't have been a more meaningful way to celebrate the legacy of a monument born from collective effort than by bringing together another community united by a shared purpose and inviting them to walk through Bhaktapur, exploring the many layers that once inspired an entire community to build this masterpiece.

Rather than focusing only on the temple itself, the heritage walk explored its many dimensions and the social, cultural, political, economic, religious, technical, and artistic conditions that made such an extraordinary monument possible.

I'm grateful to everyone who joined the walk, shared their thoughts, and made the conversations meaningful.

To me, the day before yesterday - Asar Shukla Pratipada, N.S. 1146 (31st of Asar 2083) - was not an ordinary day.It mark...
17/07/2026

To me, the day before yesterday - Asar Shukla Pratipada, N.S. 1146 (31st of Asar 2083) - was not an ordinary day.

It marked 324 years since the completion of the extraordinary ङातापोल्हँ Temple.

Actually, this temple is much more than just an architectural masterpiece. It is a window into the society that built it - its community, its kingship, its culture, its way of life, and the values that made such a monument possible.

To mark the day, I organized two heritage walks. These are the images from the 1st walk.

Rather than focusing only on the temple itself, we explored the many dimensions of its existence and had conversations about the social and cultural conditions that gave rise to it.

I'm grateful to everyone who joined the walks, shared their thoughts, and made the conversations meaningful.

And i am also grateful to Kala Creatives for documenting the walk through video and BIBEK for capturing it through photographs.

Thank you both for being wonderful creative partners throughout this journey.

15/07/2026

Today marks the 324th anniversary of ङातापोल्हँ.

For us, this temple has never been just a physical structure. It reflects something much deeper, and that is what made us collaborate and express it through this video.

We've been working on this for quite a few times. It's our first attempt at making something like this, and we're still learning, so apologies for any mistakes.

A big thank you to Anupam Bajracharya ViraVireshvara and Tribesh Kayastha involved for being wonderful creative partners throughout the process.

Special thanks to Manish Dhoju dai for generously allowing us to use his beautiful artwork, which helped bring one of the narratives in the video to life.

I'm also grateful to all the researchers, scholars, and authors whose work made this possible. Their publications helped us understand and present the story more responsibly.

Also, Tribesh Kayastha built a website for this project. If you have a few minutes, please have a look and let us know what could be improved. We'd genuinely appreciate your feedback.

Link to website: https://nyatapola.vercel.app(Link is also in the bio)

References:

Siddhāgni Koṭyāhuti Devala Pratiṣṭhā: A Research and Analytical Study of the Archival Manuscript on the Construction and Consecration of the Five-Storeyed Nyatapola Temple -Janak Lal Baidhya

Work Index of Nyatapola Temple - Sukra Sagar Shrestha

Report on Nyatapola Temple - History of Architecture II — Meena Baruwal

भूकम्पीय जोखिम प्रविधि युक्त पाँचतलेमन्दिर - तजेश्वरबाबु ग्वगं

पाँचतलेमन्दिरका अनौठो कुरा - डा. पुरुषोत्तमलोचन श्रेष्ठ

गगनचुम्बी सांस्कृतिक धरोहर ङातापोल्हँ (पाँचतलेमन्दिर) - ओम धौभडेल

ङातापोल्हँ जीर्णोद्धार २०७७ - Bhaktapur Municipality
Report on Nyatapola: A Marvel of Nepalese Architecture - Abhijit Shakya, Asheshwor Man Shrestha, Binay Rajan Shrestha, Prabesh Joshi & Ujwal Nanda Vaidya

Happy 324th anniversary, ङातापोल्हँ.

Note: It's not Pagoda Temple. It's our own multi-tiered multi-tiered structure.

The more I learn about Bhaktapur, the more I realize that the true asset of the city was never merely its temples or mon...
13/07/2026

The more I learn about Bhaktapur, the more I realize that the true asset of the city was never merely its temples or monuments - it was its people who believed in the power of community and collective effort, and shared the purpose of making Bhaktapur a little better than they found it.

Whether it was the great fortification of the city in the 16th century, the construction of the extraordinary Nyatapola Temple in the 18th, or the rebuilding of monuments after the 2072 earthquake, every generation has come together with a shared purpose of making Bhaktapur a little better than they found it.

Seeing that same spirit continue today genuinely makes me happy.

Through this page I rarely promote events beyond the domain of culture and heritage. But this time, I chose to support and promote Kora Bhaktapur 2026 because, to me, it represents something much bigger than a cycling event. It is again people coming together for a common purpose, a purpose to make Bhaktapur a little better.

And this year, that shared purpose is supporting Cycling Maicha - an ongoing campaign dedicated to empowering girls and women through cycling. So far, it has already helped more than 130 girls and women learn to ride.

So if this is a cause you also believe in, consider taking part in Kora Bhaktapur 2026 and making a voluntary per-kilometre pledge. Your contribution will help more girls and women learn to ride.

This year, I'm choosing to be part of that shared purpose.
Will you?

Learn more about Kora Bhaktapur, the cause it supports, and how you can contribute through: Cycle Connect Bhaktapur

Five days from now, we are celebrating the 324th anniversary of the extraordinary ङातापोल्हँ Temple.Completed in N.S. 82...
11/07/2026

Five days from now, we are celebrating the 324th anniversary of the extraordinary ङातापोल्हँ Temple.

Completed in N.S. 822 (1702 A.D.), ङातापोल्हँ has stood for over three centuries. Lately, I have been looking at culture and heritage through lenses beyond the cultural and religious ones.

And the more I do, the more I find myself interpreting ङातापोल्हँ as far more than an architectural masterpiece. To me, it is a symbol of the peak of a civilization—politically, socially, economically, culturally, religiously, technically, and artistically.

One framework that has helped me make sense of this idea is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a theory proposed by Abraham Maslow about human needs.

So do you want to know how can a temple symbolize the peak of a civilization?

If you're curious to explore this perspective, come walk with a native tourist on:

📅 Asar 31, 2083 (15 July 2026) | Wednesday
🕕 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM
🎟️ Free of charge | Limited seats
📍 Starting point will be shared after registration.

Register via the link: https://forms.gle/g9BTfA3y5yBoMqzz7 (Also available in the bio.)


#ङातापोल्ह

These photos were taken a few years ago during the protests in Khokana against the government's decision to build the Fa...
29/06/2026

These photos were taken a few years ago during the protests in Khokana against the government's decision to build the Fast Track through its agricultural land.

I am resurfacing this moment on the occasion of Asar 15(the national rice plantation day of Nepal) - not to scratch an old wound or reopen an old debate, but because allegations of being an 'विकास विरोधी - someone against the development' that was tagged to the people who fought for their land aroused a question that still deserve our attention:

'What development actually is? And who gets to define its parameters?'

For many, the Fast Track represented development and connectivity. But for the people of Khokana, the land through which it was planned was never just a piece of property or an empty stretch on the map waiting to be used.

It is the very land that had been feeding generations, shaping the culture, community, and continues to define who they
are.

Actually for all of the indigenous communities including thay of khokana, land is not just a property but the very root of their livelihood, their culture, their community and their identity.

So as we celebrate Asar 15 today, let us all take a moment to reflect on the kind of development we envision for ourselves and let us all ask ourselves few questions:

"Can development be called development if it comes at the cost of the very communities, landscapes, and identities that make a place what it is?".

"Are we shaping it according to the realities, needs, and identities of our own land and people, or are we uncritically pursuing models borrowed from elsewhere in the world?"

"Are we being conditioned to accept definitions of development that do not fit our own contexts and, in the process, erode our identities?"

Let us not stop asking ourselves these questions before it's too late.

Happy Asar 15.

- Fungsuk Wangdu

"Recognition is given to one's deeds rather than to the person"This thought was shared by Dr. Purushottam Lochan Shresth...
24/06/2026

"Recognition is given to one's deeds rather than to the person"

This thought was shared by Dr. Purushottam Lochan Shrestha during a tea conversation following the formal conclusion of the program. The moment I heard it, I found myself reflecting and realizing how true those words were.

Perhaps it was the work I carried out - searching for, documenting, and sharing the city's hidden, forgotten, neglected, and endangered heritage - that brought me to this moment of recognition.

I am deeply grateful to PABSON Bhaktapur and the Pioneer Open Crew family for considering my work worthy of recognition and for inviting me to be a part of their program as a Guest of Honour.

I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who, throughout that year-long journey, offered support, encouragement, guidance, and constructive suggestions. This recognition belongs to all of us.

Receiving an honour is always a special moment.
For me, however, this occasion was made even more meaningful by the opportunity to receive it from none other than Dr. Purushottam Lochan Shrestha himself.

शुभं कुर्यात् शुभं प्राप्नुयात् ।

It was an honour to be invited as a guest speaker at the "Heritage and Conservation" workshop organized by Khwopa Engine...
04/06/2026

It was an honour to be invited as a guest speaker at the "Heritage and Conservation" workshop organized by Khwopa Engineering College.

I got the chance to share my journey of spending a year exploring my hometown through 365 Days of Exploring Bhaktapur as a , and how that experience shaped my thoughts on the role young people can play in preserving today while helping shape how it is understood and valued in the future.

Always happy to talk about , heritage, and the role we can all play in keeping these legacies alive. 🌸

📷: Faculty Members of Khwopa Engineering College

bhaktapuruncovered

29/05/2026

हाम्रो पेज ' Bungamati ले आफ्नो यात्राको १० वर्ष पार गरेको छ। बुङ्गमतिको गल्लीदेखि देश-विदेशमा रहनुभएका सम्पूर्ण शुभेच्छुकहरूको स्नेह र हौसलाले नै हामीलाई यहाँसम्म डोर्‍याएको हो।
​
२०७२ सालको भूकम्पले बुङ्गमति लगायत नेपालमण्डलका नेवाः बस्तीहरूलाई क्षत-विक्षत बनाउँदा इँटा र माटोको पुनर्निर्माण मात्र पर्याप्त थिएन। आवश्यकता थियो हाम्रो सांस्कृतिक चेतनाको पुनर्जागरणको! परम्परा र आस्थाका धरोहरहरूलाई तथ्यपरक र प्रमाणिक रूपमा उजागर गर्दै, संस्कृतिलाई प्रदर्शनको साधन मात्र नभई दुःख मुक्तिको आध्यात्मिक सेतुका रूपमा बुझाउन हामी कटिबद्ध भयौं। हाम्रो लक्ष्य संस्कृति बचाउनु मात्र होइन, यसको गहिराइलाई बुझेर समाजलाई सही दिशा दिनु हो।
​चेतनाको ढोका ढकढक्याउनु सजिलो छैन, यो निकै चुनौतीपूर्ण छ। तर, जसरी निरन्तर बगिरहने पानीको सानो थोपाले पनि विशाल चट्टानलाई पगाल्ने सामर्थ्य राख्छ, त्यसरी ही सामाजिक सञ्जाल लगायतका माध्यमबाट प्रवाह गरिने 'निरन्तर सचेतना' ले मस्तिष्कहरूमा परिवर्तन ल्याउन सक्छ। हामी यही चेतनाको अविरल नदी बन्न खोजिरहेका छौं।

​यो यात्रा सिक्ने र सिकाउने को निरन्तर प्रवाह हो। यहाँहरूको अमूल्य सुझाव र सल्लाहका लागि हाम्रा ढोकाहरू सधैं खुला रहनेछन्।

Curious about heritage and conservation?Seats rolling out!Register soon to secure your spot.Note: Exclusively for recent...
20/05/2026

Curious about heritage and conservation?

Seats rolling out!
Register soon to secure your spot.

Note: Exclusively for recently graduated +2 students.

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