From Kasthamandap to Kathmandu. Nepali Heritage and You

From Kasthamandap to Kathmandu Nepali Heritage and You

Kasthamandap = Kathmandu

Mary Slusser Collection

The Origin Story Lopipada captures Kalpabrikshya

Another Origin Story Lilabajra, a Tantric priest active around 740 CE

Namasangiti manuscript in Tibet s Sakya Monastery, copied 1143 CE (873 years ago)

Oldest Copperplate Inscription: 1333 CE (NS 454) Mr. Kashinath Tamot

Oldest Copperplate Inscription: 1333 CE (NS 454) Slusser and Vajracharya, 1974

Nath Association Kasthamandap Copper-plate inscription of 1465 AD (N.S. 585):

Surya Vinayak Ashok Vinayak Karya Vinayak Jal Vinayak

Buddhist Association Lopipada Luipa, a historical figure from the 10th c considered the first Buddhist Siddhacharya To this day, a local guthi performs the Buddhist ritual of Panchadaan during the month of Gunlaa near Kasthamandap

Mary Slusser Collection

Pata created in 1565 AD (Nepal Sambat 685) to commemorate the renovation of Swayambhu chaitya by the Patan Mahapatra and his brothers

The Healing Pillar North-West (Vaayu) corner Near shrine of Surya Vinayak

UNESCO REPORT

Commercial Use of Kasthamandap

Dharahara or Kasthamandap?

This Pañcarakṣā is donated by Ānandabuddhi Śākyabhikṣu, the follower of Mahāyāna, residing in Kṛṣṇagupta Mahāvihāra at Paścimarathyā in Kāṣṭhamaṇḍapa. It was scribed during the reign of the king Indradeva (text: Indrideva) on Wednesday, first lunar day of waning moon of (the month of) Pauṣa, in puṣya constalation, (in the era) ā (200) lṛ (50) hṛ (5), that is, in NS 255 (1135 CE). 873 881 years San Diego Museum of Art Transcribed and translated by Mr. Kashinath Tamot

Illuminated Manuscripts: a Nepali Renaissance San Diego Museum of Art

Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā, 1015 CE University of Cambridge (MS Add.1643)

Nepal, 1015 CE Bihar, 1150 CE

Mahamayuri panel, Pancharakshya MS, 1135 CE San Diego Museum of Art

Jinah Kim: a new level of cultic potency: a book that can be activated as a divine living space Reverse of Mahamayuri panel, Pancharakshya MS, 1135 CE San Diego Museum of Art

Sketchbooks: One way to transmit heritage Jivarama, NS 555 (1435 CE) Suresh Neotida Collection

Indian Adept (Siddha) Virupa ca. 1230 CE Sakya Monastery, Tibet Virupa, 1400-1499 CE Sakya Monastery, Tibet

Jivarama, NS 555 (1435 CE) Suresh Neotida Collection

Unknown Artist, 1575-1600 CE Los Angeles County Musuem of Art M.82.169.6)

Unknown Artist, 10 th c CE Los Angeles County Musuem of Art (M.85.279.6)

Unknown Artist, 13 th c CE Sotheby s HongKong 2011 Catalog

How else was heritage transmitted?

Whose heritage is it anyways?

YOU + + + Social Media

rebuildkasthamandap.com dipeshrisal.com

APPENDIX

Rani Pokhari Show photo from german book. Then give text from GVV FB post below it: I haven t been able to find such diaries, but there is more to be done here...(then say something obsequious about GVV) RP critical because it is the first reconstruction: inaugurated last year under gerat pomp and cirumstance by the President. How RP is build SETS THE PRECEDENCE for all other reconstructions. Enough have been said but: 1. Use native materials as much as possible 2. Build earthquake resilience

"Contemporaneous Newar diaries refer to the Nhupukhu (Rani Pokhari) temple as Lum Devara (Golden Temple). More than likely, the temple was equipped with metal roofs." -- Prof. Dr. Gautama Vajracharya, eminent Sanskritist and scholar of iconography. Also add what Roc shrestha wrote on FB and check the purnima reference! Otherwise focus on the PHOTO and don t mention teh inscription! Though Clark's edition of Pratap Malla's Rani Pokhari inscription is internationally known, it was Mrigendra Shumshere who published this inscription first (in Surya Bikram Gyawali, ed., Bhanubhakta Smarak Grantha, Darjeeling, V. S. 1997, pp. 102-103). Later, in 1962, the Samshodhana-mandala edited the text using all the three variants of this inscription (Dhanavajra Vajracharya, chief editor, Itihasa- samshodhanako pramana-prameya, Lalitpur, V. S. 2019, pp. 82-84). It is interesting to note that a few years back, the original version-- that is in the Newari language-- of this Nepali-language inscription was published (Mahes Raj Pant, Pratap mallako tirthajatra, Purnima no. 137, V. S. 2069 pp. 20-21).

Exerpt from inscription: how much those who Built it cared about rani pokhari (and I said those Who build it, not pratap malla, cos there is a Hypothesis that pratap malla s chief rani commissioned The pond in memory of her deceased son

The Newa people are doing a great job, others must also join them. Without Whose Heritage is it anyway? Read Rishi Amatya s article first http://ecs.com.np/features/whose-heritage-is-itanyways Dipesh Risal: hill bahun from Kathmandu. Elite. But.. People saked mel are you from Maru? Why are you interested? Because it is MY heritage. If the building falls, MY building fell. If artwork is stolen, someone stole it from MY house. This feeling must be in every Nepali, and in every resident of kathmandu. So when they do this to Kasthamandap and degu taleju (show photos) we must be angry, we must feel violated.

Example of my fiction Which one? Return to the uncreate? This might be too deep/dense Jung bahadur? How do I present this fiction? Perhaps describe then read live from one episode that is more audience-friendly?

Mary s Nepal Mandala Must read for all Nepalis, in all libraries Critisism by KP malla as being too biased but as an encyclopedia of myths, legends, documented history, art, culture, and the thousands of precious footnotes, references and bibliography, it is unmatched.

Nautalle darbar Use this as a transition point for my own plug at the end It fell, I felt bad, looked into it... Show the details of teh external facade So much history/ art/ mystery RIGHT IN FRONT OF US (How maby of us have eaten at the rooftop restaurant beside it...ask that question)

Photo from my collage and ask: who knows where this is? Then ask: how maby have hung out in: Rooftop Cafe?

...speaking of which: MS covers,..look at this beautiful one from the same MS (note, not really same)

bilanpaus Screenshots of two books by leinhard So much history...

DONT USE HERE: For later article In asianart.com Compare this with basantapur Yashti (2) and later more erotic ones

statues/ art all over the world Torn about it: for fragile stuff: perhaps OK to be in museums? For statues: repatriate? Lain singh bangdel book of lost statues Same from huntington collection If someone spends some time/ energy, a database of stolen art and location can be easily started: lots of IT-savvy youth in Nepal. DO IT! Drive form india (from stolen gods twitter account) and recent news of repatriation

Buddha with Avalokiteswara Khitai, China 500-700 CE National Museum, New Delhi

1. one of teh early articles for "list of heritage writing" on my own google doc, as well as add to Nepali times/group xls: Nepali artists in Tibet: Jivarama and the OTHER one (see below): so the influence was massive. Pal supports this!...but there is more...http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/resources/downloads/jcharticles/5_30%20leaves%20in%20orientations.pdf page 14: Pala school influenced Nepal, which accomodated it by 15th c, then the method moved to tibet (wait...need to make sure this is accurate, and corroborated by Pal, etc) http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/resources/downloads/jcharticles/5_30%20leaves%20in%20orientations.pdf page 16 RHS also speaks strongly about how important kathmandu was: not just as a conduit between tibet and the :source" of eastern india, esp magadh (i,e pala region), but after 13th century, with brutal muslim destruction of Pala monasteries in bihar and bangal, Nepal became teh ONLY source of Pala style...shar mthun read for definition..also from 12th c, Tibetan Bal (Nepal) school of painting esp strong in gtsang district (bal bris = painters in nepali style). During 13th c, predominant style, started feeding influence BACK to Nepal...THEN teh arniko (anige) story 129x...

End f 12th c maim musim invasion end f 13th buddhism amst ver in india

Who drew all this? How did they learn/ pass on the tradition? Intangible Heritage We don't have examples from the 11th c, but one suggestion from the 14th century survives...would be great if I found jivarama sketches similar to what I have shown already... Talk about THAT artist sketch book: show some great examples; one GREAT image per slide, no text and speak over it/ or don t and just flip through...now these were made in 14xx [check!] by a Nepali. Yes Arniko went to China and became famous, but when will we commemorate this Nepali artist? (xx years AFTER ARniko)... THEN, show cloud mofit from sketch book, followed by in next few slides: the same cloud motif in subsequent centuries...ending in... Bhairav from

a. 2014821842687_UNESCO_Intangible_Cultural_Heritage.pdf. Definition of intangible heritage from here http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/convention#art2

Cud motif frm bi

One example of jivarama s influence: that GOOD paubha

http://collections.lacma.org/node/238296 http://collections.lacma.org/node/238271 http://collections.lacma.org/node/238275 Now add jinah Kim book p 100 ff comparisons Confirms pal points... BUT what about Kim p 117 (ms a4 Is the height of what nalanda artisans could Achieve..also fig 2.1 http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=9934

Ajanta cave 1 46-48 CE National Museum, New Delhi

Nepal, 1015 CE Bihar, 1150 CE

Eastern Indian (Pala) vs. Nepali Style None of the [modestly adorned] Pala manuscripts can match the richness of [early Nepali] manuscripts. Palette of the Nepali artists betrays a richer variety Perhaps because of the cursive quality of the drawing, the Eastern Indian figures tend to reveal coarser features...the Nepali figures are soft and pliant with delicate features The Eastern Indian figures appear more spirited and energized, whereas the Nepali figures are more gentle and almost fragile University of Cambridge (MS Add.1643)