Approaching the Mystery

With the joint effort of about 200 workers, working round the clock, some of them working non-stop for up to 72 hours, the Astamangala Mandala at the Maitighar traffic island was complete within a week’s time. Spreading over the area of 5,476 square feet, the Mandala is probably the biggest ever made, with ten colours representing different moods of life.

In view of the popularity of the word Mandala, it becomes hard to do justice to the term in a short definition. There is a talk of the Mandala as a magic circle with a round symbolic diagram or a typical circle that surrounds a square with a central symbol. All these definitions contain their own validity but are not precise and complete enough.

According to one of the books about Mandala available in the Mandala Book Point, Mandala is a strongly symmetrical diagram, concentrated about a centre and generally divided into four quadrants of equal size, which is built up of some concentric circles and squares possessing the same centre.

The conceptual design was prepared by Architect Bipin Chitrakar whereas Ghanasyham Poudel of Radha Structure prepared the iron framework. It took eighteen hours of non-stop fabrication to complete the colouring. Different colours of the Mandala, which have been used for the decoration, have their own significance.

Red is the energizing, stimulating colour and relates to the physical body. It increases alertness and brings awareness of the present moment and also signifies passion, life, sexuality, love and the power to create. It also symbolizes blood, rage, violence and fire.

Blue is the colour of clear sky, suggesting infinite space, the heavens and eternity. A calming and relaxing colour, it has to do with nurturing aspects of the feminine principle.

Yellow symbol cotion by the sun’s rising and setting. It has to do with energizing every aspect of the masculine principle. Yellow signifies the light of consciousness that has descended into our nervous system to allow us to be self-aware. Yellow relates to emotional energies and for some it represents the soul of a person.

Green is the colour of nature, of balance and of harmony. It represents the primal power of fertility that makes seed sprout. It is symbolic of freshness, health, peace and prosperity.

Orange speaks of earthiness, in contrast to spirituality. It stands for the energy of the life force that maintains your healthy balance without your direct attention. The colour also represents endurance, strength and worthy ambition.

Purple relates to nobility, refinement and power. It signifies patience, trust, faith and fasting.

Turquoise suggests generosity, love and healing. Traditional people in many parts of the world paint doors and window frames turquoise for protection from evil spirits. Turquoise helps maintain safe boundaries.

Brown is the symbol of the earth, of fertility. It is also symbolic of holding or blocking energy.

White refers to the blinding of the spirit, triumphant over death. White suggests the ashes after a fire, the silence of snow. It is the symbol of purity, innocence, virginity and birth.

Black suggests the sinister power of darkness, decay and death. The symbol of mourning, of non-being, it also symbolizes protection from evil. It is the colour for patience and respect for the soul of the departed. Remembrance, eternity and constancy are represented by the colour black

The Astamangala Mandala is an attribute of Astamangaladevi, the goddess of good fortune. In Hinduism, this is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

The Four Corners of the Mandala consist of eight different signs of good omen according to Hindu mythology, Matsyayugma, Chhatra, Dharmachakra, Dhwaja, Sankha, Pundarika, Shrivatsa and Kalash. These eight signs are usually depicted individually as wall décor, ornaments on curtains, doors or windows. The square area at the centre of the Mandala is quite interesting.

Lines connecting the opposite corners of the square create four triangles of equal size, whose points meet in the centre of the Mandala. Each triangle corresponds to one of the cardinal direction and displays its characteristic colours. The vessel in which they are depicted together is called the Purna Kalash.

The first is the Fish that is the Matsyayugma. This is usually a pair of golden fish, a sign of salvation from suffering. It also represents fecundity.

The second is the Chhatra. This is a parasol. Like a shield, it protects against all evils. It also stands for high rank, and is usually used by Tibetan high Lamas. It is the symbol of Buddhist goddess.

The third Dharmachakra is the Buddhist wheel of law. It signifies completion and salvation through the teaching of dharma.

Dhwaja is a banner, a symbol of the victory of the Buddha’s teachings

Shankha is a conch shell. As a sign of good aluck, it stands for the absence of all evils and as an attribute, symbolizes the glory of all holy men.

Pundarika is the perfect lotus that stands for beauty and purity.

Shribatsa is another point, which has a series of endless knots. It stands for long life and eternal love.

The last is the Kalash. This is a vessel with all the signs of good fortune. It represents fullness or abundance. As a ritual artifact it is placed on the altar for worship.

At the eastern side of the Mandala in Maitighar, there are three stone sprouts, with continuous flow of water.

According to Chitrakar, KMC provided them a small drawing of the Mandala, out of which they produced a hundred per cent drawing with computers and the workers made fragments of iron rods from the drawing. First they made a one-eighth portion of the whole Mandala on elevated surface and started working on the whole thing. The iron base, which is placed on the surface, is filled with coloured materials on every chamber, divided by the iron rods. "It is just like making traditional Mandala in religious occasions", he says. "The only difference is that we are using colour chips instead, something that will not be blown away by the wind."

He even focuses on such cultural arts to be displayed in most of the suitable places, which is also going to attract the locals as well as the tourists.

The project team is now thinking of constructing a view tower nearby, as the beauty of the colorful Mandala will not be seen from the surface.

Bidhur Dongol of the Mandala Book Point says that the Mandala in Maitighar has increased the beauty of Kathmandu. He even adds that such appreciating works should come out regularly.

" We often refer to the slow moving government machinery and have made it synonymous with inefficiency, inadequate planning and so on. But one look at the Maitighar Mandala proves that we are the best crisis managers and that things can be done if resources, willingness and accountability with our responsibilities are clearly defined. We all hope that this Mandala has been an example and a new beginning in our future projects".

Temple of Changu Narayan

The 4th century temple of Changu Narayan, located at the top of a 5,500 feet high green hill around 18 km west of the capital, is perhaps the oldest temple among the thousands in the Kathmandu Valley. It is also noticed because of its unique main idol of the Vishnu that has a detachable head.

The beautiful religious, heritage and tourist site has a majestic two-storey pagoda temple in the middle, surrounded by rest houses and several small temples and idols in the courtyard. It lies by a thick jungle and a dense village of the Newars, who have been physically and culturally attached with the monument for thousands of years. In the history at least, the village was a strong, independent settlement.

The main temple, known as the Ta Dewal, is a two-storey temple with highly decorated doors, toranas and struts. There are three doors and pair of lion guards at each side, though one is open for the visitors. On the top, there is a golden pinnacle with umbrella and a pataa, which hangs from the pinnacle to main entrance.

The wide brick-paved courtyard has temples of Chhinnamasta, Kileshwor Mahadev, Krishna, mother goddesses, an unfinished elephant sculpture and a dozen of small Hindu and Buddhist idols, including the statues of some of the makers.

The name of the temple is explained in many ways: Some say it is the derogated form Champak Narayan, others say because it lies in the middle of Chaamp jungle (Chaamp-gun, in Newari) or because the Vishnu’s head is cut (Chaagu, in Newari). The Narayan or Vishnu, considered as the universal savior in the religious books, is also called Dola-Shikhar Swami in the history.

The date of first making and its original architecture of Changu Narayan temple is yet to find. Chronicles state that King Haridatta Verma (around 2nd-3rd century) constructed the temple of Changu Narayan, along with other three Narayan temples in the valley. And the famous inscription on a stone pillar, erected by King Mandev the First, certifies that the temple was there in 464 AD. The pillar inscription is the oldest evidence of Nepal’s written history if several minor inscriptions are excluded. Thus the temple has the longest living history among the existing monuments in the whole Kathmandu Valley. However, needless to say, it went through many reconstructions and renovations in past 1500 years.

The main idol of Vishnu, riding the sun-bird of Garauda is made of two parts — the lower part or the "jacket" (kawacha) is Anshuvarma’s gift of 606AD’s and Bhupalnedra Mallla donated the "head" in 1676 AD. Both of them were replaced as the older ones were worn out or broken. The priests say they take out and rejoin the upper part of the idol, symbolizing Vishnu’s murder and revival, during the daily pooja.

The Buddhists worship the same deity as a form of Hari Hari Haribahan Lokeshwara, whom Lord Vishnu take on his shoulder. For them, Changu Nayrayan is one among the 108 Lokeshwors in the valley.

A legend of Nepal Mahatmya states that once Vishnu killed a Brahmin in a battle. It was a grave sin for which he had to wait till someone decapitated so that he could be relieved from the burden of sin.

Special worshippings in this temples on Wednesdays and on every 12th lunar day. The chariot festival takes place in Baishak (April). On the full-moon day of Pusha (December) the idol of Vhishnu is taken to Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, which also relates the tradition of Changu Narayan with the royalty of Kathmandu.

The temple has (or used to have) a huge land property. Beside the donations of the previous rulers, King Rana Bahadur Shah allocated 620 ropani of land for Changu Narayan. But, the temple rituals are now going on at the mercy of Guthi Sansthan.

But, this isolated temple, a protected monument zone to make the UNESCO World Heritage Site, is lying as an orphan. The government has not taken it seriously though art theft takes place now and then there. Some three dozen policemen are said to be guarding the temple premises. But they could not mark even when the thieves opened the main gate and plucked out a gilded statue of King Bhupalendra Malla and idols from toranas of a temple several months ago. The king’s statue was, fortunately, found thrown in a nearby field.

More than this, the hill on which the temple is standing itself is in danger. As people constantly dig out sand from the hill, the whole hill including the temple, can "anytime" fall down with the land erosion, say the locals. A Japan University Students Association of Nepal is coordinating a project for clean-up and environment improvement of the temple area, under the grant assistance for grass-roots projects scheme of the government of Japan.

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