Amidst all this, there stands a wooden shrine, so huge and prominent, and yet it remains unnoticed. Mostly, people give it an occasional glance, a nod, a quick bow of the head and a few actually care to go in and recite their morning prayers.[break]
Bijay Gajmer
Kasthamandap, the age-old shrine, stands alone and uncared for today.
Kasthamandap literally means wooden pavilion in Nepali; Kastha meaning wood and Mandap meaning pavilion. It is believed that the name of the city – Kathmandu – is derived from this very wooden structure, which is believed to be built entirely from wood collected from a single tree.
But contrary to its name and essence, Kasthamandap is no more built of only wood and mud mortar. The central structure of the Gorakhnath shrine inside the pavilion now stands on a marble base.
“It’s believed that there are snakes living beneath the Gorakhnath statue and the concrete base stops them from coming out in the open,” says Ratnadevi Chitrakar, a local of Basantapur, who was keen on talking to the visitors. Though Chitrakar emphasized that it is a common belief among the locals, it still lacks historical evidence.
Indra Mali, Newar culture expert, says that there are very less chances of such beliefs to be true because, according to him, Kasthamandap has a long history while the modern tiles were introduced only a century ago.
“It hasn’t been long since the marble base of Gorakhnath was constructed and there is no history of snakes coming out in the open, either. Rather, I think it was constructed to preserve the decaying wooden base,” says Mali.
According to popular belief, Kasthamandap was built in the late twelfth century by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla while some experts believe it was built even before that.
Since the time of its construction, Kasthamandap has been preserved through several renovations. The four Ganesh structures situated on its four corners – Jal Binayak, Karya Binayak, Ashok Binayak, and Surya Binayak – were constructed during one of the latest renovations.
Though renovations are important measures taken to save a rich cultural heritage, modifications such as these can tamper with the heritage’s origination and rich history, and is unacceptable. Adding concrete and modern tiles inside Kasthamandap can also be regarded as one such interference with the historical structure.
Dilipnath Yogi, who also claims to be the main priest of Kasthamandap, however, begs to differ.
“Kasthamandap doesn’t necessarily mean that the whole building has had to be made up of wood. Besides, woods are hard to clean and they can decay easily,” he thus justifies the marble paving inside the temple.
Not only Yogi is positive about the present marble tiles at the Gorakhnath Temple but also opines that he would have paved the whole floor inside Kasthamandap if he had enough funds. “Using concrete and tiles will ensure its longevity,” he claims.
It is, however, difficult to agree to his viewpoint. Situated within the Basantpur Durbar Square complex which is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Kasthamandap seems to be on the verge of losing its historical significances.
Apart from the modifications at the original structure, Yogi says that the temple is also losing its charm as an important religious convent.
“Aaratis, pujas and bhandaras are no longer held as frequently at the temple these days. This is all due to the lack of care shown by the respective authorities,” he says.
It seems that the Guthi, the organization responsible for the conservation of the religious structure, are also less concerned. Due to the ignorance of concerned organizations and authorities, Kasthamandap, once assumed to be a place full of life, no longer has the grandeur that it once carried.
For example, it was, for many years, a central hospice in town for travelers and pilgrims coming from many directions: those entering the city from Sohrakhutte in the north, visitors entering from the west at Bhimsenthan, and travelers arriving from Tripureshwor to the south. The guthi offered them free rice, salt, cooking oil and wood to prepare food for their overnight stay at the public guesthouse.
“At this point, the question arises as to whether or not we’re accountable for the protection and renovation of this age-old heritage. After all, it’s our culture and heritage that define us, and by preserving them, we are also protecting our very identity,” Dilip Yogi concludes.
Some cultural highlights
• The four Ganesh structures on each corner of the Kasthamandap edifice are one major attraction in the area. These Ganesh structures were not present when Kasthamandap was originally built and are believed to have been placed in one of the later renovations.
• The Singha Sattal, a temple by the side of Kasthamandap, is believed to have been built out of the leftovers of the wood used to build Kasthamandap. With the common belief that Kasthamandap was built with wood and timber of a single tree, this temple has its own unique legends.
• Along the southern stairs of Kasthamandap, there is an Abhilekh which actually does not have any writings on it. The name Maru Tole, the area where the temple is situated, is believed to be derived from this stone inscription as ‘maru,’ referring to nothing in Newari.
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