Built in 1910 by the then Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana in the memory of his first Rani (queen), the pond appears distant from its original state and from the use of materials, to the proportions of the architectural elements.
An image taken by pioneer Nepali photographer Dirga Man Chitrakar in 1915 allows the viewers to travel back in time to observe these differences at the Patan Museum’s newly inaugurated gallery wing called Historic Views of Nepal.
Dirga Man Chitrakar’s photograph is one of more than 100 on display at this new permanent exhibit, which was conceived in 1998. While most of them are of the Patan Durbar Square, other images range from the cityscapes of the then Kathmandu to people dressed in traditional daura suruwals.
“While there aren’t many photographs, what these images tell us about the cultures and traditions practiced a century ago is very significant,” said Kanak Mani Dixit, talking at the inauguration on Sunday, December 27 held in one of the courtyards of the Museum.
“To give a people visual understanding of the changes in the urbanscapes of Kathmandu, we’ve put up seven pairs of comparisons,” informed Devendra Nath Tiwari, an executive director of the museum, behind the golden door. For instance, one the comparative pieces depict the Shahid Gate area of Kathmandu a hundred years ago against the current scenario. “We have Chitrakar’s images juxtaposed next to his grandson Kiran Chitrakar’s recent photographs,” he added.
A chronological view of the Bhimsen Tower, popularly known as Dharahara, is one of the special possessions of the gallery. An 1857 watercolor by British surgeon H.A. Oldfield shows the tower with a huge crack running through it; a 1911 photograph by Chitrakar gives us a sense of Dharahara’s original height; a 1936 anonymous photograph shows the impact of the 1934 earthquake which completely destroyed the tower; and lastly, a 2009 photograph by Leonhard Stramitz sheds light on the urban encroachment around the tower.
Other works featured at the gallery are photographs by Dr. Kurt Boeck taken in 1899, reproductions of engravings by Gustave Le Bon done in 1885, and reproductions of 19th century watercolor paintings by Lisa Chogyal.
“Patan Museum is a self-sustaining organization, and we collect funds through entrance fees and by renting spaces to shops and restaurants,” explained Tiwari. Besides “Historical Views of Nepal,” the museum houses collections in seven other galleries.
Museum Hours: 10:30 am to 5:30 pm daily.
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