The ratha or chariot of Rato Machchhindranath as well as thousands of temples that people visit and worship everyday in the Valley are religious architectural texts like music, shlokas or verses, dance and songs of sacred or religious nature that we perform on a daily basis. By the same token, there are epic forms of architecture which are often taken as some of the great achievements of human race in the world.
Houses built in architecturally smarter forms are ‘texts’ that can remain vibrant to the same degrees as the dramatic or poetic texts can. Public spaces built or carved out according to the traditional architectural poetics such as the Durbar squares in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur reveal to us that they are real-life theatre where people love to sit and contemplate on their lives for a while in a manner similar to the ways characters do on stage. Houses that reflect a common heritage of architecture in multiple forms do not only exude beauties but also evoke cultural identities of the people. They can reflect cultural and intellectual zeal of the people inhabiting them. Sadly, several cultural modes of expression of the past in Nepal are in a process of being eroded or forgotten. Melting into the thin air are great many arts, skills and wisdoms of transmitting and transcreating texts through various cultural modes of expression. Though the very academic exercise of categorizing and imbibing modern literatures and arts into generic forms is often taken as marker of modern aesthetics in Nepal, deep down we realize that we are being caught into the world of mono-aesthetics. Therefore, by carving out modern cities according to the structures demanded by the Newar architectural forms in this Valley, we can send some strong messages to the creative minds and souls engaged in other modes of expression as well. It can function as a clarion call for the awakening of the creativities of new aesthetic and cultural orders.
Therefore, strategies for creative architectural wars need to be launched not only to redefine the urbanization process in Kathmandu but also to evoke or revive the cultural modes of expressions that have remained buried in the graveyards of negligence and naiveties. The term architectural war makes one to imagine the contending sphere of the Newar architecture in modern Kathmandu Valley as an entity that has always and already operated on a dialectical zone. We find cities in the Kathmandu Valley being pulled to different architectural poles on a daily basis. Therefore, we must develop strategies to fashion the crucial urban centers in Kathmandu or elsewhere in Nepal after the architectural poles that are greatly rooted to the cultural imaginaire of the people.
The architectural wars in the Kathmandu Valley must emanate from the working tables of the architects as their drawing sheets contain an empty creative space or egg from where a building slowly comes into life. Architects of the present times here must work with greater intellectual and cultural zeal. Cultural policy makers of this nation can present themselves as important soldiers in this battle since their decisions in favor of traditional architectures can play important roles in placing the process of urbanization on firm tracks that resonate with the vibrant architectural heritage of the Valley. It is high time they realized that they are not mere government employee but, importantly, the custodians of art and culture and they got to save great many cultural assets and values for the future generation.
At the International Congress organized by the Nepali Folklore Society in Kathmandu (12-14, June), Devendra Nath Gangol, a senior Newar architect from Kathmandu while highlighting on some folk forms of architecture of the Valley termed the folks who are found to be constructing their houses in traditional architectural forms even to these days as ‘warriors’. Gangol’s warriors as seen in that visual presentation looked very fragile and innocent. One would naturally hesitate to call them warriors as they looked very human and downtrodden. Instead, they look very fragile in the midst of the concrete jungles but the houses that they are in the process of constructing start to draw emotions and exude beauty day by day. Thus the common folk architects need to be rewarded, praised and inspired to intensify the architectural wars that the Valley needs in earnest.
Entrepreneurs, politicians and the donor nations and agencies can work as stronger and inspiring fighters in this architectural war. Some recently built commercial buildings such as Sagarmatha Bajar located in Thamel, the most important and vibrant touristic zone in Nepal, are making commercial use of the traditional Newar architectures in creative manners. Many of us believe that such buildings can function as mother architectural texts as they can inspire the other buildings to emulate and enhance similar souls. Therefore, the entrepreneurs too need to be awarded for showing their concerns about the architectural heritage and manners of the Valley in modern times.
Some Newar politicians too have some architectural visions for a future Kathmandu. In one of his books titled Bhakatapur after a Century (Saya Barsapachhiko Bhaktapur, 2002 A.D./ 2059 B.S.), Narayan Man Bijjukchhe, a Newar intellect from Bhaktapur and leader of the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party, envisions the Bhaktapur of a century later. He envisions a Bhaktapur populated by natives, tourists and researchers, of houses built in traditional architectural forms and public spaces such as dabu, pati and hiti (Newar theatre, public houses and water taps) among others, renovated and recreated in strikingly beautiful manners. As a leftist leader, he envisions a Bhaktapur being researched by the researchers mainly coming from the countries that are ruled by the leftist governments and the tourists coming from the nations that are being led by the capitalists. Similarly, donors who are great lovers of the people of this nation can remain as important soldiers in the architectural wars that the cities in the Valley are very much in need. They can forward certain conditions that every support they would make to this nation especially to the Valley must enhance its architectural beauties.
Thus the architectural wars mentioned above cannot remain exclusive of the passion, business and politics espoused by the Newars and non-Newars alike. Every house built in traditional architectural form is a war against the mainstream pattern of urbanization in Kathmandu. Political, economic and cultural policies for the coming years are being discussed in the parliament and cabinet meetings too. My request to the political leaders of the great people of this land is do realize that you are the soldiers in the architectural wars even if you do not want to admit it. And, time has come to announce which architectural poles that you want to belong to.
Lastly, architectural wars are taking place in Kathmandu and elsewhere on a regular basis. And it is high time we realized that Newar architectural cultures can work as both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ wares for a future prosperous Kathmandu since they can exude the beauty, draw money and at the same time assert our cultural and intellectual identities.
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