NEPALESE ARCHITECTURE

TEMPLES of VERMA/LICHCHHAVI

2070/02/21
OUTLINES

•Vaisali Verma(Run from Kushan attack on Vaisali)

• Lichchhavis( Army led by VaskarVerma)

• Vrij Gupta( Powerful social group from Gangetic plain)

•Heterogeneous Society with Kirat, Sakya, Malla, Koli, Verma and Lichchhavi

•Socio-cultural mix

•Verma rule started in the valley in 79 CE

•Bhaskar Verma, the first Verma king of Nepal had undertaken a penance at the
shrine of Pashupatinath for several years
•King Haridatta Verma, the 9th ruler in the lineage, built the temples of Narayan in
the four hill corners of the Valley (300CE). They are Changunarayan,
Vishankhunarayan, Sikhanarayan, and Ichankhunarayan
•The very first dated Siva-Linga in Nepal is named after Naraverma (465CE)

•The Verma clan seems to have been a key follower of the linga cult
TEMPLES OF VERMA

•Votive Temples of Mother Goddesses (Avarana temples)

•Siva Linga

•Miniature Chaitya

• AvaranaTemples-Votive temples dedicated to kings

• Chaitya-Votive purpose for Buddhists

• Mahachaitya-Dedicated to kings

•Mostly built for the religious merit of the deceased parents of the donor
TEMPLES OF VERMA

Examples
• Linga of Pashupatinath

• 4 NarayanTemples(HariDattaVerma)
• KiratesworLinga, Mrigasthali
• Several AvaranaTemples in Pashpupati, Lele, Banepa, Panauti, Handigaon,
Naxal
TEMPLES OF VERMA : AVARANA TEMPLES

•Prasada: a term used for the structure encasing the sanctum

(Lazimpat Shiva-linga temple of 467CE)
•Bhavana: three sides fitted with stone panels (temple with Siva-
linga set up in 470CE)
•Samsthana: a plan form indication of the avarana temple

•The component parts of avarana temples are so distinctive and

stylised that it is easy to recogize their roof slab, posts and even
fragments of posts
•These miniature temples in stones built during 5th to 7th
centuries are the oldest known buildings of the Ktm valley to
survive in their original shape without reconstruction
interventions.
•Rough hewn characters in the insides of slab and columns

•Elaborate and minutely carved decorations on the outer sides of

column
TEMPLES OF VERMA : AVARANA TEMPLES

•Metallic shine finish with the application of Tamralep

•Raised on vedibandha (plinth), usually of a height half as much as the width of the
temple, the main body, prasada of avarana shrines are formed with stone slab walls
set between square stone pillars
•Sanctum is Square in Plan about 1m long along the sides provided with a rough-cut
stone slab roof with a small projection
•The projected portion of the slab is cut to a straight slope

•1 or 2 tiers of flat stone slabs on top of main slab-Composition capped with bell
shaped stone
•Small finial topping
TEMPLES OF VERMA :
AVARANA TEMPLES
TEMPLES OF VERMA : AVARANA TEMPLES

•The stone posts of the avarana temple are generally erected on a band of plinth
stone
•The temple of Banepa shows the posts dowelled directly on the molded podium
stone that is laid straight on the ground
•The construction of a short brick wall is usually found under the plinth/podium band

•Early examples show columns simply dowelled into a square stone plinth beam set
cut out of two or four pieces of stone
•The survival of the simply constructed avarana temples over such a long time is
possibly related to its association with the memory of the dead, and they may have
been left largely untouched out of taboo and or respect
•However, we do find some avarana temples that seem to have been converted into
tiered temples by covering the temple as a whole, including the deity, with multiple-
roofed temple structures. eg: Chandravinayak Ganesh, Chabel
TEMPLES OF VERMA :
AVARANA TEMPLES
TEMPLES OF VERMA :
AVARANA TEMPLES
TEMPLES OF VERMA : AVARANA TEMPLES

•The avarana temples, although minimalist in size and form, display a distinct
geometry in plan and section and appear systematically proportioned and based on
the Vastupurusha mandala
•Its carved portions are embellished with motifs of symbolic significance to Saiva
tantrik philosophy
•The Lichchhavi chaitya and the Saiva avarana temples can be shown primarily as a
Verma contribution to ancient Nepali architecture
•In the materials and methods context, the temples of the Verma, the Lichchhavi and
the Vrij-Gupta seem to have developed a mix of the Kirat’s brick and wood
orientation with the stone of the new arrivals
TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

•The Verma and the Lichchhavi amalgamated with the Kirats who already
heterogeneous with the Shakya, Malla and Koli
•Other evidences also states the Gupta abhir, powerful group of the Gangetic plains
had also come to the valley along with the new rulers and their army
•Such a socio-cultural mix appears to have formed the backdrop for the
development of Nepali temple architecture in the Verma and Lichchhavi periods
•According to Gopalrajavamshabali , Verma rule which started in 79 CE and
continued upto 5th century when Manadev appears to have decided to revive the
state as a Lichchhavi one and also take the ‘dev’ surname in place of ‘Verma’
•It is the arrival of the Vrij Gupta and the Vaisali Verma as much as the Lichchhavi
Dev that led to the beginning of the Hindu temple-building in Kathmandu
•The coming together of such cultural groups also led to great developments in
Buddhist religious architectural expressions such as monastery and chaitya
TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

•Types:

• Mandapa

• Shikhara

• Tiered
TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

Mandapa Temples (mandap, mandapi, mandapika)

•Square

•Single hipped roof

•Few two tiered roof

•Shorakhutte (16 pillars)

TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

Mandapa Temples: Changunarayan

•The reconstruction of the Changunarayan temple structure by Manadev seems to
have followed the plan of a mandap with a strongly defined cardinality and the
central square of Brahma left vacant as a vedi shrine spot
• The ritual
demanded an
enclosed space
which led Mandev
to wall in the
exterior of the
original Mandap
temple
TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

Mandapa Temples: Changunarayan

•The temple for individual worship
and specialized secret rituals seems
to have been created for the first
time and this was to be the rule for
temples in future
•The initial Mandap-based form of
the temple was significantly
transformed to tiered temple by
King Manadev’s interventions
TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

Mandapa Temples:

The Mani-Mandap of Pashupathinath (17th century CE and its pithmandala

TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

Mandapa Temples:
TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

Mandapa Temples:

The Kastha-mandap
TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

Shikhara (Nagara) Temples:

•Extensively carved stone temple

•Only one temple in Pashupatinath

( Brahma Temple) Complex at north
west corner
•Houses sivalinga

•Mukhamandapa 60cm deep

•Garvagrihacapped with ornate dome

•Alcoves on three sides

•Plinth of 240cm x 300 cm

•Small 120 cm square sanctum cell

•Temple height 360cm

TEMPLES OF LICHCHHAVI

Tiered Temples:
•The archaeological findings from Hadigaun and Deupatan give us critical evidence
to infer that by the 5th cent, the Lichchhavi mandap temple had already developed
significantly towards the form of the tiered temples
• The foundation plan in
the picture of the
archaeological site of
Satyanarayan in
Hadigaun shows the
division of sanctum floor
into a nine-pit
configuration
• This system is still alive
today in the memory of
traditional professional
experts on temples such
as bricklayers and
carpenters