A dhunge dhara ( ) or hiti (
Newari: ) is a traditional stone
drinking fountain
A drinking fountain, also called a water fountain or water bubbler, is a fountain designed to provide drinking water. It consists of a basin with either continuously running water or a tap. The drinker bends down to the stream of water and s ...
found in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
. It is an intricately carved stone waterway through which water flows uninterrupted from underground sources. Dhunge dharas are part of a comprehensive drinking water supply system, commissioned by various rulers of Ancient and Medieval Nepal. The system is supported by numerous ponds and canals that form an elaborate network of water bodies, created as a water resource during the dry season and to help alleviate the water pressure caused by the monsoon rains. After the introduction of modern, piped water systems, starting in the late 19th century, this old system has fallen into disrepair and some parts of it are lost forever. Nevertheless, many people of Nepal still rely on the old dhunge dharas on a daily basis.
History
The history of dhunge dharas began during the
Licchavi Kingdom
Licchavi (also ''Lichchhavi'', ''Lichavi'') was a kingdom which existed in the Kathmandu Valley in modern-day Nepal from approximately 400 to 750 CE. The Licchavi clan originated from Vaishali, and conquered Kathmandu Valley. The Lichchhavis ...
(c. 400-750 AD). The first known hiti was built in Kathmandu at Hadi Gaun by a grandson of Lichhavi King Mandev I in 550 AD, but there is evidence that a similar structure was built earlier than that.
[Disaster Risk Management for the Historic City of Patan, Nepal]
by Rits-DMUCH, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan and Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2012, retrieved 16 September 2019 One Nepalese legend (
see below) would indicate the existence of a working dhunge dhara in approximately 464 AD.
Manga Hiti at Mangal Bazar in Patan is considered to be the oldest working dhunge dhara on record. It was built in 570 AD. In the case of the Hadi Gaun hiti and Manga Hiti, the dates were engraved on a stone within the hiti. Gradually more hitis started to appear elsewhere in Kathmandu Valley.
[Water Conduits in the Kathmandu Valley (2 vols.) by Raimund O.A. Becker-Ritterspach, , Published by Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India, 1995][The Pit Conduit Water Supply System of Kathmandu]
by Sudarshan Raj Tiwari, 2016 (unpublished), retrieved 11 September 2019[Dhungedhara: A Nepali Technology to Supply Water]
by Sanyukta Shrestha, DREAMS Magazine, August 2015, retrieved 1 March 2020
During the
Malla period (c. 1201-1779 AD) many more hiti systems were built.
Jitamitra Malla
Raja Jitamitra Malla (Nepal bhasa:) ( ne, जितामित्र मल्ल) was a Malla Dynasty King of Bhaktapur, Nepal from 1673 to 1696.
He left his throne in 1696 to his eldest son Bhupatindra Malla to spend the rest of his life in ...
of Bhaktapur,
Pratap Malla
Pratap Malla (1624–74 A.D.) was King of Kantipur from 1641 until his death in 1674. He attempted to unify Kathmandu Valley by conquering Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, but failed in the effort. He was successful in extending and securing the borders ...
of Kathmandu and Siddhinarshinha Malla of Patan are famous for the water systems in these cities. The hiti built in 1829 by
Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari Devi and
Bhimsen Thapa
Bhimsen Thapa ( ne, भीमसेन थापा (August 1775 – 29 July 1839)) was a Nepalese statesman who served as the ''Mukhtiyar'' (equivalent to prime minister) and de facto ruler of Nepal from 1806 to 1837. He is widely known as the ...
at Sundhara village (
now Kathmandu) is generally believed to be the last one built.
[Dhunge-Dharas in the Kathmandu Valley - An Outline of their Architectural Development]
by Raimund O.A. Becker-Ritterspach, Ancient Nepal 116-118, 1990, retrieved 28 October 2019[Dhunge-Dharas in the Kathmandu Valley. Continuity and Development of Architectural Design by Raimund O.A. Becker-Ritterspach, Change and Continuity, 1996][UN-HABITAT, 2007. Water Movement in Patan with reference to Traditional Stone Spouts]
,
In 2008 the dhunge dharas of Kathmandu Valley produced 2.95 million
litre
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3). ...
s of water per day.
[Kathmandu Valley Groundwater Outlook]
. Shrestha S., Pradhananga D., Pandey V.P. (Eds.), 2012, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), The Small Earth Nepal (SEN), Center of Research for Environment Energy and Water (CREEW), International Research Center for River Basin Environment-University of Yamanashi (ICRE-UY), Kathmandu, Nepal In 2019 the amount of water produced by the dhunge dharas in Kathmandu was estimated at 382,399 litres per day.
[KMC, campaigners team up to revive stone spouts in capital]
by Binu Shrestha, The Rising Nepal, 3 July 2020
![Narayan Hiti](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Narayan_Hiti.jpg)
Of the 389 stone spouts found in Kathmandu Valley in 2010, 233 were still in use, serving about 10% of Kathmandu's population. 68 had gone dry and 45 dhunge dharas were lost entirely. 43 were connected to the municipal water supply instead of their original source.
Over the years a number of working dhunge dharas have been modified to better suit the needs of the community. In most cases such modifications included adding one or more large water tanks to store the excess water from the spouts for later use or distribution among the surrounding households. Sundhara in Patan, for instance was augmented with a 25,000 litre underground tank.
[Traditional Infrastructure, Modern Flows: Cultural Politics of Modernization in the Kathmandu Valley]
by Olivia Molden, Thesis presented to the Department of Geography and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon, June 2015 Narayan Hiti in Patan is one of the hitis supplied with overhead tanks. And several modern elements have been added to
Alko Hiti, like a water tower, underground pipes, rainwater recharge pits and ponds.
In Iku Hiti of Patan, water from the spouts is collected in an 80,000 litres storage tank. From there it is distributed to the surrounding communities by Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), the company dedicated to supplying drinking water in the Kathmandu Valley, in the same way water from regular sources is distributed.
In 2019 a survey by the
Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVWSMB) found a total of 573 dhunge dharas on record in the ten municipalities of the Kathmandu Valley. 479 of these were recovered, 52 turned out to be destroyed and 42 could not be found. More than half of the dhunge dharas were dry.
[Kathmandu water spouts, lost and found cases]
by Purushottam P. Khatri, The Rising Nepal, 1 June 2019, retrieved 6 December 2019
In March 2021 a start was made by the Department of Mines and Geology with using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to track down lost dhunge dharas.
In March 2022 the dhunge dharas of Kathmandu valley were placed on the 2022 World Monuments Watch by the
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...
(WMF), an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of culturally important places in the world and supporting the people who care for them.
The spouts
''Dhunge dhara'' literally means ''stone spout'', but some dhunge dharas are made from other materials like
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...
,
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
,
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
and
wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
.
[Dhunge Dhara: A Case Study of the Three Cities of Kathmandu Valley]
by Riddhi Pranhan, Ancient Nepal 116-118, 1990
Most of the spouts have the shape of the mythical makara
''Makara'' ( sa, मकर, translit=Makara) is a legendary sea-creature in Hindu mythology. In Hindu astrology, Makara is equivalent to the Zodiac sign Capricorn.
Makara appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada, a ...
(also called ''hitimanga''). This is a creature with the snout of a crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
, the trunk of an elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...
, tusks and ears of a wild boar and the tail of a peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
. Hitimangas are ubiquitous in Nepal, not only on hitis, but also on vajra
The Vajra () is a legendary and ritual weapon, symbolising the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force).
The vajra is a type of club with a ribbed spherical head. The ribs may meet in a ball-shape ...
s (ritual weapons), toranas (traditional door and window ornaments) and other architectural elements
:''The following outline is an overview and topical guide to architecture:''
Architecture – the process and the product of designing and constructing buildings. Architectural works with a certain indefinable combination of design quality an ...
.[Picturesque Nepal]
by Percy Brown, London A. and C. Black, 1912, retrieved 28 September 2019[Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley, Text. 1]
by Mary Shepherd Slusser, Princeton University Press, 1982, retrieved 1 March 2020
File:Dhoonge dhara.jpg, Stone spout in Bhojpur District
File:Central spout, Manga hiti, Patan Durbar Square1.jpg, Stone spouts of Manga Hiti in Patan
File:Bhaktapur-Naga Pokhari-10-gje.jpg, Gold spout of Nag Pokhari in Bhaktapur
File:Central Stone Tap, Balaju Baisdhara.jpg, One of 22 stone spouts of Baisdhara, Balaju
File:Layaku Hiti, Bhaktapur 7164690820.jpg, Stone spout of Layaku Hiti in Bhaktapur
File:Muktidhara (4716458657).jpg, Some of the 108 brass Muktidhara
Basic architecture of a dhunge dhara
Although the names ''dhunge dhara'' and ''hiti'' refer to the actual spouts, they are also used for the stone structures immediately surrounding the spouts.
In the Nepalese countryside a hiti may be no more than a stone or brick wall with a spout protruding from it, with some paving beneath the spout. In the cities, due to the natural flow of water (see below), the spouts are located in a basin below street level (''hitigah''), with the depth depending on need. This basin is built with a combination of stone and brick, where the floor is usually covered with stone slabs. The sides and bottom of the basin are made waterproof by coating them with a layer of ''kalo mato'' (a special type of black mud). This prevents water from the surrounding soil from seeping in. Similarly a low wall around the basin helps to keep surface runoff
Surface runoff (also known as overland flow) is the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil. This can occur when th ...
out and prevents debris
Debris (, ) is rubble, wreckage, ruins, litter and discarded garbage/refuse/trash, scattered remains of something destroyed, or, as in geology, large rock fragments left by a melting glacier, etc. Depending on context, ''debris'' can refer to ...
from being carried in by the wind. Depending on the depth and overall size of the basin it can have terraces on several levels. The hiti can be accessed via one or more stone stairs.
There is typically just one spout in the basin, but there are hitis with two, tree, five, nine or more spouts, even up to a hundred and eight (the Muktidhara in Mustang District).
Above the spout there is usually a shrine honoring a specific deity. The space below the spout is (almost without exception) adorned with a sculpture of Bhagiratha. Depending on the available space, there can be any number of other votive sculptures, like chaityas and lingas, in the basin.
Before the water enters the spout, it passes a filter system, using gravel, sand, charcoal and sometimes ''lapsi'' ( Nepali hog plum).[Off the deep end]
by Astha Joshi, Kathmandu Post, 11 February 2017, retrieved 8 September 2019
In front of the spout there is a small pool to catch the water flowing from it. The surplus of water eventually disappears into a drain, and is guided towards another hiti, agricultural land or a pond (to be used for irrigation and other purposes). Sometimes the water is first directed towards several other hitis. In the case of Washa Hiti in Patan, for example, the water is first flowing towards Amrit Hiti, then to Dathu Hiti, then to Buincha Hiti.[Shortage in the Mountains of Plenty: Water Supply in Mountain and Hill Cities throughout the Hindu-Kush Himalayan Region]
by Abigail Snyder, 2014 Borlaug-Ruan International Internship, ICIMOD, Lalitpur, Nepal and The World Food Prize Foundation, Des Moines, Iowa, retrieved 30 September 2019
In some hitis the water from the spout drains into a pond inside the hiti basin itself. Nag Pokhari hiti in Bhaktapur is an example of this. Just as there are hitis with a pond inside them, there are also ponds with spouts integrated into their walls. Bhandarkhal Pokhari in Patan and Salan Ganesh Pokhari in Bhaktapur are some examples.
Several hitis have an integrated stone drinking water reservoir (''jahru'') built into their walls and some have a well (''tun'') dug into their basin floor as an alternative means to obtain the available water ( see below).[Jarunhiti]
by Akira Furukawa (ed.), Sukra Sagar Shrestha, Amrit Bajracharya and Kanako Ogasawara, Vajra Books, Nepal, 2010,
Many hitis are also closely associated with one or more '' dharmashalas'' (shelters or public resthouses). There are several types of these, for instance a ''pati'', a ''mandapa'' or a ''satah''. Such a shelter is either a separate building close by or connected to one of the walls of the hiti. Manga Hiti in Patan has two on either side of the stairs, for example and the main entrance of Bhimsen Hiti in Bhaktapur is through the shelter.
File:Dhungedhara1 bkt.JPG, Layaku Hiti, Bhaktapur, with Hari Shankar Sattal behind it
File:Dattatreya Square-IMG 3680-Pano.jpg, Bhimsen Hiti, Bhaktapur
File:NP-changu-wasserbecken.jpg, Gahiti, Changu Narayan
File:Thane Lachhi Tokha.JPG, Lunhiti, Tapa Lachhi with ''pati'' behind it
File:Thanthu Darbar Hiti, Bhaktapur (7164659818).jpg, Nag Pokhari hiti with pond, Bhaktapur
File:Patan-Palast-Garten-12-Wasserbecken-2015-gje.jpg, Spout and jahrus of Bhandarkhal Pokhari, Patan
Sources of the water
The early hitis use water from their own springs or from nearby aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...
s, which they sometimes share with other hitis. Later, hitis were connected to a system of canals and ponds, which brought fresh water from the foothills of Kathmandu Valley to the cities.
The spouts of one hiti can have different sources for their water. In one case, Alko Hiti in Patan, three sources were confirmed during restoration, but in others the users have merely noticed a difference in taste or colour of the water between the spouts. For many hitis, the precise location of the source is still unknown.
Ponds
During the Kirata Kingdom
Kirata Kingdom (Kirat) in Sanskrit literature and Hindu mythology refers to any kingdom of the Kirati people, who were dwellers mostly in the Himalayas (mostly eastern Himalaya). They took part in the Kurukshetra War along with Parvatas (mounta ...
(c. 900 BC-300 AD) ponds (named ''pukhu'' or ''pokhari'') were constructed as a source of water in the old cities of the Kathmandu Valley. The ponds got their water from rainfall. During the Lichhavi regime, these ponds were linked to stone spouts and dug wells to supply water to the cities.
Some ponds were built higher in the settlements to feed the shallow aquifers; water seeps away from the ponds into the ground and eventually emerges from the spouts. These higher ponds are relatively large in size. Lainchaur Pokhari, Rani Pokhari and Ikha Pukhu in Kathmandu, Siddha Pokhari, Kamal Binayak Pukhu and Nā Pukhu in Bhaktapur and Nhu Pukhu, Paleswan Pukhu and Jyawalkhyo Pukhu in Patan are examples of such ponds. Some had their own springs, like Siddha Pokahri, Rani Pokhari
Rani Pokhari ( ne, रानी पोखरी; lit. queen's pond), originally known as Nhu Pukhu ( new, न्हू पुखू; lit. new pond), is a historic artificial pond located in the heart of Kathmandu, Nepal. The square-shaped tan ...
and Jyawalakhyo Pukhu.[Traditional Ponds – The Water Urban-ism of Newar Civilization]
by Padma Sunder Joshi, Spaces Nepal, April 2018, retrieved 11 October 2019 The ponds inside the settlements are smaller. They help to increase the local groundwater levels. They are used for washing, cleaning, duck farming, bathing animals and fighting fires. In Kathmandu these ponds have disappeared completely. Tekha Pukhu is an example of such ponds in Bhaktapur. In Patan, Pimbahal Pokhari
Pimbahal Pond (also known as Pimbahaa Pukhoo, and Pim Bahal Pokhari; ) is an artificial pond located in Lalitpur, Nepal (historically known as Patan). According to Nepalese folklore, the pond was built by Lakheys, a type of demon. In 1967, the ...
is one example. Chyasa Pukhu, Guita Pukhu and Tyagah Pukhu in Patan are some of the downstream ponds. Water from stone spouts and surface drains flows into these ponds. During the dry season, most of them become dry.
Some of the ponds are interconnected; when one is filled completely, the overflow is directed towards another pond and so forth. La Pokhari, Palesvan Pukhu, Podepukhu and Pimbahal Pokhari are an example of such a chain of ponds in Patan. In this way, an elaborate network of water bodies is created as a water resource during the dry season and to help alleviate the water pressure caused by the monsoon rains.[The women of Bhajya Pukhu]
by Siddhanta Phuyal, The Kathmandu Post, June 30, 2018, retrieved 14 September 2019
At one point in time there was a total of 90 ponds in the large cities of Kathmandu Valley: 30 in Bhaktapur, 39 in Patan and 21 in Kathmandu.
, HareKrsna.com, 5 Augustus, 2013, retrieved 21 September 2019 The 2019 survey by the KVWSMB found a total of 233 ponds on record in the ten municipalities of the Kathmandu Valley.
File:Siddha Pokhari (Ta Pukhu ), Bhaktapur4.jpg, Siddha Pokhari, Bhaktapur
File:Bhaktapur - Washing in the Water Tank 14125260374.jpg, Washing in Khya:h Pukhu, Bhaktapur
File:Pimbahal Pokhari, Patan (16507578860).jpg, Pimbahal Pokhari
Pimbahal Pond (also known as Pimbahaa Pukhoo, and Pim Bahal Pokhari; ) is an artificial pond located in Lalitpur, Nepal (historically known as Patan). According to Nepalese folklore, the pond was built by Lakheys, a type of demon. In 1967, the ...
, Patan
File:Pond banepa chandeswori marga east.JPG, Thara Pukhu, Banepa
File:Bagh Bhairab Temple, Kirtipur 09.jpg, Dev Pukhu, Kirtipur
File:Nag Pokhari.jpg, Nag Pokhari, Kathmandu
The Royal Canals
The aquifers of the stone spouts are recharged not only by rainfall but also by state canals (also called royal canals or ''raj kulo''). State canals were built to bring water from a stream (like Lele River), spring (like Mahadev Pokhari in Nagarkot) or pond from the foothills to artificial ponds close to stone spouts to augment the aquifers.[Traditional Water Management Practices. A Case Study Of Bhaktapur City by Ganesh Khaniya, 2005]
King Jitamitra Malla constructed a state canal in 1678 to feed stone spouts located in Bhaktapur and Patan.[Reviving Patan's royal canal]
by Mallika Aryal, Nepali Times, November 2005, retrieved 10 September 2019
Eventually water was brought down into the valley's cities through three canals: Budhikanta Canal for Kathmandu, Bageswori Canal for Bhaktapur and Tikabhairav Canal for Patan. They fed 31 of the ponds in these cities, while also supplying water for irrigation along the way.[Traditional Water management and Machhendranath Festival]
Unhabitat.org, 15 July 2019, retrieved 30 September 2019
Approximately half of the hitis of Bhaktapur and 51 hitis of Patan received their water from the royal canals.
Tantric power
Many spouts in the Bhaktapur municipality, like Bhimsen Hiti, Indrayani Hiti and Golmadhi Hiti, are believed to receive water through Tantric power.
According to the report "A Comparative Evaluation of Stone Spout Management Systems in Heritage and non-Heritage Areas of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal" by Mira Tripathi (2016), some of the people interviewed told her that:
''When they dug out the water network they found flaming small earthen pots covered by another earthen pot as a lid... with nuts and coins above the spout. When the lid of the pot was removed the flames subsided and the water flow in the spout also stopped. ... when the lid was put back the water started to flow again. Because there were no other apparent sources for the water to enter the spouts, the Tantric or divine theories took root''.
In the same report an expert from Bhaktapur is quoted as saying: ''"Personally, I believe tantric practice because I have seen many evidence of it..."''
Uses for the water
The water from the hitis is used for ordinary household purposes, for work as well as for religious and cultural activities.
People of Nepal can be seen drinking and washing themselves or their laundry in a hiti, or taking the water home for washing, drinking and cooking.
Special wooden hitis belonging to the Dhobi
Dhobi known in some places as Dhoba or Rajaka, Madivala is a group of community in India and the greater Indian subcontinent whose traditional occupations are washing and ironing, Cultivator, agricultural workers.
They are a large community, ...
cast are used for the professional washing of laundry (or at least they were in 1996).
Medicine
A number of hitis are believed to possess healing qualities. Water from Sundhara in Kathmandu, for example, is believed to be good against arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
and water from Golmadhi Hiti in Bhaktapur against goitre
A goitre, or goiter, is a swelling in the neck resulting from an enlarged thyroid gland. A goitre can be associated with a thyroid that is not functioning properly.
Worldwide, over 90% of goitre cases are caused by iodine deficiency. The term is ...
. The water from Washa Hiti in Patan is famous for its medicinal properties; the Nepal Bhasa
Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan languages, Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surro ...
word ''washa'' means 'medicine'.
Religious and cultural uses
The water is also used for the purification of images of deities.
Some hitis have a role in festivals, like Bhimdhyo Hiti in Bhaktapur, Manga Hiti in Patan and Sundhara in Kathmandu.
Every twelve years the Godawari Mela is celebrated for one month at the sacred pond of Godawari Kunda in Lalitpur District. The 22 stone spouts in Balaju Water Garden in Kathmandu are the focal point during the yearly Balaju Baise Dhara festival. Hundreds of visitors take a ritual shower on this day to enjoy the purifying and healing effects of the water. The twelve stone spouts at Matatirtha
Matatirtha is a village and former Village Development Committee that is now part of Chandragiri Municipality in Kathmandu District in Province No. 3 of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 2,799 living in 50 ...
are witness to the yearly mother's day celebration.
Water from Bhimdhyo Hiti is being used for religious worship in the Bhimsen temple and the nearby Dattatreya temple in Bhaktapur. Devotees take a bath or make ablutions before entering the temples. Water of Nag Pokhari (also known as Thanthu Darbar Hiti) in Bhaktapur is used to worship the Goddess Taleju. Water from Manga Hiti in Patan is used daily as holy water for Krishna Mandir and it is used to perform puja in Kartik month. Other hitis are also used for worship at nearby temples.
Substitute for far away waterbodies
Gosaikunda
Gosaikunda, also spelled Gosainkunda, also called Silu. is an alpine freshwater oligotrophic lake in Nepal's Langtang National Park, located at an elevation of in the Rasuwa District with a surface of . Together with associated lakes, the Gosaik ...
is a sacred lake
Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cler ...
for both Hindus and Buddhists. Taking a bath in this lake in Langtang National Park
Langtang National Park was established in 1976 as Nepal's first Himalayan national park and the country's fourth protected area. It exceeds an elevation range of and covers an area of in the Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Sindhulpalchok Districts of the ...
is something to be done at least once in a lifetime. According to legend the spring that feeds the pond in the Kumbheshwar temple complex
The Kumbheshwar temple complex is one of the oldest and busiest religious place of the old Patan town lying on its northern part. The major deities whose temple or shrine lies within the complex includes Kumbheshwor Mahadev, Bangalamukhi, Unman ...
in Patan is connected to Gosaikunda. Therefore, those who cannot make the long journey to the lake, as thousands of pilgrims do during Janai Purnima
List of festivals celebrated in Nepal:
Main festivals
Dashain
''Dashain'' ( ne, दशैं , also ''Baḍādaśhãin'' or ''Bijayā Daśamī'' ne, बिजया दशमी) is the 15-day-long festival and holidays of Nepal. It is the ...
or Gangadasahara, can visit Kumbeshwar Pokhari instead.
In a similar way there is believed to be a connection between Godawari Kunda and Kva Hiti in Kathmandu and between Kathmandu's Maru Hiti and Yankidaha near Thankot
Thankot is a village and former Village Development Committee that is now part of Chandragiri Municipality in Kathmandu District in Province No. 3 of central Nepal. It lies in the lap of Chandragiri Hill
Chandragiri ( kn, ಚಂದ್ರಗ ...
village in Chandragiri
Chandragiri is a suburb and neighbourhood of Tirupati and located in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a part of Tirupati urban agglomeration and a major growing residential area in Tirupati It is the mandal headqua ...
.
Disaster response
Hitis with a large enough flow (litres per minute) can be vital in case of a fire, especially in densely built parts of the city where a firetruck would not be able to go. Kontihiti in Patan qualified for this in 2012.
After the 2015 earthquake, dhunge dharas were the only source of water for many people of Kathmandu, due to the disruption of the regular drinking water services.
Hospitality
Along important routes for traders or pilgrims, sometimes a succession of hitis (with ''dharmasala
A ''Dharmasala'' or a house of fire, or house with fire, is the name given to a place where people, especially pilgrims, can rest on a journey . It is a type of building found in Angkorian complexes constructed during the reign of late 12th-centu ...
'') was built to alleviate the thirst of the travelers. The road from Sankhu
Sankhu (साखु) (alternative name: Sakwa (Nepal Bhasa: सक्व)) is the ancient Newar town located in the north-eastern corner of Kathmandu Valley which is about 17 km from the city center of Kathmandu. Sankhu was formerly divi ...
up to the Bajrayogini Temple, for example, is such a route. Art historian Percy Brown describes a series of drinking fountains, built "every few miles" on the road from the Terai
The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in northern India and southern Nepal that lies south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scr ...
to Kathmandu, in his book ''Picturesque Nepal'' (1912).
Restrictions
Not all dhunge dharas were open to be used by everyone in every way possible.
In the past some people were banned from some of the hitis, like people from lower castes
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
, menstruating women and people wearing shoes. In Saraswati Hiti in Patan, for example, people from lower castes were not allowed entry, while everyone was welcome in nearby Narayan Hiti. There were also restrictions for the behaviour inside some of the hitis. For instance washing laundry or utensils, washing your legs and shoes or using soap was forbidden. Texts describing these restrictions can sometimes be found in old inscriptions on the premises. Some of them are still being observed.[Restoration of traditional stone spouts]
in Sourcebook of Alternative Technologies for Freshwater Augmentation in some Asian Countries (UNEP-IETC, 1998), retrieved 11 September 2019
Observing restrictions regarding the behaviour inside a dhunge dhara may very well contribute to maintaining their water quality. If one hiti receives water drained from another (see above), for example, one can imagine wanting to make sure its filter will be able to effectively deal with the water it receives from the source.
Management
Traditionally the daily maintenance of the hitis was in the hands of ''guthis'' (local community groups dedicated to certain tasks). Living near the hiti and maybe paying regular visits to it as users, they were best placed to discover problems, like damage to the masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...
, pollution with debris or clogging of the drain, and perform repairs. The guthis were receiving payment for their work. On a different level procedures were in place to maintain the royal canals.
Even in the past the maintenance of the entire water system has been problematic. King Jitamitra Malla
Raja Jitamitra Malla (Nepal bhasa:) ( ne, जितामित्र मल्ल) was a Malla Dynasty King of Bhaktapur, Nepal from 1673 to 1696.
He left his throne in 1696 to his eldest son Bhupatindra Malla to spend the rest of his life in ...
(1663-1696) of Bhaktapur had to issue a law to ensure the maintenance would be done.
Each year Sithi Nakha, a day dedicated to Kumar Kartikeya, one of the two sons of Hindu deity Shiva, is used to clean water sources like wells, ponds and hitis. People all over Kathmandu Valley converge to perform their cleaning activities before the beginning of the monsoon rains.
Other festivals contribute to the upkeep of hitis and ponds as well, because they require them to be in good working order before the festival can take place. The Bunga Dyah Jatra
Rato Machindranath Jatra ( ne, रातो मच्छिन्द्रनाथको रथयात्रा; new, बुंग द्यः जात्रा,Buṅga Dyaḥ Jātrā) is a chariot procession honouring the Vajrayani Buddhism ...
in Patan is one example; all the ponds that are involved in the festival need to be filled, before the construction of the chariot at Pulchok can begin. And all the stops of the procession are next to one of the water bodies of Patan. During the festival Janai Purnima the otherwise dry Kumbeshwar Pokhari in Patan must be filled with water for the Kumbeshwar Mela.[Kumbheshwar Festival 2019]
by Keshab Poudel, NEW SPOTLIGHT ONLINE, 15 August 2019, retrieved 19 January 2020 Similarly Kathmandu's Gahana Pokhari is vital in the Gahana Khojne festival, just as the city's Nag Pokhari is for Naga Panchami
Naga Panchami is a day of traditional worship of Nag (or Naja or Naga) or snakes (which are associated with the mythical Nāga beings) observed by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists throughout India, Nepal, and other countries where Hindu, Jain, and ...
. Siddha Pokhari in Bhaktapur is central in the Dashain
Dashain or Bada'dashain, also referred as Bijaya Dashami in Sanskrit, is a major Hindu religious festival in Nepal. It is also celebrated by Hindus of Nepal and elsewhere in the world, including among the Lhotshampa of Bhutan and the Burmese Gur ...
festival.[Kathmandu Valley and Its Historical Ponds]
by Amar B. Shrestha, ECS Nepal, Issue 100, July 2010, retrieved 27 October 2019
Sometimes the reverse happens: the decline of the water bodies causes a tradition to be discontinued. This is what happened with the yearly "Nine conduit procession" (''gupu hiti sikegu'') in Bhaktapur.
Decline
In late 1891, under Rana rule (1846-1951 AD), a piped water system was introduced in Kathmandu Valley. At that time it was only available to the elite. After the country had opened itself up to the world in 1951, the western water management system was expanded to Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur and the rest of the country. Unfortunately, this led to the neglect of the hiti infrastructure.
The earthquake of 1934 damaged part of the royal canals, causing many hitis to dry up.[Indigenous water management system in Nepal: cultural dimensions of water distribution, cascaded reuse and harvesting in Bhaktapur City]
by Dipendra Gautam, Bhesh Raj Thapa and Raghu N. Prajapati, Environment, Development and Sustainability, August 2018, Volume 20, Issue 4, retrieved 11 September 2019
With the absence of any regulation, hitis and ponds were encroached upon.
A municipal building was built on the site of Paleswan Pukhu in Patan, greatly reducing its size and one pond became a bus station. Schools were built in ponds in Patan and Kathmandu. Kathmandu's large Lainchaur Pokhari had to make room for the Nepal Scouts building.
Bhaktapur also saw ponds turned into a school and a bus station. The pond areas have become prime real estate in Katmandu Valley.
Of the 39 ponds counted in Patan in 1993, 9 were reduced in size and 14 were completely gone in 2007.[Nepal must keep water on its land]
by Anil Chitrakar, Nepali Times, July 23, 2019, retrieved 18 September 2019 Of the 233 ponds found in the 2019 survey by the KVWSMB 40 were destroyed completely.
Hitis underwent a similar fate. Either their source was damaged or their connection to it was interrupted by the construction of houses or underground pipes. There are three documented cases in Bhaktapur, for example, were the construction of a building interrupted the water flow of a dhunge dhara from its source: Wochu Hiti, Dekwocha Hiti and Hakufo Hiti. Some hiti's were built over entirely with offices or roads. Jhanga Hiti in Kathmandu, for example, a dhungedhara just north west of Rani Pokhari, was built over with a clubhouse for a local football club. In other cases the water level in the aquifer has dropped due to the digging of private wells by individual houseowners or industries.
The government policy to centralise management of the guthi
Gosthi or Guthi ('';'' Newar: , romanized: '; etymologically from ) is a social organization that maintains the socio-economic order of Nepalese society.Title:नेपाली संस्कृतिका छटाहरु, Author:Mangala De ...
system under Nepal Guthi Corporation had a detrimental effect. Hitis were not looked after properly any more and were allowed to be polluted. Necessary repairs were not forthcoming. In one case the roots of a peepal tree, that had been kept in check by the hiti users, were allowed to grow unchecked, causing leakage of the pipes, which in turn caused the hiti to dry up.
The water is also increasingly contaminated with chemicals and bacteria. This affects other sources of water as well, like the dug wells, water tank trucks, tap water and bottled water. Part of the contamination is caused by the leakage of septic tanks.
The water shortage is further compounded by an industry that has developed to alleviate it. Deep wells are dug outside the municipal areas by private enterprises. In 2019 about 150 private water companies were active in Kathmandu Valley. This has further lowered the groundwater level, affecting the flow of the hitis. It has also affected farmers in the area who now have to compete for water that has traditionally always been theirs. Water tank trucks from government organisations and commercial water enterprises are a familiar sight in the cities these days.
Revival
Over the past decades there is an increasing interest in reviving the dhunge dharas of the country, not merely because they belong to the cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...
of Nepal.
Growing water shortage
In spite of efforts of the Nepalese government to supply safe drinking water to all citizens of Nepal, most recently through the much-plagued Melamchi Water Supply Project, started in 1988, many people still have to turn to hitis for their daily water needs. Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) managed to supply 110 million litres of water per day in 2016 (about 144 mld in the wet season and 86 mld in the dry season), while the daily demand for water in the valley was around 370 million liters. According to Sanjeev Bickram Rana, executive director of the KVWSMB, the discrepancy between supply and demand has risen since then: at the beginning of the year 2020 he reported a demand of 400 mld, while the supply varied from 150 to 90 mld.
This continued water shortage has led to several initiatives to investigate the possibilities of reviving the old systems in the Kathmandu Valley, some of them recommending that the Declaration of the National Convention on Stone Spouts of 2007 (DNCSS 2007) be implemented. The reports all stress the necessity of working hitis to supplement the drinking water supply, although they differ in their assessment of how difficult achieving this would be.[Traditional Water Resource Use and Adaptation Efforts in Nepal]
by Ranjan Prakash Shrestha and Keshav Lall Maharjan, Journal of International Development and Cooperation, Vol.22, No.1 & No.2, 2016, pp. 47-58, retrieved 11 September 2019[Preserving the Hiti, Ancient Water Spout System of Nepal]
by Jharna Joshi, Proceedings of Fabric, The Threads of Conservation, Australia ICOMOS Conference, 2015, retrieved 12 September 2019
Work on dhunge dharas
In the meantime, a number of individual hitis has been renovated. In Patan, for example, local citizens have revived Alko Hiti, Iku Hiti and Hiku Hiti. In some cases, like with Nagbahal Hiti, the revival has been short-lived.
In 2020 the Lalitpur Metropolitan City Lalitpur may refer to:
* Lalitpur, India, a town in Uttar Pradesh, the headquarters of the namesake district
** Lalitpur District, India, a district of Uttar Pradesh
** Lalitpur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
* Lalitpur, Nepal (historically named Pat ...
started a campaign to revive several hiti's, beginning with Sundhara and two other spouts. Eight other hiti's are to follow. The water is to come from a new rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), aquifer, or a reservoir w ...
site in Sinchahiti.[Lalitpur launches drive to revive ancient spouts]
by Anup Ojha, The Kathmandu Post, 29 June 2020, retrieved 13 November 2020
Until April 2015 Ga Hiti in Thamel
Thamel ( ne, ठमेल) is a commercial neighborhood located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Thamel has been the centre of the tourist industry in Kathmandu for over four decades, starting from the hippie days, when many artists came to Ne ...
(Kathmandu) provided about 12,000 households with access to water. During the earthquake part of the neighboring hotel collapsed into the hiti, killing several people in the hotel as well as in the hiti basin. Ga Hiti was further damaged by the search and rescue operation that ensued. Thanks to the efforts of the local community, members of the Ga Hiti Youth Club and many volunteers, and with the help of the Kathmandu Metropolitan Office, Ga Hiti was restored by the beginning of 2017.
New life for ponds
In the large cities of Kathmandu Valley several ponds are in the process of being restored, like Rani Pokhari
Rani Pokhari ( ne, रानी पोखरी; lit. queen's pond), originally known as Nhu Pukhu ( new, न्हू पुखू; lit. new pond), is a historic artificial pond located in the heart of Kathmandu, Nepal. The square-shaped tan ...
in Kathmandu, Bhajya Pukhu in Bhaktapur and Nhu Pokhari in Patan. In other areas of the country ponds are being restored or even created as well.
Some ponds have been restored using concrete for the walls and the bed instead of the traditional brick and ''kalo mato'' (black mud). This has turned them into impenetrable tanks and so deprives them of their original role in the water management of their city. Examples of ponds changed in this way are Khapinchhen Pukhu, Kuti Sauga Pukhu and Kanibahal Pukhu (Bhailagaa Pukhu).
Kathmandu
The work on Rani Pokhari
Rani Pokhari ( ne, रानी पोखरी; lit. queen's pond), originally known as Nhu Pukhu ( new, न्हू पुखू; lit. new pond), is a historic artificial pond located in the heart of Kathmandu, Nepal. The square-shaped tan ...
, which was damaged in the 2015 earthquake, began in January 2016 and has been fraught with controversy. The original plans used concrete for the restoration and included fountains and a new lakeside café. After a series of local protests the city of Katmandu was ordered in January 2018 to restore the pond to the way it was in 1670. Sixty traditional builders, more than 40 of them women
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...
, were brought in from Bhaktapur to take up the task. The reconstruction was completed in October 2020. The crew that reconstructed Rani Pokhari has now been hired to work on Sundhara in Kathmandu. In July 2019 a start was made with the reconstruction of Kamal Pokhari. The design choices for this pond have led to protests as well. There is also a proposal for the restoration of what is left of Ekha Pukhu.
Bhaktapur
Bhaju Pukhu, a pond that has recently been established as being much older than Rani Pokhari but is in many ways very similar, incurred serious damage in a 1681 earthquake and had since never been restored. In October 2017 a project was started that included restoration of Bhaju Pukhu, using the traditional methods and materials. The work is expected to be completed in 2019. The city of Bhaktapur is currently working on the restoration of six ponds, five wells, and five hitis.
Patan
The work on Nhu Pokhari has started in 2019. The plan is to use traditional materials here as well. Pimbahal Pokhari in Patan has already been restored and the city of Lalitpur has plans for Purna Chandi and Saptapatal Pokhari. The Supreme Court of Nepal had to intervene on behalf of Saptapatal Pokhari to stop the building that was planned there. Prayag Pokhari in Patan could not be saved. Apart from a small concrete courtyard that was kept for religious purposes, it was all built up. With the help of the government of the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
and a Czech company a new way was found to harvest the rainwater in the area and provide water for Tagal Hiti and Thapa Hiti.
Other locations
In Sankhu
Sankhu (साखु) (alternative name: Sakwa (Nepal Bhasa: सक्व)) is the ancient Newar town located in the north-eastern corner of Kathmandu Valley which is about 17 km from the city center of Kathmandu. Sankhu was formerly divi ...
two ponds: Pala Pukhu and Kalash Pokhari, have been restored and provided with fire hydrants.[Fire and water]
by Astha Joshi, The Kathmandu Post, August 11, 2018, retrieved 17 September 2019 Kirtipur and Bungamati are also working on their ponds.
Between 2013 and 2016 the villagers of Tinpiple
Panchkhal ( ne, पाँचखाल) is a Municipality in Kavrepalanchok District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. Panchkhal has an area of 103 km² and Density: 386.6/km² according to 2011 census. Glacial strand retreat and flu ...
and Dapcha, both in Kavre District, with the help of the ICIMOD and the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation (NWCF), dug six ponds in the hillsides of the villages to replenish the groundwater and revive their village springs and spouts.
In the Manthali Municipality and the Ramechhap Municipality a project was started to revive 50 old ponds in two years time, with the help of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (german: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, ), abbreviated BMZ, is a cabinet-level ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its main office is ...
. So far 21 ponds have been restored, for example Thulo Pokhari in Sunarpani.
The restoration of Dui Pokhari in Madhyapur Thimi
Madhyapur Thimi, also known as Thimi, ( ne, मध्यपुर थिमि) is a municipality in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. Thimi lies between Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley. It is one o ...
is already bearing fruit. Starting in 2018, the pond was restored using two six inch layers of ''kalo mato'', a three-inch layer of ''pango mato'' (clay) and four inches of bricks. This would contain the water, while at the same time allowing seepage into the ground. A few months after the work was finished, the water in the surrounding wells began to return.
Rajkulo repairs
The state canals have received attention as well. Because the canal of Patan was found to be in the best condition, compared to the canals of Bhaktapur and Kathmandu, in 2005 a project was started to bring it back to life. When the canal is completely restored, an estimated 40 hitis will start working again. At this time the canal has reached Thecho
Thecho is located about south of the main Lalitpur town in Lalitpur district, Godawari Municipality. According to 2011 Nepal census, Thecho has a population of 10,086 living in 2,352 individual households. The offshoot road near the Satdobato se ...
, about five kilometers from Patan Durbar Square. The project was halted for some years, due to a lack of funds, but will be resumed in 2020. The water will be directed towards Saptapatal Pokhari.
In 2016 a rajkulo used for irrigation in Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot, that had been damaged in 2015, was repaired and improved by the Community For Business Development and Promotion Society (COBDEPS).
Exceptional dhunge dharas
Some hitis stand out because they deviate in a significant way from the expected architecture.
Dhunge dhara above street level
All dhunge dharas in the Kathmandu Valley are built in a depression of some kind to allow the water to flow naturally. Sundhara (or Nuga Hiti, with gold plated spouts) in Patan is an exception. It was originally built above street level. (Due to the development of the surrounding area one now has to go a few steps down.)
According to legend Sundhara was built by a man who attended the opening of Sauga Hiti in Patan. This man joked about the depth of the hiti, saying that anyone who would descend the steps to drink, would have to bring some food with them to build up their strength to climb back up again. He vowed to build a hiti on an elevation and so created Sundhara.[History of Nepal]
by Shew Shunker Sing, Pandit Shri Gunanand, Daniel Wright (ed.), Cambridge University Press, 1877, retrieved 7 October 2020
Keeping the water flowing in Sundhara is an ongoing struggle. The sources of the water are continually seized upon by nearby industries' and households' private wells. In 2020 another start was made to bring back the water, this time with a new rainwater harvesting initiative.
Recoiled spouts
Narayan Hiti in Kathmandu, the dhunge dhara near the palace, has three spouts, one is goldplated and two are made of stone. The stone spouts look very different from what one would expect. The 'elephants' trunks of the ''hitimangas'' are bent backwards instead of forwards.
According to legend this is caused by an event that must have occurred around 464 AD, at the beginning of the reign of king Mānadeva.
Narayan Hiti had stopped working and King Dharmadeva consulted his astrologers to find a solution. The astrologers told him a human sacrifice would be needed to bring back the water. The person to be sacrificed would have to be someone possessing thirty two virtues. Since only the king and his son would qualify, the king decided to trick his son Mānadeva into sacrificing him. He told his son he should kill the first man he would find sleeping at Narayan Hiti that night. He then went to the hiti himself and lay down there with his face covered so he could not be recognised. Prince Mānadeva slayed the man with his sword and only afterwards he discovered he had killed his own father. The hiti started working again but the spouts had recoiled in horror.[Death of Dharmadev]
by T.R. Vaidya, Contributions to Nepali Studies, Volume 8, Number 2, June 1981 (pp. 35-42), retrieved 6 December 2020
There are other, slightly different, versions of this legend. In one an earlier king and prince are involved and in another Narayan Hiti is a newly built hiti instead of an existing one that stopped working.
Only one other spout with a recoiled trunk has so far been found, but this spout was not part of a hiti. It was being used as a paving stone in a courtyard in Deopatan (Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
).
Dhunge dharas in popular culture
The early 19th-century Nepalese song ''Rajamati
''Rājamati'' () is a 1995 film be made in Nepal Bhasa. The first Nepal Bhasa movie is '' Silu'', released in 1987.
''Rajamati'' is about a luckless Newar girl named Rajamati from Kathmandu who gets involved in a series of failed relationships. T ...
'' names three dhunge dharas of Kathmandu: Thahiti, Kwahiti and Maruhiti. The protagonist of the song trips and falls in Maruhiti. Some scenes of the 1995 film based on the song are also filmed at Maruhiti.
In 1974, Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...
used Tusha Hiti
The Tusha Hiti, also known as Royal Bath, is a sunken bath used by the Malla royal family in Nepal. It is at the courtyard of Sundari Chowk, Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur. King Siddhinarasimha Malla is credited with building the bath in the 1 ...
, Narayan Hiti and Saraswati Hiti in Patan, along with other places in Nepal, as locations for his film '' Il fiore delle Mille e una notte'' (Arabian Nights).[IMDb]
retrieved 4 January 2021
The inner workings of the dhunge dhara system in Kathmandu are an essential part of the plot in the story ''The Case of Hodgson's Ghost'' from the 2003 detective novel ''The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes'' by Ted Riccardi.
The song ''Surkhetma Bulbule Taal'' from the 2004 film ''Bandhaki'' was partly filmed at the stone spouts of Bulbule Lake.
Garuda Kunda in Bhaktapur was used to film a clip of the Newari song ''Basanta Ya Phe''.[Locals Clean up Garuda Kunda]
by Republica, 23 August 2017, retrieved 23 March 2022
In 2015, around the time of the earthquakes
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
, a community arts project was organised, centered around the hitis of Patan. Women living in the area told stories and created works of visual art about their relationships with water and health during the Sacred Water project.
In 2016 Manga Hiti featured in a romantic music video.
The opening credits of the 2016 Newari film ''Chandraman'' were filmed at Chhaybaha Hiti in Patan.
In June 2020, a short horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
titled ''Dhunge Dhara'' was posted on YouTube. It is reminiscent of the 2002 film '' The Ring'' and takes place in a dhunge dhara.
Part of the music video for the Nepal Bhasa
Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan languages, Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surro ...
song ''Lhwo Hiti La Ka Wala'' was filmed at a dhunge dhara.
Eros Ink Tattoo studio in Kathmandu showcases a tattoo of Nag Pokhari hiti in Bhaktapur on its website.
''Dhunge Dhara'' is the title of a Dohori
Dohori ( or ), also known as Lok Dohori, is a type of Nepali folk song usually sung by two teams, one of men and another of women. It is in the form of question and answer where a team sings a question and the opponent replies through an equal ...
Teej
Teej ( ne, तीज, Tīja, translit-std=ISO) is the generic name for a number of Hindu festivals that are celebrated by women and girls. and welcome the monsoon season and are celebrated primarily by girls and women, with singing, dancing, ...
song published online on 30 June 2022. Part of the clip is filmed at a dhunge dhara.
Events space
The international photography festival Photo Kathmandu has used the spaces of dhunge dharas in Patan more than once. Manga Hiti was the location of a photo slideshow in 2015 and 2016. Chyasal Dhungedhara and Saugah Hiti hosted a photo exhibit during the festival in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
In June 2019 Manga Hiti was the location of the 2019 finale of the international Dopper Changemaker competition.
The terraced space of Nagbahal Hiti has been used as a music venue on several occasions.
Similar structures outside Nepal
Although dhunge dharas can be viewed as typical Nepalese buildings, a number of similar structures can be found in other countries.[Diversity and Development in South Asian Kuṇḍa Architecture by Julia A. B. Hegewald, South Asian Archaeology 1997, Vol. III, Maurizio Taddei & Giuseppe De Marco (eds.), Serie Orientale Roma Vol. XC, 3, Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente, Rome, 2000, p. 1455-1469]
One example can be seen in India. It is the kunda of Sule Basti in Humcha
Humcha / Hombuja is a small village near Ripponpet, Hosanagara taluk in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Humbaja Atishaya Jain Teerth Kshetra is famous for being home to an ancient temple of Goddess Padmavati, and to the Hum ...
, Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, known as the source of the Kumudvathi River.Birth of A River - Kumudvathi Theertha, Hosanagar Shimoga
at Teamgsquare.com, retrieved 7 December 2021 Two other examples are in Sri Lanka:
Kuttam Pokuna
Kuttam Pokuna (twin ponds or pools) are well preserved old bathing tanks or ponds in Sri Lanka. This pair of ponds was built by the Sinhalese in the ancient Anuradhapura Kingdom. They form part of the Abhayagiri vihāra complex and are an example o ...
in
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura ( si, අනුරාධපුරය, translit=Anurādhapuraya; ta, அனுராதபுரம், translit=Aṉurātapuram) is a major city located in north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central ...
and Kumara Pokuna in
Polonnaruwa
Poḷonnaruwa, ( si, පොළොන්නරුව, translit=Poḷonnaruva; ta, பொலன்னறுவை, translit=Polaṉṉaṟuvai) also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa Dis ...
. The structures in Sri Lanka differ from the dhunge dharas of Nepal in that the basins themselves are designed to hold the water for a longer period of time instead of draining it away immediately.
Tun and jahru
The construction of water conduits like hitis, dug wells and jahrus is considered a pious act in Nepal.
Circular dug wells can be found in all cities and villages of Nepal. They are called ''inara'' (Nepali) or ''tun'' (Newari). They are lined with bricks and have a brick parapet with stone on top. In case there are any decorations, these are usually water related, like
lotus flowers
''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often re ...
, makaras and snakes. Many of them date from the Licchavi era.
[Living Traditions: Aquatic Architecture and Imagery in the Kathmandu Valley by Julia A. B. Hegewald, in: Deepak Shimkhada (ed.), Nepal: Nostalgia and Modernity. Mārg Publications, Mumbai, 2011, p. 37-45, ] It is estimated that more than a 1000 old dug wells can be found in Kathmandu Valley. Many of them are still being used.
Some dhunge dharas have such a well built into their basin. Kva Hiti in Kathmandu
is an example and so is Golmadhi Hiti in Bhaktapur.
Another structure is the ''
tutedhara
A (Nepali) or ( Newari) is a traditional drinking fountain found in Nepal. It is a water reservoir built out of stone with a tap that can be opened and closed. These structures are either free-standing or integrated into the wall of another bui ...
'' or ''jahru'' (''jarun'', ''jaladroni''), a (usually) covered drinking water reservoir built out of stone with a tap that can be opened and closed. These structures are either free-standing or integrated into the wall of a hiti or other building. They depend on either a ''tun'' or a ''hiti'' to be filled. In a hiti this reservoir is used to store the excess water that flows into the dhunge dhara.
Many jahrus, especially the ones not part of a hiti, are no longer in use.
File:Nepal. village well, Rapti Valley, Terai, 1986.jpg, Village well in Terai Region
File:Bhaktapur Puits.JPG, Well in Bhaktapur
File:Jarun on Dattatreya Square, Bhaktapur.jpg, Jahru next to the well
File:Bhaktapur 20180919 134403.jpg, Well in Golmadhi Hiti, Bhaktapur
File:Patan (4659524676).jpg, Nag Bahal Hiti, Patan, with built-in jahru
File:Jarun at Manga Hiti in Patan, Nepal.jpg, Jarun of Manga Hiti in Patan
See also
![Sundhara, Kathmandu (281119309)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Sundhara%2C_Kathmandu_%28281119309%29.jpg)
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Alko Hiti
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Gosaikunda
Gosaikunda, also spelled Gosainkunda, also called Silu. is an alpine freshwater oligotrophic lake in Nepal's Langtang National Park, located at an elevation of in the Rasuwa District with a surface of . Together with associated lakes, the Gosaik ...
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Ikha Pokhari
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Kamal Pokhari
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Naag Pokhari
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Nagbahal Hiti
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Pimbahal Pond
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Rajkulo
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Rani Pokhari
Rani Pokhari ( ne, रानी पोखरी; lit. queen's pond), originally known as Nhu Pukhu ( new, न्हू पुखू; lit. new pond), is a historic artificial pond located in the heart of Kathmandu, Nepal. The square-shaped tan ...
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Tusha Hiti
The Tusha Hiti, also known as Royal Bath, is a sunken bath used by the Malla royal family in Nepal. It is at the courtyard of Sundari Chowk, Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur. King Siddhinarasimha Malla is credited with building the bath in the 1 ...
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Tutedhara
A (Nepali) or ( Newari) is a traditional drinking fountain found in Nepal. It is a water reservoir built out of stone with a tap that can be opened and closed. These structures are either free-standing or integrated into the wall of another bui ...
References
External links
Dhunge dharas of Nepalimage gallery
Guthi.netKathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited(KUKL)
Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board(KVWSMB)
Map of Kathmandu Valley's stone spouts as surveyed during the 2018 post-monsoon seasonMinistry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, NepalMinistry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Department of ArchaeologyMinistry of Water Supply, NepalMelamchi Water Supply ProjectNepal Water Conservation FoundationSmartPhones4Water-Nepal{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808211955/https://www.smartphones4water.org/data-making-a-difference-flow-measurement-at-stone-spouts-science-story-3/ , date=2020-08-08
Troubled Water - The Film a 30-minute documentary about the extreme water shortage in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, February 2015.
Architecture in Nepal
Medieval architecture
Nepalese culture
Water supply and sanitation in Nepal
Water supply infrastructure in Nepal