Kasthamandap (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

: काष्ठमण्डप,

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 ...

:मरु सत: ''Maru Satta:''; literally "Wood-Covered Shelter") was a three-storied public shelter that included a shrine consecrated to Gorakshanath situated at

Maru, Kathmandu Maru ( ne, मरु) is a historic neighborhood in central Kathmandu, Nepal and one of the most important cultural spots in the city. It is linked with the origin of the name Kathmandu, and forms part of what is generically known as Durbar Squar ...

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 ...

. Several myths and stories about the date of the construction of the Kasthamandap have been resolved with the recent archeological findings: newly discovered objects during the excavation in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake have suggested that the Kasthamandap may have been built in the 7th century during the Lichhavi era.

2015 Nepal earthquake and subsequent excavations

A team of international and national experts from the Department of Archaeology (DoA), Government of Nepal and

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

had excavated beneath the Kasthamandap and found coal and sand in the foundations. The foundation soil, coal, and sand were taken to the

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built w ...

, Scotland for

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an element is the measure of its combining capacity with o ...

and

optically stimulated luminescence In physics, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is a method for measuring doses from ionizing radiation. It is used in at least two applications: * Luminescence dating of ancient materials: mainly geological sediments and sometimes fired pott ...

(OSL) tests. Nearly seven months of lab tests showed that the Kasthamandap was built in the 7th century, said Ram Kunwar, spokesperson at the Department of Archeology (DoA). Basantapur Temple, Kathmandu 13

On 25 April 2015, Kasthamandap along with many others on the

Kathmandu Durbar Square Kathmandu Durbar Square (''Basantapur Durbar Kshetra'') is located in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom and is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNES ...

, was damaged and collapsed by the

April 2015 Nepal earthquake The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed 8,964 people and injured 21,952 more. It occurred at on Saturday, 25 April 2015, with a magnitude of 7.8 Mw or 8.1 Ms and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of X (''Extreme ...

, which had an estimated magnitude of 7.9 (). During the excavations, copperplate inscriptions mentioning of Jayasthithi Malla, Jyotir Malla and Yogmati Bhattarika have been recovered from a pillar of the Kasthamandap. In the manuscripts dated Nepal Sambat 499, 454 and 543, (AD 1288, 1243, 1332) it is written that the person responsible for operating the Pachali Bhairav Jatra has to organise the festival following the specific regulations.

References

Second phase of work begins at Kasthamandap in Kathmandu - Durham University

External links

{{Commons cat inline, Kasthamandap, Kathmandu Hindu temples in Kathmandu District Dharmshalas 7th-century establishments in Nepal Newa architecture