The legendary stories behind ancient Water Spouts of Kathmandu Valley

Hitis, historic water spouts, often known as Dhunge Dharas have served as integral elements of Kathmandu’s conventional water provide system for hundreds of years. The water from the Hitis serves numerous on a regular basis wants, encompassing strange family duties, occupational necessities, participation in spiritual and cultural rituals.

In Nepal, it’s frequent to look at individuals ingesting immediately from a hiti, utilizing it for laundry themselves, laundering garments, and even gathering water to take house for family chores like washing, ingesting, and cooking. A rajkulo, generally known as a royal canal in English, is a particular kind of waterway prevalent in Nepal, that provides the Hitis. The rajkulo recharges floor water, channeling the water via systematic circulation, making certain that the water flows uninterrupted from underground sources.

Previous to coming into the spout, the water undergoes filtration via a system using gravel, sand, and charcoal. Crafted from stone, wooden, copper, and brass, these distinctive constructions play an important position in sustainable water administration whereas showcasing the nation’s considerable cultural heritage and expert artisanal craftsmanship.

Over time, nonetheless, the in depth city improvement of Kathmandu has altered the panorama, sadly resulting in the neglect and deterioration of the stone spouts. In 2019, the Kathmandu Valley Water Provide Administration Board (KVWSMB) recognized a complete of 573 spouts inside the Valley. Amongst them, 224 have been discovered to be operational
in the course of the survey, whereas 94 have been deemed fully misplaced.

The Inventive Marvels

Within the Lichhavi period, hitis have been known as “kriti”, that means creation or murals. Adorned with intricate geometric patterns, pure components, and religious symbols, these water spouts maintain profound cultural significance, typically adorned with carvings depicting Hindu and Buddhist deities in addition to guardian figures.

Most hitis are carved within the form of a legendary creature generally known as Hiti Mangas. Hiti Manga is a legendary being generally portrayed as a fusion of a crocodile’s physique and the top of both a crocodile or a peacock with ears of sheep often incorporating further options like trunks, antlers or wings. It’s acknowledged because the vahana or divine mount of the goddess Ganga, representing the embodiment of the Ganges River. All through the centuries, Hiti Manga has been a recurring motif in artwork and architectural components reminiscent of stone water spouts, temple engravings, statues, and numerous cultural relics. Considered possessing protecting attributes, its depiction is incessantly employed to repel malevolent spirits and counteract adverse energies.

Nearly each dhunge dhara (hiti) or tutedhara (jaladroni), that are two several types of ingesting fountains, showcase a sculpture of the sage Bhagiratha proper under the spout. His famend legend includes enterprise a penance to deliver the divine river Ganga, personified as
the Hindu River goddess, from heaven to earth. Just under Bhagiratha are carvings of Yakshyas. In Hinduism and Buddhism, Yakshyas are nature-spirits or semi gods residing underneath the earth within the Himalayas. They guard the wealth hidden underneath the earth. They’re additionally the tutelary deities of the forests and are believed to be spirits of fertility and the essence of water. Hiti also can produce other sculptures of gods, chaityas and shiva lingas. Quite a few narratives are intertwined with these historic landmarks. Hitis are steeped in mythologies, folklore, and oral custom. These timeless tales that breathe life into the monuments of antiquity, remodeling them from mere constructions of stone into residing testaments to the human spirit.

Manga Hiti

Though an inscription found in Handigaun, courting again to 550 AD, mentioning Hiti, stands because the oldest discovered inscription, Manga Hiti, located at Mangal Bazar in Patan, holds the respect of being acknowledged because the oldest operational hiti recognized to historical past, having been inbuilt 570 AD.

Manga Hiti, the sunken water spout with three superbly carved hiti mangas was constructed by Bharavi, the grandchild of King Mandev I for the advantage of the residence in keeping with an inscription engraved on the base of the central spout of Manga Hiti. It has witnessed the ebb and circulation of historical past and this majestic stone spout stands as a timeless image of resilience and continuity, having quenched the thirst of generations for over fourteen centuries. The spout holds vital social, architectural, and non secular significance. Perched above the Manga Hiti tank, two picket pavilions, famend because the Mani Mandap, have been constructed in 1700 particularly for the grand ceremonies held throughout royal coronations.

Tusha Hiti

The Royal spout in Sundari Chowk of Patan, constructed in 1647 AD by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla, is adorned with intricately carved stone figures portraying numerous tantric deities. Often known as Tusha Hiti, it’s believed that the water flowing from this spout possessed a style harking back to sugarcane juice, therefore its title derived from “tu” that means sugarcane and “sha” that means style. Many historians speculate that it served as a Royal tub, with the King presumably reclining on the close by large stone mattress after bathing.

In accordance with historic accounts, the water was warmed and scented, personalized to the King’s preferences. Nevertheless, different theories recommend that the water supply of the hiti might need originated from a effectively, as evidenced by the Newari language the place “tun” signifies a effectively and “tunsala” refers to water drawn from a effectively. No matter its exact perform, the Tusha Hiti stays an emblem of each architectural magnificence
and historic intrigue, inviting contemplation on the opulence and customs of Nepal’s royal heritage.

Alko Hiti 

Alko Hiti, alternatively acknowledged as Alkwo Hiti, Aluko Hiti, or Alok Hiti, stands as a fifteenth century Hiti located inside the city panorama of Patan. The development of Hiti dates again to 1415 AD, attributed to Tumha Dev Bajracharya, a famend Tantric Buddhist and healer. It was erected adjoining to the north-western entrance of the traditional Patan metropolis.

In accordance with native legend, a feminine Naag (snake god) confronted a watch ailment, and he or she visited Tuhudev Bajracharya, a famend Tantric. He efficiently healed her. Grateful, her male Naag partner rewarded the Tantric with 5 beautiful stones. Tuhudev discreetly saved them in a clay pot inside his locked storeroom, unknown to his spouse. Someday, she, intrigued by the pot, explored its contents, discovering solely 5 seemingly ineffective stones.  Unaware of their significance, she discarded them out of the window. 

Tuhudev, upon studying this, looked for the stones and was astonished to seek out out that water was effervescent from every spot the stones landed on. Using his Tantric talents, he long-established 5 spouts at these places, now generally known as Alko Hiti.

Lun Hiti

The ‘lun hiti’, the golden spot positioned in Sundhara Chowk in Patan, was constructed within the early Lichhavi period. There’s a Licchavi inscription dated to Manadeva period 12 months 34 preserved within the Hiti premises. In accordance with a folklore, two pals, one from Satigala (Saugala) and one other from
Nugaḥ Ṭola used to serve within the royal place. The one from Saugala constructed Satigata Hiti (Saugaḥ Hiti) with the assistance of the king. The opposite pal from Nugah obtained jealous of his pal and thus introduced that he, too, will construct a Hiti in his Ṭola.

Since he didn’t get any assist from the king, he worshipped Goddess Phūlcokī and happy her. She granted him a boon for his successes and gave three water conduits. He then constructed a water channel from Nāykhyaḥ (Nagakhela) to Nugah and constructed 5 stone conduits. He additionally cladded and gilded the stone conduits, that are generally known as Sundhārā at current. 

Golden Spout of Bhaktapur

The “Lun Hiti” golden water spout of Bhaktapur is contained in the Lun hiti courtyard of 55 window palaces. It is usually generally known as Nag Pokhari (snake pond) due to an inventive monument, a stone sculpture of a snake that surrounds a pond under the water spout. Legend has it that King Jitamitra Malla (1672 to 1696 A.D.) skilled a divine dream the place the goddess Taleju herself appeared, delivering a celestial message. She advised him to assemble a water spout that may function a conduit for providing water to her temple every day.

The king constructed the Lunhiti, inside the confines of his palace, simply outdoors the revered Taleju temple. Legend has it that, when the water gushed forth from the spout, a pair of swans emerged from the mouth of the golden spout, gracefully gliding into the pond under. These mystical swans, believed to be celestial messengers, captivated the hearts of these lucky sufficient to witness the divine spectacle. Simply as miraculously as that they had appeared, the swans returned to the golden spout, disappearing into its depths. For years, the individuals of the dominion have been blessed with the chance to witness this mystical show reinforcing the profound religious connection between the ruler, the goddess, and the sacred waters of Lunhiti.

The Narayanhiti

The Narayanhiti Durbar, located in Kathmandu, has traditionally functioned as the first residence and administrative heart for the ruling Monarch of the Kingdom of Nepal. Nevertheless, many individuals aren’t conscious that the Narayanhiti Durbar is called after a hiti (stone spout) with a Narayan’s idol above it. It consists of three spouts, with one adorned in gold plating whereas the opposite two are crafted from stone. There are lots of legends related to the legendary Narayanhiti. One of many legends states that, Kathmandu valley had a drought within the Lichhavi period and the Narayanhiti additionally dried. The ruling king on the time consulted a tantric practitioner to search for an answer to finish the drought. The tantric practitioner steered solely a human sacrifice can finish the drought. 

The king ordered his son to sacrifice anybody he sees strolling across the hiti at midnight. The prince and his troopers noticed an outdated man in a gown and he was killed.  Later, the prince discovered the outdated man was none apart from the king himself. Abruptly, it began raining and water gushed out of the hiti once more. The story of a king sacrificing himself for the betterment of his kingdom has endured via centuries, serving as a precedent for subsequent monarchs and leaders that adopted.

Stone Spout with Multilingual inscription

Simply outdoors the Kathmandu Durbar sq. there’s a large stone with water spout to dispense water to vacationers. Relationship again to 1654 AD, in the course of the zenith of the Malla dynasty, this stone spout isn’t any strange relic; it bears upon it a exceptional inscription, etched in not one, however fifteen languages—a testomony to the polyglot ambitions of its creator, King Pratap Malla. Above the spout, the inscription stands proud, inviting curiosity and hypothesis from all who behold it.

Among the many languages engraved upon its floor are Nepali, English, French, German, Tibetan, Arabic, and Persian, forming a mosaic of cultural and linguistic change reflective of Nepal’s wealthy tapestry of influences. Every script tells a narrative—a story of commerce, diplomacy, and pilgrimage that traversed the traditional routes connecting the Himalayan kingdom to distant lands. But, unraveling the enigma of the multilingual inscription stays an elusive quest. Whereas students have pieced collectively fragments of its message, the true significance of its phrases continues to evade full comprehension. Legend has it that deciphering the inscription holds a mystical promise: the transformation of water into milk—a whimsical notion that has captured the creativeness of generations. Although skeptics dismiss it as mere folklore, the attract of the stone spout persists, drawing linguists, historians, and curious souls alike seeking its hidden that means.

Bais Dhara (22 faucets)

Nestled beneath the serene slopes of Nagarjun Hill lies the enchanting Balaju water backyard, house to the revered Bais Dhara, or 22 faucets. The 22 stone water spouts in Balaju, Kathmandu, have been carved intricately within the type of Hiti Manga. Bais Dhara was established as a holy web site within the 18th century in the course of the reign of King Jaya Prakash Malla, the ultimate king of Kathmandu who’s remembered for his patronage of the humanities, structure, and faith, contributing to the wealthy cultural heritage of the area.

Yearly, the 22 stone spouts inside the Balaju Water Backyard turn into the central focus of the Balaju Baise Dhara pageant as 1000’s of devotees assemble to partake within the sacred ritual of bathing within the 22 water spouts of Balaju. It’s believed that this ritual holds the facility to cleanse the soul and purify the spirit, providing solace and therapeutic to those that search it. The devotees imagine that these sacred waters possess mystical properties able to curing numerous afflictions and illnesses.