The Balagopaleshwar temple in Ranipokhari is open only on one day of Bhaitika every year. Artist Hari Prasad Sharma has described the grand opening ceremony of this pond built by King Pratap Malla of Kantipur through his paintings. The history of the painting:
Today, on the day of Bhaitika, those who do not have brothers or sisters, visit the Ranipokhari Balagopaleshwar Temple built by King Pratap Malla and wipe their nysro. This temple, which was damaged in the earthquake of 2072, has been reconstructed and opened.
There is a history that Pratap Malla built this pond to appease Queen Anantapriya who was mourning the death of her thirteen year old son Chakravartindra Malla. Gaijatra, which he started to show that everyone in the world is mourning the death of Rani, has become an important part of our culture.
It is great to do this creative way to relieve suffering and apply ointment to the wounds of many unfortunate people like you!
Today I am discussing about the composition of the painting created by me in connection with the same Pratap Malla.
When making any painting, I first study historical books related to that subject. After getting information about historical facts, I put myself in the environment of that event and feel that I am a part of it. Then the characters in my painting begin to pile up with many gestures, I just use the brush.
Even while painting Ranipokhari, I began to feel myself becoming a trusted personal assistant of Pratap Malla and a witness to the whole process. Then the scene described in the picture gradually unfolded.
After the king started the Gaijatra festival, Rani Anantapriya looked radiant for a few days. Those who were bereaved like themselves tried to make people laugh by displaying many gestures, decorations, frills and even some obscenities. This amused Anantapriya for a while. But slowly the darkness of the heart brought it again.
She would break down from time to time with grief.
Pratap Malla was also saddened to see the condition of his beloved Rani, who had married a dola from North India. He took many measures so that the queen’s mind would be at peace. Even so, the glow did not return to the face of the queen.
One day he asked Anantapriya to open her heart.
‘Dear, what was meant to be is done, now take measures to give peace to your mind,’ said Pratap Malla, ‘instead let us think about what will bring peace to your mind.’
After the king said this, Anantapriya wished for a large and calm lake near the city. She said, ‘It would be easy to forget your sorrow if you could spend time by that lake!’
She went on to say, ‘If there was a temple in the middle of the lake where my son Balgopal Shrikrishna would come to mind, I would be able to keep my mind calm by looking at it!’
After listening to Rani’s heart, Pratap Malla felt something comfortable. As Rani said, the idea of a pond and a temple in the middle thrilled her too.
He assured the queen, ‘My dear, don’t give up. I will immediately get the pond and the temple built as you have said. Instead, you also regularly participate in its construction and keep yourself busy.’
The queen agreed.
After many days, Pratap Malla was also satisfied to see the face of his beloved queen.
Pratap Malla took this situation created by compulsion as a great opportunity. Although there were many good ponds in the cities of Patan and Bhaktapur, Kathmandu did not have a significant reservoir. Although it was for the queen’s peace of mind, now he had a great opportunity to leave his fame forever, shocking all the people and even Patan, Bhaktapur.
He decided the location of the pond and the temple in consultation with his skilled Kaligarhs. Taking flight of imagination, water source and maintenance as well as all other aspects were taken care of.
As the pond took shape, he was sure that this reservoir would become a beautiful diamond in the city of Kantipur and anyone would be lost in its vastness.
Even after the construction was completed, he must have been overwhelmed with the satisfaction that he built the most beautiful monument in his lifetime!
Plans were also made to build ghats, resting places and gardens so that people could use the pond as a sacred reservoir to purify themselves, offer tarpan to ancestors. To maintain the purity of the water, for the arrangement of continuous water flow, the Rajkulo and the disposal of waste water were also arranged.
Pratap Malla himself was a scholar, his court did not lack a single worthy bardhar. Famous tantrics Jamuna Guvaju and Lambkarna Bhatt were also in his Bhardari Sabha. It took five years to build this pond even after consulting all of them and applying all the resources and wisdom. A ‘new pond’ built in a place where there is no pond is still called ‘Nhu Pukhu’ in Nepali language.
After the pond was ready, there was much deliberation on the structure of the middle temple. Many people suggested many ways on how to give that temple a look. Pratap Malla may have thought the shape of the Jormandir named Pratappur and Anantapur built in his name in Swayambhu fifteen-sixteen years ago. He approved the same in consultation with the Rani and Bhardar.
According to the advice of astrologers, the idol to be installed in it and the name were also decided. Pratap Malla had a statue of himself and his sons Mahipatindra and Chakravartindra riding an elephant on the south side of the reservoir.
After the pond and the temple are ready, if water is brought from the holy shrines and poured into it, the bathers will get the merits of all the shrines. He then decided to bring water from as many important shrines, rivers, wells etc. as possible.
According to pundits, pouring water from 51 reservoirs is auspicious. People were assigned the responsibility of fetching water.
In this way, the pond, which Pratap Malle considered to be the most important achievement of his life, was prepared. It was a great joy for Pratap Malla and the whole of Kantipur to show his unique fame to Patan, Bhaktapur and Rajarjouta outside the valley.
Pratap Malla organized a grand ceremony and invited everyone. Rumors spread everywhere that the King of Kantipur had built an amazingly beautiful pond, and now it was a pleasure for everyone to be invited to see it themselves.
Oh, what was the grandeur of the ceremony!
Neighboring kings came on decorated elephants to receive Pratap Malla’s invitation. Even the queens who came riding in palanquins were not at all impressed. The handsome prince, the movements of the princesses were very graceful. Since Tantric Jamuna Guvaju is heavy, there is no need to perform Yagna according to Tantric method.
The people of Kantipur also participated in that fun with great joy and enthusiasm. Bajagaza made the atmosphere more lively. In the lake of Dhime Baja and Tainai, bamboo lingo rods were nimbly spun by skilled hands.
Ganga water from distant shrines Kedarnath, Badrinath, Muktinath, Gosainkunda, Vanaras had already been brought to the reservoir. Water carriers from the nearby Bagmati, Bishnumati and other shrines were also bringing water in full swing. Three hundred were the queens of Pratap Malla. Oh, what a charming sight it was when they poured water from the small pots into the reservoir!
What to talk about Kantipur city and its natural beauty at that time!
I took flights of fancy for several days based on information from various historical sources. Can I build all these environments!
At first, I felt bad for myself. After that I have to make it, if I don’t do it, who will do it? Son Vishnu (Vishnu Prasad Sharma) was also cheering him on.
This painting is his imagination. He read me an article in which Prince Waldmar of Prussia visited Nepal in the year 1845 and his travel diary collected pictures of Ranipokhari at that time. He kept saying that we should make a picture of Ranipokhari based on that picture and the historical facts of Pratap Malla’s time.
I used to argue by replying that since the previous painting was done by the same foreign painter, the present Ranipokhari is being painted, now what is there to make new in it.
Meanwhile, the 2072 earthquake damaged Ranipokhari and Balagopaleshwar temples. During the reconstruction, there was a controversy about what the structure of the temple should be. At that time, one day in the evening, his son Vishnu said, ‘Father, if you have free time tomorrow morning, should you go for a visit to Basantpur, Kasthamandapati? I’ll even feed you Jerry at your childhood sweet shop.’
I am always happy to remember Lagantol, where I was born and brought up, and the water-filled wooden pavilion from there. On top of that, Jerry from the grocery store. When he used to buy jerry, he used to get Mohanbhog Lapakka Daler Fosa, which oozes hot ghee on the smooth leaves of Sal. My mouth watered remembering. I said yes.
The next morning, father and son, we went there on motorbikes. We both ate jerry. Where to get the taste like before! Neither that beauty in Jerry’s presentation, nor that purity in ghee! Nor the taste of youth in your mouth!
Even so, I ate contentedly with what I had. We visited the Kasthamandap. We went to Kumari’s house. Every time I see those temples built during the Malla period, I am delighted.
On his way back, his son parked his motorcycle near Bhotahiti. Confused for a while, he said, ‘Let’s go to Ranipokhari for a moment, will we find something like this?’
Why go to Ranipokhari now? What is there to see? I have memorized everything, what should I ask,’ I said with a little hesitation.
‘Let’s go for a moment, let’s not look,’ he shouted and started looking for the door at the entrance to Ranipokhari.
‘No, what are you talking about? Where can you go inside Ranipokhari?’ I said
‘Let’s try, won’t it go wrong? If there is someone on duty, can you explain to him and go alone?’
A small entrance appeared without saying. There a man let us in after making some inquiries. Vishnu slowly took me by the hand and led me towards the elephant riding Pratap Malla. He turned to look at the ruined temple in the middle of the pond.
I had never been able to see Ranipokhari from that angle after going inside the pond and standing near the elephants that Pratap Malla was climbing. What I saw was like a dream. I didn’t realize that I was sinking into another world of imagination.
After being speechless for a while, I said to my son, ‘Look, standing at this place, King Pratap Malla must have told all the guests about Ranipokhari. How beautiful it looks from this angle is the middle temple. If you combine these angles and take pictures, I will make a magnificent picture of Ranipokhari!’
Vishnu was smiling at my behavior.
The dialogue between Rani Anantapriya and Pratap Malla that I have mentioned above and the sequence during the production of Ranipokhari was conceived from this point. After coming home and printing the photos taken by him, we joined the discussion. He provided me with a lot of reference material from the internet and his own collection. Two or three times he went back there and drew more maps.
I prepared that picture in about six months, discussing with father and son. We also published that picture in the magazine. Our aim was to strengthen the argument that the temple should be rebuilt in the style of the peak (granthakut) built by Pratap Malla.
Many heritage lovers had raised the issue that Ranipokhari’s temple should be built in Shikhar style, referring to the picture. Today, I am happy that Ranipokhari has got its current form with the help of the National Reconstruction Authority, the pressure of heritage lovers and skilled architectural technicians.
When I saw the picture of President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurating the newly built Ranipokhari, pouring water from a glass into the reservoir, I remembered Pratap Malla’s Queen Anantapriya, who may have poured water into the reservoir in remembrance of her dead son.
Due to the insistence of that queen and the creativity of King Pratap Malla, Kantipur got this beautiful heritage. And, today, even amidst the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, at least one heritage site that gives us chills has been revived.
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