A MORPHOLOGICAL the neighborhood quarter, and their dis­ ANALYSIS OF NEIGH­ tribution in the settlement. They are also found to be closely related to the settle­ BORHOOD STRUCTURE ment structure as defined by the neigh­ -TOLES AND THE borhood blocks and the street patterns. RITUAL ARTIFACTS OF Following the morphological analysis, the study then reconstructs four histori­ THE KATHMANDU cal phases, and suggests that the devel­ VALLEY TOWNS- THE opment ofthe town was regulated by the CASE OF THIMI royal court. Further, through the case study of the three neighborhood units, the paper shows that totes constituted Mohan Pant1 & Funo ShujF basic urban units-a transition level to the town settlement that differed from Abstract the lower level structure of the clan settlement unit. The traditional towns ofthe Kathmandu Valley are ingrained with varying cul­ Introduction tural forms of different historical peri­ ods. But the paucity of documented lit­ In the Kathmandu Valley, besides the erature and the evident difficulties con­ three major cities-Kathmandu, Patan ducting archaeological work on the ex­ and Bhaktapur, there are 31 small town isting settlements leave significant gaps settlements dotted around the Valley ter­ in the knowledge of ancient and medi­ rain. Most of these settlements are eval towns of the Valley. This paper, known to have already been settled by 1 through the morphological analysis of the Licchavi period (2"ct -9 h C). The in­ neighborhood units, known as toles, and scriptional records of this period at the their ritual artifacts, of one of the Val­ same time show the existence of numer­ ley towns- Thimi- attempts to dis­ ous settlements prior to the beginning cover the different historical layers of of the histori c period. Cultural histori­ the settlement. In particular, the study ans unanimously agree that Nepal was finds that the territorial structure of the primarily inhabited and ruled by the tole and its ritual artifacts such as the people known as Kirata before the ad­ shrine of Ganesa, which is the symbol vent of Licchavi rule. of a neighborhood locality, and the crossroad spirit, known as chwasa show The present day Newar community is a regular pattern in their location within an amalgamation of numerous ethnic communities that migrated to Nepal dur­ ing different periods in ancient times. 1 Researcher, Funo Shuji Laboratory, Depart­ But it is thought that among the various ment of Architecture, Faculty of communities of the Valley Newars, the Engineering,Kyoto University. descendants of Kirata make up the ma­ jority of the population. According to 2 Associate Professor, Department of some scholars, the Licchavis had an an­ Architecture, faculty ofengineerinng, Kyoto cestral link to Kiratas and like Sakyas University were indigenous people who had their Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 07:59:40PM via free access A morphological Analysis of Neighborhood Structure Buddha. Such a historical background also leads to the understanding of vari­ suggests that the settlements of the ous other features of the settlement such Kathmandu Valley have at their early as whether the town developed in a historical layers the embodiment of the spontaneous manner or in a certain indigenous community life, which in the planned framework. It will also point out course of history, evolved into various that the neighborhood unit- tole, of the forms following interactions with immi­ Kathmandu Valley is the basic urban unit grating communities in later historical that heralds the beginning of urban com­ periods. munity life in the settlement. At the present stage of research, the pau­ The Town of Thimi- Geo­ city of documented literature and lim­ ited progress on archaeological work graphical Setting leave much a significant gap in the knowledge of both the ancient and me­ The town of Thjmi is eight km east of dieval settlements of the Kathmandu the present capital city-- Kathmandu, Valley. The present study attempts to and 4 kms west ofBhaktapur, the medi­ throw light on the forms of the traditional eval capital city ofNepal (Fig. 1). Thimi, settlements through the analysis of from the medieval period, was also neighborhood structures of the town of known as 'Madhyapura' probably be­ Thimi, one ofthe traditional settlements cause of its central location with The of the Valley. Historical records show Kathmandu and Patan to the west and that the town of Thimi existed before Bhaktapur to the east. Since 1997, the 1350 AD, while other studies suggest that town including other minor settlements the settlement existed long before the around it has been designated as Licchavi period.3 This paper makes a Madhyapura municipality. morphological analysis on the physical forms of the neighborhoods and their It is typical of Valley settlements that ritual artifacts, and finds out different most of the settlements are built on el­ historical layers of the town developed evated land ofthe undulating Valley ter­ by the end of first half of 19th century. rain, while the lower basins are utilized These settlement layers, relating to for agricultural purposes. Thimi is at one other available data, both historical and of the southern spurs on the plateau morphological, can be framed in south of the Manohara river, and north an evolutionary sequence. The analysis ofHanumante stream (Fig. 2). The spur of Thimi falls away to the east, south and west rising at an elevation of about 30 meters from the lower valley floor. 3 Gopalarajavamsavali, folio 52, p. I 08, A north-south route connects Thimi with Malia and Vajracharya, 1985. a number of other settlements located Gopalarajavamsavali is a chronicle com­ farther north and south. posed sometime in the period of 14th cen­ tury, and is considered the most reliable medieval document among numerous other The traditional route connecting The chronicles on Nepalese history. Kathmandu and Bhaktapur passes al­ most through the central part of the 41 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 07:59:40PM via free access MANUSYA:Journal ofHumanities(Speciallssue.No.3.2002) settlement thus dividing the town into two was constructed at the northern end of parts, the northern and southern sectors. the town to connect The Kathmandu and The north-south street running almost Bhaktapur, and the area developed as through the middle of the whole settle­ the new shopping street ofthe town. The ment is the major street ofthe town with development of the town up to this street temples and other public buildings stud­ shows a certain degree of continuity in ded in sidelanes and squares (Fig. 3). the traditional pattern of the settlement Minor lanes branch towards the east and and therefore delimits the area for the west from this spinal street. The topog­ present study. As late as 1973, another raphy of the land falling sharply on all traffic line was built in the low land at the three sides of the settlement and the the south of the town, which has been a compact cluster of dwellings define market zone of recent developments. It sharply the town settlement area on the is said that until 1960, there were only plateau against the low lying agricultural few shops in the main north-south street fields around it. of the settlement, which by now is lined with shops on both sides today. Almost at the center of the southern sec­ tion of the town, towards the east of the The population of the municipality in main street, there is one of the ritual 1995 was projected to be 38,373 with centers of the town. This center is known that ofthe old town core around 20,000.4 as Layaku (Sanskrit: rajakula-palace The town area consists of numerous or the court of the royalty), which in the neighborhood quarters, and is entirely medieval period served as an adminis­ inhabited by Newar's. But as described trative office of the Thimi region. At in the previous section, this community present there exists a court of the Town can be further divided into a number of Goddess within the Layaku. The rest of communities according to their ethnic the Layaku has been rebuilt to house a roots, traditional professions and social secondary school. At the southern end status. Among these communities, the of the town, there is a square where the Shrestha community and Prajapati com­ main temple of the Town Goddess is munity make up 85% of the total popu­ located. The square is the main ritual lation. Shresthas traditionally work in center of the town. North of Layaku, farming. They are also engaged in there is a large water tank and it is said commerce and hold administrative that the area south ofthe tank is the ear­ posts, while Prajapatis specialize in lier part ofthe town ofThimi, and a town pottery making, in addition to their tradi­ gate existed at the southwest comer of tional farm work. Thimi exhibits anum­ the tank in the main street. At present ber of common features with other there exist three town gates on some of major towns of the Valley such as the major routes leading to the town. topography, compact settlement, dwell- In the early period the main shops of the 4 Thimi, 1990. town were along the route connecting Bhaktapur and Kathmandu. But in 1853, a new road for horse drawn carriages 42 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 07:59:40PM via free access A morphological Analysis of Neighborhood Structure ings ofthree or more stories built in con­ suffix in the name of certain particular tiguity, and streets punctuated by com­ localities until the present day, totes be­ munity squares with temples and other gan to be common as neighborhood units public structures. of the town settlement from the early medieval period.