Newari Architecture

2. POKHARA UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
MADAN BHANDARI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
URLABARI-03, MORANG
HISTORY OF NEPALESE ARCHITECTURE
STUDY ON NEWARI ARCHITECTURE
PREPARED BY:
GROUP: C
ROLL NO.: 03, 10, 12, 19, 20, 31, 35, 42
DATE: 14/02/2024
SUBMITTED TO:
ASST. PROF. AR. SUNITA SHRESTHA
AR. PRASHANT KARKI

3. NEWARI ARCHITECTURE
Introduction
• Indigenous style of architecture
used by the newari people
• it is a style used in buildings
ranging
from stupas and chaitya monastery
buildings to courtyard structures
and distinctive houses.
• The style is marked by striking brick
work and a unique style of wood
carving rarely seen outside Nepal.
• The style has been propagated by
Nepalese architects including
Araniko.

4. Origin
• During the Malla dynasty starting from 1200 B.C. Which spanned for more than five hundred
years.
• The term “newari architecture” refers to the style used in newari temples (also known as
“dega”), palaces, monasteries, and public rest areas (also known as “dharamsala”).
• ‘Newar,’ which means ‘Inhabitant of Nepal,’ was originated from a colloquial (Prakrit) form.
• Name was found for the first time in 1654 in one of the famous inscriptions.
• Majority of Newars flow into Kathmandu valley from India and Tibet, blend of Indo-Aryan, the
one who came from India, and Tibetan-Burman.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

5. Distribution
• Total newar 4 hundred
thousand people, of which 55%
live in Kathmandu Valley .
• Spread equally through the
Eastern, western hills and terai
plains .
• Settled in western Town of
Pokhara, Tansen, Butwal and
even in the far Western
Silghari Doti .
• Newars have always traveled
for trade and business.
• Few newars living in outlying
districts whereas great
numbers of newars in
Kathmandu valley.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

6. Newari Language And Occupation
• Newars have their language known as ‘Nepal Bhasa.’
• It belongs to Tibeto-Burman languages, but it is also highly
influenced by Indo-Aryan languages like Sanskrit, Maithili,
etc.
In the past, Newari people were primarily involved in Agriculture
as there were many cultivable lands in Kathmandu valley. But,
along with modernization, they started to expand their horizons,
and now they are famous as businessmen, artist and Architects.
They rule over the industrial and service sector.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

7. Newari Relgion
• Newars are both Hindu and Buddhist.
• Both of these religions still exist in modern times
and are equally respected.
• As per the 2001 census in Nepal, 84% of Newars
followed Hinduism, and 15% of Newars followed
Buddhism.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

8. Newari Culture And Tradition
Newari people are famous for their unique lifestyle. They have
the rituals and customs which are to be followed from birth till
death. They have their way of celebrating festivals, performing
marriage ceremonies and funerals.
One of the old and still alive cultures is their unique way of
celebrating the marriage ritual. They perform Bel Bibaha,
where pre-teenager girls marry Bel (fruit) to ensure that they
remain fertile for a lifetime.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

9. NEWARI FESTIVALS
1. Yomari Punhi
2. Gai Jatra
3. Mha Puja
4. Bisket Jatra
5. Indra Jatra
6. Rato Machhindranath Jatra
'ghintang ghisi' dance
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

10. Newari Cuisine
Newari culture is also marked
well by different cuisines made
by them. The delicacies of
Newari are famous all over the
world, and many tourists die
for those meals. So, if you
ever visited Nepal, then one of
the must-try things is to taste
Newari food.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

11. Economy
• They have a wide range of occupation
• Some of them are farmers, retails
trades , political and administrative post.
• Traditionally been noted as architect
and artician
• Builders of famous temples and shrines
of Kathmandu.
• Flourished sculpture and painting from
10th to 16th century.
• Pottery maker, paper production, wood
carving and metallurgy
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

12. Building Materials
1. Clay
2. Brick(appa)
3. Tiles
4. Stones
5. Wood
6. Metal And Alloys
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

13. Clay and Tiles
Uses:
• For making Bricks, Tiles,
Jhingati
• As binding materials
• For making clay pots
• For making sculpture
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

14. Bricks(Appa)
Types:
1. Dachi Appa: Trapezoidal shape (8
inches by 4 inches by 2 inches)
Used in external façade
2. Ma Appa: Regular in shape (8
inches by 5 inches by 1 and ¾ inches)
Burnt brick and highly densed
3. Kachi Appa: Sun dried but not firing
Used in internal face of the wall
Decorated pattern of bricks
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

15. Stones
Uses:
• Stone posts
• Stone lintel
• Stone mandapa
• Monolithic cut
slab
• Roof
• Gajur
• Foundation
• Plinth
• Pavement (e.g.
durbar square)
• Dhungedhara
• Steps
• Stone pillar
Wood
Sal tree, Sisau,
Salla, Utis, Chap
Uses:
• Framework
• Door
• Window
• Struts
• Roof rafters
• Column and
beams
• Flooring
• Stairs
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

16. Metal and Alloys
• Gold
• Silver
• Copper
• Brass
• Bronze
Uses:
• Pinnacle (Gajur,
umbrella)
• Sculpture
• Statue
• Bajra , lotus flower pillar
• Golden gate
• Gold gilded copper roof
• Bell
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

17. CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Foundation
• Foundation is shallow.
• Temples with high plinth- directly of the
ground level or thin brick soling.
• Stone is used.
• Depth of foundation is generally about
80cm and width is 70cm.
• Plinth in front of palace, dwellings are part
of foundation.
Plinth
• Wall raised on stone plinth beam
• Plinth beam (Continuous/Extended Sill under
Door ways) placed all around the core walls on a
patterned brick string course (Nagas).
• Plinth in brickwork with stone trimmings
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

18. CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Wall
• Load Bearing Brick 70 cm or more in Thickness,
upto 2m in certain temple wall.
• Brick in mud-mortar with glazed facing bricks
• Double leaf construction
• Triple leaf construction
• Load bearing layer tied together with horizontal
(ties at nagpasa, entablatures) and vertical
timber elements (posts at door openings/corners)
• String courses at base, over door lintels , mid
way through the wall (nagpasa) etc.
• Triple leaf construction
• SILAE: A strong mortar made of resins, stone
dust, lentils and cotton
• MAHSUCHA: Mortar made of yellow cotton soil
giving it water-sealing property
SLATE
DACHI APPA
Wall And Wooden Beam Connection
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

19. CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Post and Lintels
• Trabeated system that is combination
of vertical columns and horizontal
beams.
• Timber columns (Tham, normally
square base with numerous
mouldings/square/ cylindrical shafts),
• Brackets (Metha +bagahmetha),
• Beam (Ninah)
• Base timber: Lakasi
• Base stone: ILahon
Post And Lintel Connection
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

20. CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Floor
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

21. CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Cornice
• Elaborate Cornice of
Decorative /formed
bricks and carved
timber ties
• Lotus leaves
(palepate), Lion faces
(simhamah) and book
stacks (Khichawa)
• Corner detail of cornice
• Dog eared bricks
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

22. CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Roof Details
• 1 Joist (Dalin)
• 8 Eaves Plate
• 9 Strut Rail
• 10 Wedge (Chukul)
• 11 Eaves Board
• 12 Board (Chirpat)
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

23. Construction Technologies
Door
• Internal frame
(dhuchu)
• Exterior frame (bha)
• Joined by 4 wooden
ties (tas)
• Pinned or nailed by
wooden nails
(chukus)
• City gates or large
palace door is called
Tadhan Lukha
• Temples or palaces
have a pediment or
torana fixed to
upper frame.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

24. Construction Technologies
Window
• Design based on aesthetic
purpose.
• Similar in construction to
doors.
• Pieced together from many
prefabricated timber units.
• Assembled without using
glue or metal nails.
• Each window has two frame
• Inner frame (dhuchu) is plain
and larger
• Outer frame or bha is smaller
and richly carved
• Both held together by
wooden ties and nails
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

25. Construction Technologies
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

26. Construction Technologies
Various uses of the neighbourhood chowk
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

27. Facade Treatment
1. Symmetry on central
axis.
2. Richly carved door and
window.
3. Highly decorated
cornice and brickworks.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

28. House Form
• Rectangular plan shape
• Courtyard and open spaces
• Developed over three storeys
• Depth of the plan is usually about
6 metres.
• Organisation of the house is
usually vertical, over 3 storeys
• Spine wall running through the
height.
• Single flight staircase to one side
of plan
• Two types of clusters of houses
either in long array or around a
court / chauk.
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

29. Settlement Pattern
Newari settlements share
common characteristics:
• Dense four story homes
along narrow streets.
• Open spaces of different
scales define different
regions of public use from
large squares to tiny court
yards.
Spaces are supported by
numerous forms of public
infrastructure:
• wells, taps, ancient stone
spouts, ponds as well as
community gathering
spaces and stages, power
generation and other
public functions.
1. Main Street Condition
2. Cross Road Intersection
3. Cluster Yard Condition
4. Main Square
5. Public Pond Space
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

30. Plan type and location in Town
1. Chuka & Chukache: Courtyard and Courtyard House
2. Nani: Secondary Courtyard
3. Yakahche: Isolated single house
4. Pikhache: street-side house
Settlement Pattern
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

31. Planning Principle/ Architectural Principle
1. Place centric
2. Temple centric
3. Courtyard and open spaces
4. Pagoda style temples
5. Symbolism
6. Symmetry and proportion
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

32. Planning Principle/ Architectural Principle
Courtyard and open spaces with sharing wall
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

33. Planning Principle/ Architectural Principle
Pagoda style temples Wooden carving
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

34. Planning Principle/ Architectural Principle
Symmetry and proportion
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

35. Typical Residential Planing Details
Elevation
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

36. Typical Residential Planing Details
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

37. Typical Residential Planing Details
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

38. Overhanging eaves typical of traditional
Newar buildings
Elevation with details
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

39. Kiritipur
Influence Through Contemporary
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

40. Walking spaces that are now
heavily reduced
Influence Through Contemporary
NEWARI ARCHITECTURE

41. NEWARI ARCHITECTURE
Conclusion
After detail research and analysis , we would like to conclude that Newari architecture is consider
as pure Nepali architecture. Newari architecture are constructed in Indigenous style of
architecture. The most interesting things about Newari architecture is that they are successfully
keeping their culture and traditions alive for more than a thousand years. Even now also in
Kathmandu valley we are able to see typical Newari architecture and its construction method.
Courtyard and open spaces, symmetry and proportion, overhanging roof etc are the notable
features of the Newari architecture. Highly carved Wooden doors and window elements are the
most rare and exceptional features of Newari architecture. The influence of Contemporary
architecture in Newari culture are such as removal of jhingati tiles, load bearing structure to frame
structure can be seen.