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Circles of Connection
“नपुखु, नपुखु ख्वः धका । न्या जन्म काया देवं ।। न्यातापोल स्वयं धका । बखुं जन्म काया देवं ।।” -रणजीत मल्ल
How is a city made? Perhaps by weaving the intricate web of life deep and wide, into every arch and courtyard it leads to. Or, by holding the integrity of compassion for all life forms in every integral foundation and the patterns it gives rise to. A city like Khwopa is made through, intelligence, kindness, and resilience.
A city is not a mapped-out infrastructure. It is a deeply embedded philosophy. A philosophy that cherishes the five elements of life, Pancha Pranali. Through earthen homes and alleys, tended farms and grains, and guarded forests, Bhadgaon—the rice settlement, reveres the EARTH. With dozens of pukhus, hundreds of inaras, and century-old hitis, Khopring is designed to support a regenerative WATER cycle for all. Bhaktapur is home to many, not just humans — providing SPACE for all forms of beings to relish rest in falchas, rejoice in jatras, and reunite in nanees. Bhaktagrama has molded itself into what it is today through the FIRE that still burns in kitchens, kilns, and the eyes of the native. Khwopa, through all its names and stories, still breathes and carries the ever-flowing AIR into every corner and to every life form of this living heritage.
As we walk through ख्वप, an old town shaped as the sacred geometry, ‘Sri Yantra’, let us listen closely – how is a city made?
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Curated by Rushel Shilpakar, Chronicles by @365_days_of_bhaktapur, Creatives by @deegopranali, Co-crafted by @srichchha @gaea_kar
Further details are added after the event on 4th April 2026.
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**@Deego Pranali x @365_Days_of_Exploring_Bhaktapur**
**Notes from Native Tourist, Rushel Shilpakar**
About the Walk
This walk is designed to help participants explore and understand how the five elements of nature were traditionally managed that helped sustain the historic city of Bhaktapur for centuries.
About the Curator
The walk will be curated by Rushel Shilpakar who calls himself a native tourist.
He has been involved in exploration and research of the culture and heritage of his hometown for a few years.
He has undertaken the campaign called 365 Days of Exploring Bhaktapur and documented the hidden and neglected heritages of his hometown.
He is recently pursuing a master's degree in Nepalese History, Culture, and Archaeology.
So, this walk will be the combination of his ongoing research, lived experiences and insights from his exploration themed on the Pancha Pranali in Khwopa/Bhaktapur.
About Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur, also known as Khwopa and referred to as Khopring in ancient records, is one of the three historic cities of the Kathmandu Valley, along with Kathmandu and Patan. During the medieval period, Bhaktapur developed as an important political, cultural, and economic center and served as the capital of the Malla kingdom for several centuries until the division of the valley into three kingdoms in the 15th century.
In the present administrative context, the broader area associated with Bhaktapur is organized as Bhaktapur District, which covers approximately 119 sq. km and is divided into four municipalities. However, this heritage walk does not cover the entire district. Instead, it focuses on the historic core settlement of Bhaktapur, which today falls within Bhaktapur Municipality and covers an area of approximately 6.88 sq. km, with a population of around 80,000–85,000 residents.
This historic core represents an outstanding example of traditional urban planning in the Kathmandu Valley. Its spatial organization comprising interconnected streets, residential neighborhoods, palace, courtyards, public squares, open spaces, temples, shrines, energy channels and traditional water systems- reflects the sophisticated planning principles of the ancient and medieval periods. Despite modern developments, much of this historic urban fabric remains preserved, making Bhaktapur one of the best examples of a living heritage city in Nepal.
Owing to the exceptional preservation of its historic urban fabric, the core settlement of Bhaktapur holds significant international recognition. The historic palace complex and surrounding urban spaces of Bhaktapur Durbar Square are included as one of the seven monument zones of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1979
Bhaktapur historically developed as a city where urban life, agriculture, and natural landscapes were planned together as one interconnected system
Traditional urban planning in Bhaktapur can be understood through three domains:
The human settlement was always located on hilltop areas. These hill terrains were not suitable for agriculture, so they were used for residential purposes. The settlement was designed to be compact, allowing maximum use of the hill for housing while preserving the fertile plains below for farming, where irrigation was easier. This model created a low ecological footprint system, where land was used according to its natural suitability.
Another advantage of this planning was flood safety. By placing residential areas on higher ground, the city remained protected from flooding. This reflects a very thoughtful and wise approach to urban planning.
The agricultural domain was fundamental to the identity and survival of the city. In fact, the name of Bhaktapur itself is believed to be connected to agriculture. The ancient name Khopring is often explained through the Kirat language:
Kho – rice grain
Pring – settlement
Later, this name was Sanskritized into Bhakta-gram, carrying a similar meaning, which gradually evolved into Bhakta-pur, the present name of the city.
Agriculture made the state largely self-sufficient. Farming practices were organic, and communities had systems to maintain soil fertility. One important system was Sa Gaa, a compost pit built within houses or community courtyards. Organic waste from households was collected and converted into fertilizer for farming.
Interestingly, this traditional practice addressed two problems that cities face today: unmanaged urban waste and declining soil fertility. By converting household waste into compost, the community created a circular ecological system.
Beyond the agricultural land lay the natural domain, mainly forests that provided fuel, timber, and other natural resources for the community.
To protect the agricultural and natural domain from uncontrolled expansion of settlements, clear boundaries were established. One was a physical boundary wall, and another was a sacred boundary marked by the temples of the Astamatrika, which symbolically defined the limits of the city. These boundaries helped maintain a balance between settlement, agriculture, and natural resources, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the city.
Bhaktapur developed an intricate and highly sophisticated water management system that sustained dense urban settlements for centuries. Rather than relying on a single source, the city used a network of interconnected water infrastructures, carefully designed to collect, distribute, and regenerate water.
The key components of this system included:
Together, these elements formed a regenerative water system, where water was continuously circulated, stored, and replenished.
Ponds played a crucial role in maintaining the city’s water balance. Historically, Bhaktapur had more than 4 dozen ponds that were strategically located according to their function. Broadly, they can be understood in these categories.
These ponds also played an important role in maintaining the groundwater table, which made it possible to draw water from wells even in a hilltop settlement. Historical accounts suggest that Bhaktapur once had around 220 wells distributed throughout the city.
Another remarkable component of Bhaktapur’s water system is the stone spout, locally known as Hiti. Bhaktapur historically had more than 100 stone spouts, many of which served as important public water sources. These spouts were supplied through two main mechanisms:
This reflects an impressive understanding of hydrogeology among the builders of the system. They were able to locate aquifers and channel groundwater to stone spouts without the use of modern technology.
Interestingly, the system relied mainly on shallow aquifers, rather than deep underground water reserves. This indicates a traditional awareness that excessive extraction of deep groundwater could disturb the natural balance.
Today, heavy dependence on deep bore wells in the Kathmandu Valley has contributed to problems such as land subsidence, with studies suggesting that parts of the valley are sinking by approximately 28 millimetres per year.
The traditional water system of Bhaktapur avoided such risks by maintaining a balance between extraction and recharge.
Another important element of the water system was the Rajkulo, an artificial canal built to transport water from distant sources.
One such canal brought water from the hills of Nagarkot, approximately 7 kilometres away in the north east of the city.
This canal served two purposes:
Bhaktapur is unique among the historic cities of the Kathmandu Valley because some of its stone spouts were directly supplied by Rajkulo water. The system also allowed water to be redirected depending on need, sending it either toward irrigation canals or toward stone spouts serving the settlement.
This flexible water distribution demonstrates an advanced understanding of resource management and urban engineering.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the system was how water was recycled and regenerated. Excess water flowing out from stone spouts was not wasted. Instead, it was either:
This created a continuous cycle of water use, where the same water could serve multiple purposes before eventually returning to the ground.
Nearby rivers also played an important role in supplying irrigation water to agricultural lands surrounding the city.
The water system of Bhaktapur did not rely only on constructed infrastructure. The surrounding landscape also played a vital role. Nearby forests and hills acted as natural recharge systems, allowing rainwater to slowly seep into the soil and replenish groundwater reserves.
For example, the large pond Siddha Pokhari is believed in local tradition to be connected to underground water flowing from the hills of Suryabinayak Hill.
Although some of these beliefs are part of oral tradition, they reflect a long-standing understanding of the relationship between landscape, groundwater, and water storage.
Thus, the water systems of Bhaktapur reflect a long tradition of hydraulic knowledge that may date back to early periods such as the Kirat era.
Some stone spouts built during the Licchavi Dynasty are still functioning today, meaning that certain components of this water infrastructure have been operating for more than a thousand years.
3. Space
आकाशं सर्वगतं नित्यं — Space is eternal and present everywhere.
4. Fire (Agni)
In the philosophy of Pancha Mahabhuta, the element Agni (fire) represents far more than physical flame. It symbolizes energy, transformation, and activation—the force that converts one state of existence into another.
Fire is the mechanism through which change happens. In natural systems, it appears in many forms of transformation:
Through these processes, fire becomes the principle that converts potential into active form.
Forms of Transformation in Bhaktapur
The presence of fire as a transformative element can be observed in several historical domains within Bhaktapur.
One of the most visible transformations in Bhaktapur is the conversion of earth into durable urban material. Local clay extracted from surrounding lands is shaped into bricks, roof tiles, and pottery. However, these materials only gain strength and durability through firing in kilns.
The process can be understood as:
local soil
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clay extraction
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shaping (brick, tile, pottery)
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kiln firing
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