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Pagoda Features
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Tiered
roofing
The
most striking architectural feature in Nepalese architecture is the series
of huge projecting roofs set one above another. They are generally square
in plan and diminish in size from the bottom to the top. Two and three
tiered pagodas were most common in Kathmandu; however, there are some
single tiered, three four-tired and some five-tiered pagodas. The
projection of the roofs protects the walls from the heavy monsoon rain and
the strong sunlight. Although the roof overhang of residential buildings
is only about one meter, roofs over temples may overhang up to four
meters.
The
shape of a pagoda roof depends upon the shape of the structure in plan. Square pagodas are most common, but sometimes we find rectangular,
octagonal or circular pagodas also. The pagoda roofs are sloped, and they
overhang from the inner cella walls. They are supported on the outer edge
by wooden struts on wooden pillars or the brick walls. |
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Octagonal Pagoda |
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Wooden
struts are called Tundals, and they are another important
feature of Nepalese pagoda. They are wooden structures carved with
different deities for whom the temple is dedicated to and other related
gods of the temple. Usually they
are placed under the roof, to support sloping roofs, but sometimes they
are just provided for aesthetics purpose.
Wooden
windows
Lavishly
decorated wooden windows are placed on each level of the tiered roofed
temples and palaces. They are always placed on odd numbers (1,3,5..)
depending upon the size of the wall.
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Wooden struts at the temple of Changu |
A
bay widow flanked
by smaller ones on the sides, is another common type of wooden windows.
These windows are used both in residences and temples. They are
usually put on the third floor. These windows are slanted
outward exposing
their beauty to the floor below. They are either open type or are
closed with wooden
lattice, which helped to get privacy in the room and provide
ventilation at
the same time . Each wooden strip of latticework is
carved separately and interlocked together.
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Wooden window
Detail |
Gold plated entrance gate of a palace |
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Doorways
A
lot of emphasis was given to doors of temples and palaces. They are either
of carved wood or embossed metal ones. As per the importance given to the
temple, they are plated with gold or silver.
Doors
to the temples and the palaces have very low height, about 4.5 feet to 5
feet. They believed that the gods and the kings are very superior to men,
and should always bow head when entering their place.
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The
pinnacle or the
gajur is the top most portion of the structure. Mostly single gajur is
provided but sometimes we even find two smaller gajurs on the either side
of the big one. Heavy metals like copper, brass, and iron are used for
making these pinnacles. They are they plated with silver and gold in major
temples.
Originally,
gajurs might have been provided to cover the top joint of the four sided
sloping roof but now they mark as the pride to the structures. |
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Pinnacles
at top of a roof |