GIRISH CHANDRA REGMI

THE ORIGINAL inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley were the Newars, whose culture was distinct from other Asian cultures. The Newars developed unique building methods, resulting in high, narrow houses quite unlike the architecture of other societies.

The Newars were master builders, especially skilled in handling space and scale and arranging their buildings within a square for sophisticated visual effect.

The design of Newar towns and villages, the relationship between narrow streets and open spaces and the placement of houses and monuments are evidence of a remarkable understanding of the need to relate visual and functional principles to social needs.

Newar settlements are built on non-irrigated high plateaux surrounded by farm land. All have access to water and, usually, approaches to the towns are flanked by large ponds and tanks. The houses are built compactly, using as little horizontal space as possible. Such an architectural style evolved from the need to preserve every inch of arable land for cultivation. Newar settlements fit perfectly into the contours of the land, maximising the preservation of arable land for agricultural purposes.

The community's strong sense of togetherness, along with a sensitivity to the landscape and efficient use of space, have produced a sustaining balance in town-building. The fertile soil at the bottom of what was once a lake provides the local population with their material needs, especially rice, whose production imposes basic rules governing the community and its environment. The characteristic design of Newar settlements shows the land's influence on the community extends even to shaping their thinking and the manner of their development.

Newar tradition realised the value of land in such a small country as Nepal, and to realise this, one has only to consider what would have happened had they built one-storey houses in the Kathmandu Valley from ancient times. The Newars built four- and five-storeyed houses centuries ago to make it possible for their descendants to continue living in the valley today.

The traditional artistic sensitivity of Newars in the construction of their houses and towns, unfortunately, is being lost and their ancient culture is in danger of dying out. Modern Newars must show the same care and veneration for the natural environment with which their ancestors developed their settlements and towns, their temples and holy places. Only then can they be sure that there will be space in the valley for their descendants.

This article is based on a paper by Girish Chandra Regmi, a specialist in urban planning, which he presented at a Centre for Science and Environment workshop on "Global Environmental Change: An Agenda for Social Scientists".