BUILT FORM OF TRADITIONAL SETTLEMENT OF BHAKTAPUR - THROUGH THE PRISM OF SOCIO-CULTURAL SETTING

The traditional ‘Newari’ built form of Bhaktapur, listed in the World Heritage Site was formed by unifying the three different ‘Kirata’ settlements during the 'Malla' period, which posses the unique features – compact and dense town form with integration of open and built spaces as ‘figure-ground,’ building blocks of three to four storey built in a row, narrow non-axial streets and houses clustered around the courtyards and street junctions based on the social status and natural ecology including balance architectural composition of buildings and monuments. It is the socio-cultural setting [of that period] that has dictated the settlement pattern, managed the town growth and sustained the urban life for the last many centuries and finally shaped the attitudes and behaviours of the inhabitants through sociocultural norms embedded into the local festivals and daily activities. Though more than a decade long Bhaktapur Development Project [1974-'86] was successful in revitalising local economy and initiating the preservation of rich architectural heritage, rapid urbanisation, demise of traditional social institution 'Guthi System' and changes in social life at present has not only caused the gradual degradation of cultural spaces and replacement of the traditional building stocks with new modern architectural vocabulary, often unfit with the local context but has also resulted in adverse impact on cultural practice and rituals. Such situation is continuously unabated due to the existence of inadequate and ineffective building and planning legislation, poor technical and managerial capabilities of the concerned public agencies and low level of community awareness. Moreover, the conservation approach targeting individual public monuments on isolated basis focusing on physical aspect only aiming to enhance international tourism has minimised the exploration of many opportunities. To reverse this wrong trend, a twofold strategy of implementing ‘Conservation Oriented Development’ program through formulation of flexible urban design and conservation guidelines to regulate town form and traditional building stocks on the one hand, and strengthening capacity of the concerned agencies to continue cultural and religious activities, on the other hand, is essential. Last but not the least, public education and community awareness through research and information dissemination, events celebration and community participation in the development program is also recommended to recover the lost role of intangible heritage in cultural sustainability of the town.