The building art of Nepal

Swambhunath

Durbar Square

Pashupati Nath Temple

Newars provided the artistic environment to the architecture and the stepping up undercurrent of Buddhism since Ashoka's pilgrimage to Nepal in third century B.C., thus setting up innumerable stupas. After passage of two thousand years two of the monuments namely temple of Shwayambhu Nath and othe known as Bodhanath came up as hall mark of the period. Main shape of these stupas was of the orthodox semispherical form, surmounted by a large finial of unprecidented design.

Pagoda form of the Far East was readily accepted as the architecture of the valley. Both shikhara form made out of stone and pagoda form chiefly constructed in wood was applied in the temple building. A closed structure forming cella for divinity, around which a courtyard generally provided space for congregation.