Pokhara metropolitan city sits on the Shore of Phewa Lake and is located within the small valley surrounded by tall green hills of the Mahabharata Range. The city has a humid subtropical climate, but since it is high up in the elevation, it has moderate temperatures with very rainy summers.
Facing the mountains like Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, and Annapurna eye to eye, Pokhara boasts its richness in natural resources, cultural significance, and about 2 million yearly visitors. Its humid streets are always packed with tourists and they feel like a never-ending festival, and the stone-cladded structures reflect the views of the rocky hills, setting a cohesive tone with the geography of the hills of Nepal and everything that attracts tourists to Pokhara. The aura of the city is very home-like, with structures not taller than 5-6 stories; and greenery and lively streets.
History of settlement
During the time of the unifier Prithvi Narayan Shah (1700s), Pokhara was an important trading place on the routes from Kathmandu to Jumla and from India to Tibet. Pokhara then naturally developed into a bigger settlement with people from surrounding hills migrating to the place for opportunities. With this migration, the settlement also welcomed different architectural styles of different castes following different religions from different areas of the hills of Nepal. With it, the city gradually changed from an agriculture and trade centric to tourism centric city. The Brahmins from hills and Gurungs and Magars from mountainous regions, Newars from Kathmandu Valley, make up the majority of the population, and influences of the architecture of the regions can be still seen in today’s architecture.
The evolution of the city’s architecture to the present
With the evolution of the city, traditional vernacular styles got replaced by the R.C.C. structures, but what stayed throughout the years in the architectural scene of Pokhara is the use of stone in buildings as a component for masonry or as cladding. The abundance of sources of building stones in the banks of different rivers that cross the valley has resulted in it being the major material to be highlighted in the architecture of the Pokhara Valley. Mountain architecture also has some influence over the preference for stone as a building material in the valley. It gives a unique feel to the city. The stone masonry set a grounded nature to the buildings and in totality to the city. The buildings usually don’t go higher than 5-6 stories so the streets become the main domain of interaction, because all the eyes are on the street.
Architectural landmarks
The architectural landmarks of Pokhara are mostly its religious sites with include Hindu temples tiered temples, and Buddhist Stupas and Gumbas. As mentioned earlier, people from different areas migrated to Pokhara and brought their unique culture, and religion, thus built their places of worship. Pokhara welcomes thousands of pilgrims each year. Tal Barahi temple sits amidst the Phewa Lake and is a tiered Nepali Hindu temple and Binda Basini temple, the oldest temple of Pokhara, overlooking the beautiful Annapurna range host many visitors. Likewise, the Peace Pagoda, which is located on the nearby hill also is an important religious destination for the buddhists. Similar to these landmarks, there are many disparate temples, pagodas, and Gumbas in the valley that can be considered architectural gems.
The recently built Pokhara International Airport is also turning into an architectural landmark and its symmetrical façade and one-of-a-kind design sets its image quite apart. The landmarks not only bring in the followers to the city but they certainly add to the exhilaration and give the city another dimension.
Tourism architecture
Hotel architecture seems to have gained momentum in recent decades. Different hotels and resorts are built overlooking the lakes and the mountains capitalizing on the scenic views of the valley. Adhering to the use of stone architecture, most of the resorts and retreats are adding to the architectural image of the city. Mostly the tourist-related activities are centered on the famously known area “the lakeside” where visitors partake in shopping for their trekking gear in the roadside shops, dine in several aesthetic restaurants, or just admire the view of the lake and the mountains.
In conclusion, the architecture of the valley has evolved throughout history with the change in the economic prospects of the city. But what has stayed throughout time is the underlying culture, religion, and values that give depth to the overall architectural experience of the city. Through the stones in the houses mimicking the mountains, it establishes itself as the city of natural beauty and the view of the incandescent snowcapped mountains. The form of the buildings also can be seen to be derived from the mountains. Therefore, the architecture of Pokhara Valley is grounded in its geography and scenic reference, and this adds to the “Naturally beautiful and the haven for tourists” image of the city.
References
- Furer-Haimendorf, Christoph von (1978). “Trans-Himalayan Traders in Transition”. In Fisher, James F. (ed.). Himalayan Anthropology. Great Britain: Mouton Publishers. p. 339.
