Architecture of Window (Nepal)

                            Windows are openings on walls provided for visual and light penetration into a building while enclosing the interior space and maintaining the continuity of the building facade. The primary function of a window is to provide a means for admission of natural daylight, necessary ventilation and views resulting a better spatial quality of building interior as well as exterior. From philosophical point of view: windows are the pathways to the sprit of a building. Some open a house to the world, other shut it away. A wall gives a building character but windows help give it rhythm and personality.

The history of windows started from invention of dolmens, a method to provide opening to a solid wall. As advanced technology and material (like glass) was obtained windows became expressive part of architecture; a gothic window, a baroque window, immensely carved exotic newari windows are the best examples of this expressive art.

Windows of Nepal

The most primitive window seen in Nepal is that of a Tharus' house. An opening with numerous slits obtained by not plastering the framework. Then the next stage is seen in a Parbates' house with the introduction of jambs, lintels and sill parts. The next site of development in window technology is in the majestic valley of Kathmandu. We have no reference of window architecture during Kirat and Lichchhavi period; documents states tiered temples existed during their time so the traditional window must have started from them.

The artistic window form must have probably developed before the tenth century and flourished in Malla time. It is believed that carving started from the time of Narendra Dev in eight century. It reached at its apogee during the time of Yakshya Malla, fifteenth century. After that from sixteenth century, the window craft must have become immensely diverse, from simple tiki jhya to the extraordinary desê madu jhya, because of artistic combat between three major Royal cities of the valley.

During mid eighteenth century Gorkhalis took over Kathmandu valley, but they carried on with newari builders and craftsmen, and their technology. By late eighteenth century, mugal impression was distinctly seen in windows and their carvings, as symbolism for power was mugal art. After a century in mid nineteenth century Rana aristocrats introduced European architecture to the valley. As a result vertical aspect in windows became more prominent and wood craving was antiquated by decorative pilaster, brackets and entablature around the window.

Windows of Malla period

Window architecture of Nepal is well illustrated by majestic newari windows. Newars believed that window was eye of the building and it reflects the essence of the possessor. The composition of façade was highly concentrated on artistic windows. It had both functional and decorative purpose, the latter being most dominant. The detailing on carving indicated the socioeconomic status of the owner, so, the house of Gods, Royals and Nobles were extensively carved than that of ordinary man.

Newari windows developed and flourished in the valley for more than eight centuries. Varieties of windows were developed; special windows were designed for various types and parts of building. Residential building, palace, temple, bahal and bahil all had different types of windows to distinguish them from the rest.

Newari windows consist of two parts, the structural part (Duchu) and the decorative part (Bha), interlocking joints connected them. The decorative part can be easily dismantled without disturbing the building and is easy to replace. The structural part is made of double framework with tenon and mortise joint following the thickness of the wall and joint together by struts. The internal frame being lager than the external one giving a telescopic interior form.

The woodwork that surrounds the windows is enormously elaborate. Lintels, frames and bases are often composed of parallel miniature wooden borders decorated with linear patterns of foliage, flowers, beads, animals, birds and so on, often with figures of deities or mythological scenes in the niches on the border section. The external woodwork constitutes the predominant element of the traditional architectural decoration and is part of a very strictly adhered to composition where the function and the situation of the opening give rise to decoration which is generally rather elaborate.

The carving are mostly done on parts like gvagahkva, ovvbikva, lapes, bhailahkva and puratva. In some important buildings like palaces, temples and bahals, there is invariably semi circular toran, tympanum, above the window. There is generally a mikhaphusi, a brick cornice, above the window through out the lintel, symbolizing eyebrows.

Types of Window:

Tiki jhyä (Lattice window)

Go jhyä (Circular window)

Kamal jhyä (lotus window)

Mhyêkhä jhyä (Peacock window)

Sûryêmukhi jhyä (Sun Window)

Chappä jhyä (Single window)

Biman jhyä (Chariot Window)

Gaa jhyä (Balconied window)

Sâ jhyä (Oriel window)

Kûn jhyä (Corner window)

Gah jhyä (Blind window)

Deshê madu jhyä (Unique window)

Päsukhä jhyä (a row of small windows)

Bäku jhyä (Halved window)

Yäku jhyä (Niche window at side of main door or window)

Lun jhyä (Golden window)

Tiki Jhya (lattice Window):

It is the most popular and elegant window, which consists of latticework screen. It is generally used in first floor. It admits little light and maintains privacy. The spacing of batten are worked out in such a way that the interior can not be seen from outside. A typical tiki jhya has square framed screen; another type has circular framed screen. The circular framed window is Go tiki jhya.

The structural part of tikijhya consists of sill (kavakhalu), lintel (mutagah), and jambs (maubhaha) as basic parts that are concealed by decorative frame. These are tied to other members, sill with asan, jambs with hachebah and lintel with cvakula forming secondary frame. A post (tvalatha) is interlocked between sill and lintel. The latticework is surrounded by another frame. Similarly, the decorative part has numerous pieces of wooden members tied together.

The wooden screen is not carved from a single wood. Instead, three different kinds of slender batten are swan from a plank, carved into decorative geometric design and then fitted into another, either at right angle (macika), 45 degree (icika) or 50-60 degree (rusipu). Design carved on batten may be circles, squares, diagonals, vajra, flower, chains, stars or almost anything else. The assembled lattice is then dovetailed tightly into a window frame. On to the screen, there is sometimes imposed another carved wooden figure or design: this is more common in the windows of palaces and temples than those of residential dwellings. However, many other figures may also appear at the centre of the lattice: a deity such as Durga, Bhairav or Ganesh, floral designs, or auspicious symbols.

Lotus window, Peacock window, Sun window are basically a circular tikijhya. The main difference lies on the central image on the screen and the arrangement of latticework. Some of the best example of this is the 'Peacock Windows' at Pujari Math in Bhaktapur, Kumari Baha in Kathmandu. A Sun window has sun emblem with 5-9 horses, which draws the sun's chariot represented beneath the screen. A Peacock window has peacock icon at the center while a Lotus window lotus icon at the center and radial battens.

Sâ Jhyä:

It is the noblest type of window that is flushed to the wall. It is placed below the roof or the projected windows and generally has three bays. The numbers of bays are odd and may be upto nine or eleven bays. It has openable screen that can be either single top hung or side hinged double shutter. The opening has apron (kvatahdi) and the framing may be cusped, semicircular or right-angled. Due to their long facade and thick wall sections, multi-post system is used. As the window occupies the whole height of the wall, a bench is provided in the interior to sit and look outside. It faces either to the courtyard or to the street, is placed at the center of building facade. Tikijhyas or niches are placed at both sides to maintain symmetricity. Sa jhya with three bays is often called Swakha jhya (triple window) and five bayed Sa jhya is often called Pancha mukhi jhya (five bayed window).

Biman Jhya

It is balcony type of window, which is projected from the wall and usually, has three bays. It is similar to Sa jhya but has straight projected window facade, and the projection is one or one and half feet. The projection rests on the projected joist and struts. There is carving of rows of birds, horses or elephants at the lower portion of the window with the belief that these animals carry the load of the projected window. The 55 window of 55-window palace of Bhaktapur is also a biman jhya of continuous bays.

Gaa Jhya

It is an inclined projected window, which have a facade and two returns, the upper parts of which is projected largely, towards the exterior and meet the eaves. It is placed below the roof and are usually trapezoidal shape so it has two half windows at the corner.

The Newar carpenters knew how to trace the hip rafter, they used this technique mainly for the making of Gaa jhya. At each angle of such windows diagonal stiles in two directions, as if they were hip rafters, have a diamond shaped section so that the external faces are included in the same plan as the facade and the return. In order to obtain the exact form of such a section an empirical procedure and a geometrical tracing exist. The former (look at figure) consists of representing the plan of the windows and tracing the elevation of normal stiles as well as that of the angle. On the latter is presented a piece of wood with the tracing so that after being sawed it has the desired slope. It is subsequently placed on the step of the stile placed in the angles and the required pairing is marked out on the four faces. This having been accomplished, the real form of the stiles is obtained; they may thus be shaped. The geometrical trace known as "seen from the edge," is in fact a procedure by which the plan angle of a dihedral is traced. This type of geometrical tracing was known in France 15-century.

Chappa Jhya

It is a single bayed window that may either be designed like sa jhya, biman jhya or gaa jhya. Chappa jhya of biman or gaa type are very rare to find.

Kun Jhya

It is a corner window; it is very few in number in valley. It has different designs and is generally projected out.

Gah Jhay

It is a blind window, which is used especially in temples. It looks like chappa jhya and has image of god at centre, usually Bhirabh.

Deshe Madu Jhya

It is the window, that is not seen anywhere else in the valley. The good example is the one situated at Yatkha tole which has several receding and indented jambs on both sides creating a telescopic form.

Pasukha Jhya

It is a monastic window, which has a row of three to five openings. It is also used in palaces, maths and temples. Bhairab temple at Bhaktapur has golden pasukha jhya. In monasteries usually pasukh jhya with five openings are used, is located at the entrance and agachhen, the five opening symbolizes five Buddha.

Any window that is covered by golden gilded sheet is termed as lun jhya (golden window), are in palace, temple and monastery. Yaku jhya the niche window is like blind window but has a semicircle wood that is mounted below the sill. It is placed at side of main door and window and has image at the center.

Materials

Newar craftsmen were expert in carving, they could carve on any material. They mostly used wood but few windows are carved out from stone and terracotta. The carvings on terracotta and stone are as fine as in timber. All carvings were done according to text based on Vasstusastra.

The structural part of window is made out of seasoned wood, usually sal for its high strength. The carving were done on unseasoned wood since seasoned wood is brittle for deep carving. Chap, pine, cidar, halda, sissoo etc re used for carved members; preservative oils are applied to resist the weather.

Windows of Shah period

Shahs used newar craftsmen in their buildings, so their windows were similar to that of Mallas'. The Mallas had deeply carved windows while Shah period has surface carving and the iconography also changed as mugal influence came. Long windows were introduced with cusped arches and mugal columns, as in tilanga house. They started changing the shape of window making it more vertical.

Before that, they constructed extravagant newari windows to show their power, Lalitpur tower has balcony windows similar to 55-window palace of Bhaktapur. A Sa jhya placed on sidewalls of Shiva Parvati temple by Rana Bahadur Shah seem to contradict the rules of newari architecture. The north façade of Hanuman Dhoks displays another influence of mugal architecture.

Windows of Rana period

Rana windows, contrary to tradition, are rectangular. It is vertical and of similar dimension 0.8 by 1.5-m. They descend upto the floor of the room from the ceiling, can be referred as door window or French window. It has railing sandwiched between two leaves of shutter. The decorative pattern in railings is complex and repetitive: mostly plants, mugal influence from shah time. The frame is not apparent and is dominated by plaster moldings. The internal shutter is glazed and the external is louvered. At attic there are circular, oval and diamond shaped small windows. Tahachal Durbar, Singha Durbar, Keshar Mahal and many other Rana palaces display the magnificence of Rana architecture.

Conclusion

Windows are the most artist element in Nepalese architecture, which is portrayed in Malla palaces, bahals and bahils, and houses. The obligation to religion and the nature of newars led to the development of these artistic windows. The window seems to reflect the shyness and the thoughtfulness of newars. The gaa jhya tends to make the whole building bow down to Gods' chariots. Beside glorifying the building façade, it also visually treated narrow streets.

It seem that architecture of window developed from Licchhavi period and reached its summit during Malla period and changed its course slightly to mugalism during Shah period but deviated to European concept after Rana period