History & Culture awaits protection from concerned authorities

Although the remains of Malla Dynasty are available in the villages around Beni bazar area, the district headquarters of Myagdi, which was then the capital of the mountainous state, have fallen into disrepair due to lack of protection.

Beni Municipality-2 Gauswara, Khadgabhawani Kot, Rajkuwa, Kurilakharka, Beni Kot and Dholthan areas have materials, inscriptions and objects of Malla dynasty's historical significance but they have not been properly protected, said local people's representatives and stakeholders.

There are about 150 years old houses in Gauswara. Ratnavam Malla, a local, said that the houses were not only in Malla period style but were also constructed using construction materials of the time. More than 150 years old houses of Mallakalin architecture in Beni-2 Gauswar are now witnessing history.

The houses are in dilapidated condition due to the tendency to migrate and become city-centric after the restoration of democracy in Gauswara, which was inhabited by the majority of Thakuri of Malla dynasty till 2046 BS. The houses, which also have Dalin, Bala and Tudal, full of artistic carvings of Sirmu and Sal wood, have eye-catching windows and flared doors, and the hard-to-reach stones are also carved in an attractive manner.

The houses owned by Sudarshan Malla, Madhav Malla, Ghanshyam Malla, Parameshwar Malla and Vishwabam Malla in Gauswara are about 100 years old, said Ratnavam Malla, a local intellectual. According to Malla, these houses have the identity of Gauswara and if they can be managed, there is a strong possibility of attracting tourists.

The history of these houses is connected with Malla dynasty Rajkhalak and Rana Khalak. The then Malla Thakuri is believed to have migrated from Jumla's Sinja Valley. According to local Ram Bahadur Gurung, the Thakuri's marital relationship with Malla and Rana in Kathmandu was severed after his arrival here.

Similarly, Parameshwaram Malla, who has been living in the old house for four generations, said that the house is still preserved as it is associated with the manhood and identity of his ancestors. "Some brothers have gone to cities like Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara, but I have preserved the heritage of my ancestors," he said. He said that the fragrance of his ancestors was mixed in the doors, windows and stones of the house.

The three attractive houses, including the stone-roofed ones, are now in dilapidated condition. In Gauswara village, only two out of five houses of Malla period architecture are still inhabited and three houses are in dilapidated condition.

Similarly, a plow was found at Beni-5 Puladanda where the king of the then mountain kingdom Dholthan used to thresh paddy. Although there are materials of historical significance in  Dholthan area, which is associated with the heritage of the mountain kingdom about 500 years ago, they have been neglected due to lack of identity and protection.

Among the historical materials that have been left unattended, the black stone (stone) carved oakhal is now lying in the open space of Puladanda. According to local Ram Bahadur Bania, there is evidence that the members of the court used to thresh paddy in the same oak till they settled in this place as Dholthan was made the summer capital by the then mountain king Dimvabam Malla (also called Dilipvam Malla). He says that this region has not only historical but also biological, religious and natural significance.

It is mentioned in the history of Dholthana, the capital of the mountain kingdom and Beni, the capital of the hill state, before the combined army of Gorkha and Palpa defeated the mountain army in 1842 BS. Shiva Baniya, a local, said that the historicity of the Dholthan area is confirmed on the basis of the folk songs of the region, which are sung as 'When King Beni Baglung, when King Dhor'.

The Jagannath Temple, established in the 14th century by the then King Dimbabam Malla, the unifier of the then mountain kingdom, is famous all over Nepal for its religious and tourist attractions. The temple is located a little above Dhothan and a little below Dadekot Durbar near Kevhil. Another attraction of this area is the view of the beautiful mountain range from the cable car at the head of Dholthan area. From here, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Annapurna, 14 Himal, Parbat, Baglung, Syangja and Kaski, more than 30 rural areas as well as 36 VDCs of Savik of Myagdi district can be seen, said locals.

Ram Bahadur Baniya, chairman of the Jagannath Temple Management Committee, said that Dholthan, which is about 2,400 meters above sea level, can be reached after a one-and-a-half-hour walk from the district headquarters Beni Bazaar.