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No one knows precisely when the Patan Dhoka was first constructed, but it was likely sometime during the Malla period (13th – 18th centuries). It has been refurbished many times over the centuries, including after the infamous 1934 earthquake when it was severely damaged. Most recently, it received a facelift in 2018 when it was repainted to honor the Asta Matrika—eight divine mothers of Hinduism.
The old city of Patan once had more than a half-dozen entry points, but this was the main gate to the municipality, which is also commonly called Lalitpur. The Newari people, the dominant ethnic group in the neighborhood around the gate, originally called the city Yala after King Yalamber who ruled here circa 800 BC. Patan became part of the Gorkha Empire in 1768 when the modern nation of Nepal began, and it is regarded as the oldest city in the Kathmandu Valley.
Before the 2018 refurbishment, the gate was painted with images and messages supporting the Nepal Bhasa Movement (a protest organization that began shortly after the Gorkha annexation), which campaigns to preserve Newari culture and language. In particular, the gate displayed the Nepal Sambat, the lunisolar calendar of the Newari which is still used nationwide in Nepal.
Although the recent murals significantly changed the gate’s previous ornamentation, the design is a traditional Newari paubha painting, a style similar to the better known Tibetan thangka. The Matrika were chosen for their eternal tantric power and as protectors of the Newari people. These mother-goddesses can be depicted as a group of seven, eight, or nine deities depending on the region and holy text being referenced, and the artists of the Patan Dhoka chose eight goddess figures: Brahmani, Vaishnavi, Maheshvari (Rudrani), Indrani, Kaumari, Varahi, Narasimhi, and Chamunda. Flanking the main arch are statues of Ganesh and Kumar, while the tympana of the two smaller arches are adorned with the wrathful image of Cheppu, a mythical Nepali water creature.
According to Lok Chitrakar, the artist who oversaw the mural project, many of the images are not normally seen in public art as they are typically painted in personal spaces as Newari invocations of well-being and prosperity for a household. The gate’s unique style, however, has become a point of unity and civic pride making it an even greater focal point for neighborhood projects and events.