Kathmandu News, Kathmandu, Accient Kathmandu, Kantipur

Every ancient Newa: settlement has original names and not only that name but also the history, story, legends of the place. But today, with the urbanization, the original names have been removed and various names have been changed. The process of simplification has started in the Kantipur news Valley after people from different parts of the country started settling down and it became difficult to pronounce the names of the local languages. In this process, the names of some places have been completely changed and some of the names have been mispronounced.

Vanga: It is considered to be the center of ancient Kathmandu i.e. zero kilometer point. The Shivalinga of Kantishwar Mahadev is considered to be the center of the ancient city of Kathmandu. There are various legends about why this place, now known as Indrachok, is called Vanga. According to a very popular legend, the river used to flow in this place first. The two major rivers of Kathmandu, the Bagmati, and the Bishnumati used to meet at this place, and here was the confluence of these two rivers. As this place was the confluence of two sacred rivers at that time, this place is called Hwang and later became Vanga. In the local language, the combination of two things in one place is called hwankegu and is named accordingly. According to another popular legend, another river called Kagmati / Kogimati used to flow at this place and various other small tributaries used to flow at this place. This place is called Vangha because of the confluence of rivers.

Kathmandu news, If you look at history, you know that there is a way to get water from here. Although it is difficult to ascertain the confluence of Bagmati and Vishnumati, it is found that the Lichchavi dynasty kings who came from Vaishali in the Lichchhavi period dug palaces in Kathmandu and constructed ponds by fetching water from different places. At the same time, the Licchavis also built small and big canals in different places. Historians also say that the Licchavis, who settled on the banks of the river in Vaishali, built canals to make the inner city of Kathmandu look like small rivers. Therefore, there is a feeling that the same flowing canals meet here, that is, Dobhan was here. The fact that the temple of Shri Seto Machhindranath was established near the river, the ghats near Akash Bhairav and Kantishwar Mahadev river banks and the main Shakti Peeth near the river Tarini Bhavani also emphasize that water used to flow at this place at some point. It is mentioned that there was a separate ghat area of Tarini Bhavani (Tana Devi) which is closest to the Hanumandhoka Durbar area, but the remains of ghat and ladder are still left in the corner of the chole where Taleju Bhavani is.

This place is also called Vangha because of the three stone urns in this place. Even though these urns are worshiped as centers of power, experts who have studied the ancient water resources of Kantipur say that these urns served as tanks (reservoirs). It is believed that stone tanks were made in the places where the princes and small canals brought from different places meet each other and covered them by mixing them and making urns to mark the place.

The name 'Vangha:', which sounds simple and a little embarrassing to pronounce, carries the history of this place in this way. In the same way, behind the names of each place, there are legends that are disappearing with the new names. According to the locals, the name of Indrachok was changed to Indrachowk at this time as the idol of Indra would be tied and displayed during the Indrajatra and Yenya Punhi period events. Currently, it is not possible to say that the name will be gradually lost only in the conversations of the local Newas! Since Indra is tied up, if he reaches this place named Indrachok, he is also stopped. Why is it not called Yasinchok? The idol of Akashbhairav is also displayed in this place, why it is not called Bhairavchowk? Were these actions stopped at that time ??

Kathmandu News, Let's use the original names of our place, let's Search for the history and story carried by that name !!