Construction Technology and Material of "Malla House"

The construction material and techniques have all had an importance role in the development of infrastructures. Building environment which bear no visible human marks are rare- the realm of oceans, the poles, deserts, mountain summits. 

Nepalese traditions, cultures and environment are so unique and intricate that the buildings, cottage and Nepalese tradition, monuments, places are made in such a way which are measured from different aesthetic point of view which shows the beautiful, perfection of the model design of the building and monuments. 

From the Malla's period, there are many infrastructures found in Nepal which has more importance in its own as well as value from tourism point of view. Mostly in Kathmandu valley, there are many cultural and religious places which have their link with traditions and from different cultural aspects of life. The society is a mixed community residing in Kathmandu Valley with inclusive which they believe in their tradition and religion and as Valley is famous for the temples of God and Goddesses which is a living aspect of people. 

History itself introduce of the building techniques, materials from mud to clay to brick or timber to plank to timber joist. Local studies should be carried out to understand the meaning and terms of different construction material and techniques which are used in different buildings, monuments, temples which are used for built purposes for human benefits and a place for understanding its presence. 

While the prospects of building construction and material are quite good for judgment, history is reassuring. It appears that there are human and technological factors which are identify with successful societal accomplishments. There have been the adaptations in the construction material and techniques which are exemplary. In addition there has developed an extensive way of knowledge on the environment which is fundamental to human and design based upon objective principles-it is a challenge and an architect concept on construction material and techniques.

The historic timeline may be a useful outline and reference for those interested in correlating the historic development of various components of the construction material and techniques which are used in local built environment.

The appearance of New Dynasty, The Mallas , at the beginning of the 13th century. stone inscriptions or Silapatras, and copper plaques or Tamapatras, while recording the construction of buildings and sculptures, given a relatively precise pictures of the development during this period. under the rule of the mallas a period of relatively stability began, lasting almost 600 years. the concept of built of Malla house was based upon the locally available of materials and the craftsmanship.

The complete turning away from traditional form and architectural style as well as the traditional building materials had a marked effect on the continuity of traditional architecture and on the producers and users of traditional materials, such as the brick makers, brick layers, and carvers.

 A characteristic and universal features of this kind of design is the vertical room arrangement which is not the dependent on the size of the houses. Due to security reason, and the need to use as little irrigable land for building purpose, causes the Malla house to be vertically orientated. Generally it is three storeyed, but two-storeyed houses occur and four-storeys in the centre of town. 

The uniform depth facilitates the building of additional houses on to existing ones, to form block of houses. the extension were of equal height, the depth being determined by that of the main house and  the aim of each family and every clan seems to have been the building of one single house around one courtyard or chowk, providing them with both the security and privacy.

If the chowk is surrounded by one large unit, only the vertical utilization of space still applies, as in smaller units. different staircases, generally located in the corners, lead to separate room clusters, which due to the symmetry facade , are not distinguished from the outside. as the size, location and heating facilities of the rooms impose certain limitation on their use, the courtyard becomes a vital component of the house itself. in short, it is a multi-purpose area, useful for most of the daily activities of the occupants.

Thus, buildings in the so-called the most typical living buildings) represent the craft and architecture of the cultural renaissance of the Malla period, which began around the beginning of the 15th century and survived the beginning of shah period but rapidly faded during the Rana period(1845-1951 A.D).

IMPORTANCE OF MALLA HOUSE

• The houses are constructed of brick, and are three or four storeys high.
• The Malla houses apartment are not lofty.
• The Malla have door and windows of wood, well worked and arranged with great regularity.
• The dwellings have not changed much either.
• 3-storeys with a pitched roof and of common materials such as burnt brick and timber.
• Brick may be of sun-dried rough and simply baked, others may be carefully burnt for specific purposes, others again have especially smooth surfaces and are polished before firing.
• Distinguishing features-may be the ornately carved doors and windows, of which the crowning achievement is the large living room window or Sajhya facing the street from the second or third floor.
• Symmetry is the aim in the design of the Facade.
• The entrance door is barred with two massive wooden planks.
• The windows are generally closed by fine wooden lattice work.
• Sajhya window in the main living room is for the communication to the street.
• Some typical malla house/newar house, the 3rd floor is generally an attic directly under the roof which is mainly used as the kitchen and eating room. 
• The ground floor is never used as a living area,as among other reasons, it offered no protection against dampness.

CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUES

Different kinds of materials are used to build Malla house”.  Locally available material are used in house as well as the majority portion of timber, brick and mud are used to build this kind of infrastructures. Overall concept of roof was greatly designed by use of timber, properly settled posture. 

The traditional built of those kind of houses are specially built by mud, brick and timber. Foundations of the Malla house are strong by stone as well as brick for maintaining strength. The building techniques are interesting to see and observe. Rope are used for settled posture of roof, with the use of timber overall on that roof from the height level to roof level.

Actually Malla house are made by burned brick, mud and from such material which are used for building prospects. the material and techniques surely maintained by craftsmen or such designers who make such historic importance infrastructures which not only represents Newari culture but also represents its design, material aspects and a place for heritage conservation of Nepali traditions and our country Nepal. 

The techniques are very good and a measurable concept on that time where it’s much more difficult to adjust all that kind of beam, joist, timber (wooden beam/rafter) and column to its built figure. The techniques to stand the building like these kinds of typical houses or other such related works are quite tough and hard to stand for its roof from the sub structure to super structure level to maintain properly in a desired shape. 

MATERIAL USED

1. Stone: for foundation work

2. Brick: for wall posture

3. Mud (clay)

4. Wood (timber)

5. Burned brick: for wall 

 6. Tiles (tali): roof purpose

7. Jhingati

The Purbanchal University offers different project work as a part of M.Sc. Urban Design and Conservation Curriculum. The main objective of this project work is to provide the opportunity for the students to study and analyze field related problems.

This project report “Malla House” would be a helpful guideline for implementing the Newar tradition and building design aspects.This report would also help to understand, share and explore knowledge of the traditional architecture of the Kathmandu valley. 

What's Wrong with Inequality?

"Inequality concerns persisting and widespread disparities among the resources available for people to sustain themselves and their families in secure and healthy ways, to make adequate provision for their old age, to take advantage of amenities beyond bare subsistence, to participate in political or community affairs, to engage in volunteer activities, and to pursue valued long-term goals such as succeeding in their occupations or developing talents. 

The contrast is a social ideal where, as several political philosophers conceive of it, distribution of resources is sufficient for everyone to have realistic a chance of leading a meaningful, satisfying, or happy life.

Now, reasons for concern over the large and growing inequalities in Nepal, as elsewhere, will be given.

An even more dramatic case could be made by comparing wealth as well as in-come, including such things as real estate, stocks, and savings. 

The present condition delivers a statement of weak economy and lacking of judgement and unstable government which may become one of the main reason which leads the failure of economy in Nepal.

Besides their are many challenges, country is facing day by day with political derangement; lack of decision makers by bureaucrats, industrialist, traders, private sectors, social sectors; moral ground zero, political inability, failure of stable government, unrest, federal democratic issues relating to the overall development of Infrastructures, load shedding, strategies of foreign policy and affairs and the industrial sustainability with unemployment reasons. 

The mandate which gave for the new constitution was been delayed for its sustainability due to more crowded people in assembly which created many problems in the case of economic development, border security, Infrastructure development, equal access and equality. 

Due to the statement by the top leaders from different parties- for new constitution, is quite unfair for all the people living in the country with disparities issues which should have been addressed right now before having more issues and unstable in the coming future.

Instead, the intellectuals, for the most part, accepted the findings and reacted to them by complaining that reversing the trend would require socialistic state interference with market forces. 

A theme running through the critical reactions was that nobody has grounds for objection to growing income disparities as long as the worst off are no worse off than they had been earlier.  It was never been proven assumption that ballooning income of the rich is a central cause of economic growth (rather than being made possible by growth, which has other origins). 

The situation outcomes is quite disturbing facts that our economical and status is more unsustainable with our SAARC region and more vulnerable situation in front International bodies being in the middle of developing countries both with economic sustainability India and China. 

The lack of complete form of decisions, poor maturity in strategies and policies, lack of future oriented decisions, unemployment, lack of team dynamics and knowledge sharing, and lack of addressing national level agendas  for overall developments and national security.

Cities, regions, states (federal democratic situation of Nepal), and other public face a multitude of problems common to all their members, ranging from meeting subsistence needs to the provision of cultural amenities, the deployment and containment of technology, and, as is now generally recognized with justified alarm, confronting environmental challenges local issues, political disparities and stable government with constitution. 

Public are not homogeneous and may include groups with conflicting interests, but the problems they face are common to all their members, and they call for collective action to be addressed effectively.

Dewey persuasively argued that a democratically organized public is essential for meeting problems collectively and that recognition by people that they are members of a common public is necessary for effective democratic action. 

Only when people see that, despite their differences, they are “in the same boat” with respect to overriding problems — retrieving a sustainable environment, meeting energy needs safely, addressing problems of urban sprawl and crime, preserving farm lands and green spaces, strengthening education to meet the needs of a sophisticated world, and other challenges — will they act together to keep this boat a float.

Inequalities of the magnitude, we see in this Nation are unsolved matters which inhibit the development and functioning of a public welfare in Nepal in the following ways:

•   Economic gap:  

We know that from the very beginning, the traditional structure is much more responsible to create a disturbance regarding rich and poor issues which is one of the biggest threat for the societies in current market price, which is more difficult to sustain lives. 

This creates two public — one primarily concerned with making ends meet and trying to maintain a tolerable lifestyle; the other focused on keeping and enhancing its wealth by such measures as reducing its taxes and avoiding constraining government regulations.

•   Resources for addressing problems:

The accelerating disparity in Nepali incomes was largely made possible by agriculture developments and remittance, resulting in reduced social-economic services that greatly diminished the availability of public resources required to address common problems. Not only does this affect the potential for public action in the face of these problems, but it also demoralizes people and leads them to give up on collective action.

•   People became beggars: 

A consequence of reduced resources for public services is that the charity of the rich must increasingly be relied on. One effect of this is that their priorities get privileged attention. 

Throughout in our country, for example, one finds business schools much better funded from private sources than student residences or physical infrastructures. 

Perhaps more pernicious is that the need to cater to the wealthy to sustain essential public services defines the latter not as rights but as privileges conferred by a minority of the population as they see fit. 

This is not a situation conducive to nurturing a sense that we are all members of a common public. The rise in market price of the needy things makes us beggar in comparison with the dream perceived by the political leaders to sustain our lives in rise in economy with employment features.

•   Inequalities foster elitism and resentment: 

A common right-wing allegation is that people who are not rich are jealous of those who are and that this is the origin of pro-equality thinking. At odds with this perspective is that those who do well as a result of their own hard work typically are not resented. 

Negative attitudes enter the picture when people are well off through no effort of their own but due to inheritance or when large income hikes are given to already rich executives based, not on their merits, but just on their ability to unilaterally raise their own salaries, or when the amounts of wealth in question are obscenely high.  

These circumstances often prompt resentment.  Meanwhile, many of the rich come to see their wealth as signs of their superiority. 

Though public are not the same thing as communities, where everyone shares values and see each other as friends, they still require a certain level of mutual respect in order to take common actions. Resentment and elitism are not conducive to mutual respect.

•   Gross inequalities are part of a culture of possessive individualism: 

An alternative to resenting great wealth is aspiring to it as a main goal of life. This is a component of what the political philosopher called “possessive individualism,” which referred to a culture where people value each other and themselves in terms of how much they possess and think of their possessions and even of their own talents as private property.

The contrasting culture is one where people aim to develop their talents in cooperation with one another and see themselves as trustees of their possessions and abilities, rather than as their private owners. 

That is, they try to use their possessions and talents in ways beneficial to others, including future generations. 

Public action in a society dominated by a possessive-individualist culture is motivated by self-interested calculations, which is a shaky foundation at best for maintaining a vibrant public. 

In a society where wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, its possession comes to be depicted as the goal of a meaningful life, thus reinforcing a possessive-individualist culture.

•   Inequality is an enemy of democracy:   

Public exist in democratic societies. While citizens of an officially undemocratic state, that is, an autocracy, face common problems, they lack the ability to take collective action to address them. 

The result is harmful to public spirit, since people understand themselves to be politically impotent and are accordingly demoralized. 

As a society begins to contain significant inequalities, it also begins to resemble an autocracy, despite still possessing the formal markings of a democracy.  

Political equality — one person, one vote — is essential to a democracy, but if money can determine for whom one is able to vote (by financing political parties and election campaigns) and can dictate limits on what representatives can actually do once elected no matter what their promises (due to threatened removal of personal or corporate support), understandable cynicism about democratic processes results and, with it, the weakening of public commitment. 

Inequalities also impede local and informal democracy. The differences of agendas between the rich and the rest, attitudes of elitism and resentment, and possessive individualism inhibit the development of workplace democracy or inclusive community activities.

Nobody in Nepal need, or should, face destitution. But beyond this, all should have available to them decent places to live, education, health and sanitation, respire,  employment , and other such basics which will help to sustain the daily life with peace and security.

The traditional structure of Nepal which was a reform of development region should be decentralized in order to fulfill the gap of inequality in the different sectors which has created this kind of disorders and creating many problems from the grass root level. 

There are many things which should be addressed to configure the overall structure of geographical, economical, political and weaker economy- with rise in economics, with development of Infrastructures, investment security, industrialization, ability to sustain trade, moral ground, changing the traditional taxation into new form, public private partnership with advantage to government policy, reforming new trade policy, foreign-affair policy , legal process of nation policy, improving the management of human resources, improving the quality of regulation, catalytic-steering rather than rowing, empowering rather than serving, competitive, mission-driven, strict rules and law to sustain peace, security and services, result-oriented, anticipatory, market-oriented and decentralized government from hierarchy to participation.

The social impacts caused the rise of Maoist which created many threats and disturbances in past 12 years, which destroyed the economical status of country along with many of the Industrialist, traders, opportunist and some leaders, today repeating the same things here with in the name of caste and religion group and such revolutionary forces,which is collapsing our status in front of Internationals and due to lack of decision makers, being in the middle of the India and China, we are far behind to accelerate economical development in our country, which directly links that we lacks morality with strong decisions as well as lack strong foreign policy to form a stable government. 

Financial bodies are indispensable factor for any productive sector in order to reform the economy of the world. But in context of Nepal, it lacks many things which don’t have any clear cut vision for development of region, cities and urban form. 

The old patterns should be modified for the new federal position to develop the nation, by finding the real cause and sustaining for the future to make rise in economical growth with Infrastructure developments creating with many opportunities for employment and investment security with capable information and competing with the international markets. 

Nepal is rich in different resources, culture, art and craft, heritage with the highest peaks and rich in water resources, but due to lack of manpower and equipment needed to developed, facing critical problem as well as due to international  by pressuring our so called leaders, the resources are in waste and again due to interfere by west  neighboring country , Nepal is facing poor status due to open border with criminal activities and failure in economy. 

Though it mostly depends upon the leaders to judge, but due to lack of morality and failure of addressing national agendas, our country day by day is in the way to slavery, and this kind of inequality remains intact if we do not start thinking from today, to make our country status rise by developing national economy with social unity, employment, security with stable governments and strong foreign affair policy with legal management with constitutional framework.

Investment is not a constraint to growth, it is the lack of visionary and determined leadership, and prolonged transition with increasing political instability are detrimental factors to economic development in Nepal".

Note: This is just the Draft Version and final editing is going on.