Nepal Government honored Bhrikuti and Araniko as the national luminaries in the chairmanship of the late Mr. Bal Krishna Sama in 1955 AD and 1968 AD respectively. Both icons went to P.R. China, one as a bride at the age of eight in the sixth century and another at the age of sixteen in the thirteenth century. They were well regarded by the then government of China and the present government of P.R. China for their contribution to culture and arts. We understand their performances were well regarded in the different parts of China for the message of civilization and peace in the days to come…
This team reached out to establish a not-for-profit institute “Bhrikuti Smriti Pratisthan (Bhrikuti Memorial Academy)” creating an opportunity to study Bhrikuti’s life cycle. We will also not ignore Araniko who had contributed tailoring to Bhrikuti’s activities in Tibet and China for strengthening the peace culture through Peace crafts.
Thakuris (ancestors of Amshuvarma) from Magadha were brought by Kirats for the best management of their businesses as well as for the expansion of businesses in Hindustan and Lhasa. In the Lichhavi regime, Amshuvarma became an administrator of Khopasi. He resided in Narasingha Moth (name of premises changed by Shankaracharya) at Pange tole where he performed path-puja (prayer) for the whole morning and went to Kailash (Administrative Premises) in the afternoon to furnish/perform his administrative duties. It is believed that the Narasingh Moth was the residence of King Birat where Draupadi (Pandav’s wife) had lived an incognito life. Amshuvarma was not only a man of value but also a shrewd politician, diplomat, and a statesman who had married the daughter of King Shiva Dev I.
An inscription on a stone of 598 AD (Gomi Era 500, 20, 6 Vaisakh Sukla) for the official decentralization was found by Chandra Shamsher JB Rana in Khopasi during his hunting campaign and advised local people to put it in a safe place. The inscription clearly delegated authority to the administration of Khopasi, therefore Amshuvarma must have been residing in Khopasi before becoming the de-facto king of Nepal. In the inscription, each citizen was ordered to bring fifty balls of white clay on their annual journey to Kailash as revenue(tax). It is confusing. We are not sure if it was for the Kailashkut building. The inscription mentioned Kailash journey. Did it mean traveling to Kailash just above the Pashupatinath Temple of Kathmandu? or Kailash (earlier palace of king Birat) in Khopasi? People say, there was a Chaitya of Amitabh Buddha in Khopasi and the white clay was used for the annual painting of the Amitabh Chaitya? It can be read as the official order for customizing tourism (pilgrimage) and decentralization of authority was introduced in his period. Locals say the Kailashkut Bhawan was built in Kathmandu by Pahari craftsmen with Araniko moved to Kathmandu after the death of Shiva Deva I. It demonstrated the name of Kailashkut Bhawan (which can be read in Sanga’s inscription which is 7 years after his move to Kathmandu).
Amshuvarma had taken the guardianship of Udaya Dev (the first son of Shiva Dev) to groom him to rule the country. He maintained a good relationship with both the South and North sides of the Nepal Kingdom.Amshuvarma contracted a matrimonial alliance with the south giving his sister Bhoga Devi to Prince Sursen of Maukharibansiya, Kannyoj, and operating good trade and honoring Buddhist pilgrimages with Tibet, even establishing a custom office at Kodari (Tatopani). He had demonstrated a good non-alliance foreign policy. Coins and metal crafts were made in Khopasi in the time of Amshuvarma. A gold plate inscription, containing the word “Vidya” in the Kutila script, has been found in Khopasi (East No. 1). This indicates that gold and silver coins were minted during this period according to the Karshapana system. Paharis are an indigenous tribe of Khopasi. They were/are good artists and craftsmen in this area.
Prince Udaya Deva ascended to the throne after the death of King Amshuvarma in 621 AD. But he was dethroned by his brother Dhruba Deva with support from the Guptas. First, he moved to his father-in-law’s house at Manjushree Tole, Lagan of Kathmandu where Bhrikuti was conceived in the womb of Bhadrawati. Again driven away from Manjushree Tole, they moved to Patan and Bhaktapur. Finally, they reached Khopasi and resided in the former residence of Amshuvarma where Bhrikuti was born in 624 AD. Bhrikuti had departed to her husband’s kingdom from Khopasi via Panauti, Banepa, Nala, Sankhu, Gosaikunda, and Rasuwa using an ancient religious route. Her dowry was made by the Paharis of Khopasi.
It is said that the Padmasambhava’s another name is Guru Rinpoche who was born at Odiyana of Swat valley of Pakistan near to Afghanistan border. But, people of Timal, Kavre Palanchowk district of Nepal believe Padmasambhava was born in their village. Padmasambhava was a great Buddhist master at the 8th century who had entered Tibet of China at the 7th century through Rasuwagadhi of Nepal following Bhrikuti’s exodus routes and had meditated in the Gephug Gupha of Kerung, China.
In the 12th century, about 600 years later, Kublai Khan, (Mongol) emperor of China was impressed with Nepali Buddhism after observing Bhrikuti’s dowry in Jokhang Palace in Lhasa and he requested Avaya Dev Malla, the king of Bhaktapur to send some craftsmen to build Buddhist shrines in China. Balabahu Pahari (son of Bal Dev, Administrator) aged 16 years from Khopasi was selected in the time of King Bhim Dev from the Bhaktapur Kingdom to go to China leading a team of 80 skilled craftsmen and workers from the kingdom of Bhaktapur. He was known as Araniko (Balbahu) in China. The team repaired the sculptures (arts) of Bhrikuti’s dowry and made a white Chaitya (pagoda) in Lhasa and Beijing. Araniko became a famous artist in China at the time of Kublai Khan. His arts were expanded to other places of South East Asia. The sermon of Buddha was spread by Bhrikuti and complemented by Araniko, therefore, they cannot be separated. While talking about peace and culture, these two names cannot be separated. Coincidently, both were from the same village. Similarly, we should not exclude the white Chaitya with Amitabha Buddha of Kurpasi.
Paharis, the family of Araniko’s inherited their skills from their predecessors. They were famous for bamboo/wooden crafts, painting, etc. Examples remained in Jhallari Chhata (big cultural religious umbrella) for chariot goddess including marriage ceremonies etc. making door/window frames/panels, wooden and stone sculptures, and constructing artistic temples and houses. This knowledge and skills could not continue as they could not turn their tools and technique with the change development. However, the art and crafts of Paharis survived up to the 1970s until Surya, Sanu, and Bale Pahari lived in Khopasi.