The Hitipine Phalcā (THI4001) is located next to the busy road at Thimi, which has historically been used by pilgrims and devotees en route from the east of the Valley to the Paśupatinātha Temple, passing through cities such as Bhaktapur, Banepa, Panauti, and others. According to the inscription on the site, a man by the name of  Viśvanātha Bhaṭṭā built the phalcā as well as the hiti next to it in 1863 CE (VS 1920). This would have allowed bypassers to rest and quench their thirst. He also formed a guthi by donating two ropanīs of land in Sipāḍola, Bhaktapur, for the maintenance of the two monuments. The inscription also informs that both monuments (phalcā and hiti) were constructed in front of a water hole. This hole served as a source of water for the hiti. As of now, there is no water flowing from the hiti and the water hole is now located inside the compound of the Janaka Education Material Centre. The hiti has been moved directly in front of the phalcā, even though the inscription and oral histories reveal that it was originally standing behind it. Previously, accessing the hiti necessitated passing through the three-bayed phalcā. A contractor demolished the phalcā as part of the road expansion from Pepsikola to Sanothimi in 2019 CE, and the Madhyapura-Thimi Municipality then began rebuilding it behind the hiti. This caused strong protest by local residents and heritage activists. A lawsuit was filed against the Municipality, demanding the relocation of the historical monument. Since then, work on the phalcā has ceased, and the complex has been abandoned just before it neared completion. This is an excellent example of how rapid urbanization endangers historical monuments and sites.

Please visit DANAM for more information about this monument.