Byāsī Dhvākhā Pine Hiti

Curated by Pabitra Bajracharya

Byāsī Dhvākhā Pine Hiti
Photo by Anil Basukala, June 2025

Located just outside the Byāsī Gate on Bhaktapur’s northern edge, the Byāsī Dhvākhā Pine Hiti (DANAM ID: BKT0730)(drinking fountain outside the gate) was built in 1643 CE (NS 763) by Jāminī Mayī of Tupulāchi. The gate itself was part of Bhaktapur’s old defensive system. The hiti has a west-facing single spout, once crowned by a now-lost hiti-pusā. Below the spout stands Bhagīratha, with Umāmaheśvara (Śiva and Pārvatī) above, flanked by Gaṇeśa to the north and Nṛtyeśvara to the south. A Viśveśvara liṅga lies southeast of the fountain, and a small jaḥdhuṇ (shrine niche) is set into the northern wall. An inscription from its founding notes that Jāminī Mayī commissioned both the water spout and the images of Umāmaheśvara and Viśveśvara Mahādeva, warning that anyone who defiles the site would face their divine wrath. Though historically and religiously important, the hiti has been dry for decades. It occasionally collects rainwater during the monsoon, but it remains unusable, with no restoration efforts by local authorities.