Bhaktapur, a city of ponds (Photo Feature)

By TRN Online, Sept. 3: Bhaktapur is the smallest district of Nepal. With the same name 'Bhaktapur municipality' is a small municipality in the same district.

But its recognition on the world map is great. Bhaktapur is famous for its carpentry, palace areas, unique 55-windowed palace, hand-made pottery and Juju Dhau (locally made curd). Although small in geography, Bhaktapur city is full of art, culture and natural beauty.

Spread over 6.889 square kilometres, Bhaktapur district has Ponds in every settlement and village. Bhaktapur, which has more than 50 Ponds, now has 34 protected Ponds.

"Earlier more than 50 Ponds were inside Bhaktapur city", says local 65-year-old Rajkumar Bwayju. Some are buried and some are transformed into playgrounds due to the lack of protection.'

Why many Ponds were built in Bhaktapur?

Bhaktapur Municipality Mayor Sunil Prajapati said that the Ponds were built in this way not only for water sources but also for fire control and environmental balance. "It cannot be said exactly why the Ponds were built. It may be made for the water source, dust control, environmental balance, washing clothes, bathing and sanitation, swimming and other reasons," said the city chief Prajapati.

According to a survey, it has been found that many Ponds have been constructed in Bhaktapur for water 'reservation' and 'recycling'. There are many rocky outcrops near the Ponds. Mayor Prajapati says, "Pond water reaches from one place to the stone edge of another place. So that the land does not get dry. Not only that but it is being used again. The Ponds built a few years ago are still useful for human life today."