Abstract
It is possible to find many examples of medieval architecture preserved in ordinary structures in Nepal, but it is the Darbar palace in the cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhadgaon in the Kathmandu Valley, which best perpetuate the traditional style of Nepalese architecture. This article considers the architectural function of the towers called Mandir or Bhawan-which are a major architectural feature of palace construction, in an attempt to clarify their historical character. As a result, I was able to draw out the following conclusion : The towers lay have two functions. One is to serve as a temple structure, of which the style is supposed to go back to the sixteenth century (Malla Dynasty). This is case, for example, of the Degutalle of Patan Darbar. The other function is to act either as living quarters or as a political monument comparable in aim, to the Japanese Castle. The style of this kind of structures dates back to the eighteenth century (Shah Dynasty) and we find an example of them in the Basantapur Bhawan in Kathmandu Darbar. Even though the present study was based only on the evidence of the remaining palace buildings, we have records of the existece of the two types of towers even before the period corresponding to the Malla Dynasty.
