YANTAJU SHRINE
RESTORATION: MAY 2012 - DECEMBER 2012supported BY:
LAMU AMATYA IN MEMORY OF HER HUSBAND BHUBANESHWAR AND MOTHER-IN-LAW SITA DEVI
The goddess known as Yantamode and later Yantaju was an istadevata (personal deity) to the Malla kings during their reign, presiding for five centuries over their affairs. King Srinivasa Malla commissioned a shrine to Yantaju in the center of Mulchowk, a companion to the nearby Taleju shrines. Although the mythological identity of Yantaju remains a mystery, it is believed that she is Mahesvari, a form of the goddess Durga. The recent restoration of the shrine has reversed the consequences of inadequate and damaging restorations of the past.
Replacement arches were poorly fitting, the use of cement mortar damaged the stone plinth, and the copper sheeting was crudely fastened with nails instead of hidden rivets. Only one of the four original chepa arches (depicting the head of a dragon devouring a snake) survived. Metal craftsmen from Patan were able to replicate and fabricate new sheeting where necessary. The skill of local craftsmen in the art of fire-gilt repousse made it possible to match the quality of the surviving arch on the basis of a detailed to-scale drawing.
