A rajkulo () is a type of canal found in Nepal. It provides water for Irrigation, , and ponds, and it can be dated back to the Lichhavi era (c450-c750 CE).
Early royal canals
The earliest known canals were built during the Licchavi era. At the time they were referred to as
tilamaka and their primary purpose was
irrigation. All of these canals have now disappeared.
[Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley by Mary Shepherd Slusser, Princeton University Press, 1982, p 168, 176]
Notable rajkulos
During the 17th century the kings of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur commissioned long-distance canals to bring water from the foothills of the Kathmandu valley to their cities.
[Water Conduits in the Kathmandu Valley (2 vols.) by Raimund O.A. Becker-Ritterspach, , Published by Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India, 1995]
Tikabhairav Canal
The Tikabhairav Canal transported water from Lele and Naldu rivers to the Patan Durbar Square complex.
[ UN-HABITAT, 2007. Water Movement in Patan with reference to Traditional Stone Spouts , ][ Exploring the rhythms of public life through public water structures within Kathmandu valley, submitted by Ashim Kumar Manna, 2015-2016]
Bageswori Canal
The Bageswori Canal brought water from the spring of Mahadev Pokhari to Bhaktapur.
[Indigenous water management system in Nepal: cultural dimensions of water distribution, cascaded reuse and harvesting in Bhaktapur City by Dipendra Gautam, Bhesh Raj Thapa and Raghu N. Prajapati, Environment Development and Sustainability, August 2018]
In 1678 King Jitamitra Malla built a rajkulo to bring water to Bhaktapur.[ Traditional Water Management Practices. A Case Study Of Bhaktapur City by Ganesh Khaniya, Farmer Managed Irrigation Systems Promotion Trust, Kathmandu, Nepal, February 2005, retrieved 13 March 2025][Dhunge-Dharas in the Kathmandu Valley. Continuity and Development of Architectural Design by Raimund O.A. Becker-Ritterspach, Change and Continuity, 1996] About half of the dhunge dharas of Bhaktapur received their water from the canal.
Budhikanta Canal
The Budhikanta Canal brought water to Kathmandu.
King
Pratap Malla also needed the water for religious reasons.
The canal is no longer operational.
[ Reviving Patan's royal canal by Mallika Aryal, Nepali Times, November 2005, retrieved 10 September 2019]
See also
External links
