Gum Baha or Gum Bahal or Gum Vihara is a sacred shrine of the Hindus and Buddhists located at Sankhu, 17 kilometeres to the north-east of Kathmandu. Today, the Shrine has a temple called the Vajrayogini, dedicated to Ugra Tara, arguably brought to Nepal in the 14th century by Bengali monks. But its origin is more ancient than what is deemed by most people.

Historian Dhanavajra Bajracharya is of the opinion that this place had a temple that was established during the Kirati era. He points out to the word “Gum” which is of Kirati (non-Sanskrit) origin meaning “Forest”. Gum Vihara naturally translates into “Forest Monastery”. Gum Vihara also finds mention in the Gopalarajavamshali which says,

“Manadeva…mahaghorapapa kritena maharodamana bhramitva Gum Vihara Sikhare tapa kritan. Tapu prabhavanmahachetamutpaddyate pratisthitasca.”

“Due to the sin committed by Mana Deva, he sat meditating in Gum Vihara. As a result a great Chaitya was created and consecrated”

It can be inferred that when the 6^th Lichavvi King Manadeva ascended the throne, Gum Baha was already an established religious site. The Hadigaon excavation, which was crucial in establishing the evidences of a Kirata dynasty in Nepal came across an inscription of the Lichhavi King Amshuverma. The inscription describes the donations granted by the ruler to the prominent Viharas. The Viharas were given grants of 6 Purana 2 pana which is equivalent to the grant amount that was designated to Pashupati Nath. The fact that the same of amount of grant was given to Gum Vihara as that of the most prominent temple in all of Nepal proves that Gum Vihara must have been a highly revered site during this period.

Spiritually powerful places of Kirati origin in the Nepal valley are placed in locations that command geomantic perfection. Ancient Kiratis understood the focal points of natural energy and chose spots and topography such as hill tops, phallic peaks, crags, confluence of rivers and natural amphitheaters. One perfect example is the ancient site of Galdang-guldung Thang.kuh ( Pubung, Darjeeling), an assortment of caves that sit on a natural amphitheatre. Unlike present day Mangkhims that are built without any consideration for focal points or cardinal directions, ancient power places built by the Kiratas fulfill that criteria. Gum Bahal’s location too, points to this same practice as it sits atop a hill that acts like a center of a circle open on all sides and fairly above levelled ground, which could also be a feature that might have attracted the Vajrayana Buddhists to this place initially.

The origin of the Newari Shaman, Gubaju can also be traced back to Gum Baha. A person who derives his powers from Gum Baha essentially becomes a Gubaju. The fact that ancient Shamans considered this place to have spiritual power also logically points out to Gum Baha’s enormous religious relevance during the Kirati period in Nepal. Since it might have been a spiritually powerful place, one where potent divine spirits would thrive – could it have been an established ancient Mangkhim?

The Avaran (built of solid stones) style of temple construction only began after the Lichhavis came to power in Nepal. The temples preceding this form i.e during the Kirata era, were usually rectangular and constructed in brick and wood. This has been mentioned in the Lichhavi King Amshuverma’s inscription LXXVI as translated by D.R Regmi. It says,

‘’Now that we have repaired carefully in the temple of Matin……all the worn out wood…………which had been entirely destroyed by mice and mongoose that had attacked the building had fallen through the crevices..’’.

The use of the word ‘Matin’ is of particular significance here. It usually refers to the Mother Goddess and seems to have inspired the name ‘’Matilam Ksetra’’ almost upto 1497A.D, today clearly named Mahalaxmi Dyochhe by the Newars. Many of these rectangular shaped temples of the Kirata era were renewed during the late Malla era.

Historians believe that most of the early Kirata images of their deities were built out of wood and mud. Some of the ritual practices seen in medieval Kathmandu indicate that they could have also used boiled rice to build images. During the last stages of the Kirata rule, for more permanency the Kiratas had begun making terracotta figurines.

A Lichhavi inscription-XLVIII says,

“matarah sthapita asanmrinmayastah kalakramena chirantanayati vishirnna bhagnapatita panipada jata..” meaning that the replacement images were carved in stone to assure a longer life.

The important aspects of the religion of the Kirata era did not actually end with the reign of the Kiratas in the Kathmandu valley. The later Hindu Kings did find a number of questionable stones that dated back to the Kirata era. Unknown as to what those stones might have been, the larger ones became the Shiva Linga and the smaller ones became manifestations of the Kumari. The ancient places of Kirata ancestor worship became Ajju and Ajima shrines.

But among all the deities still worshipped today in Kathmandu, an important one for us to consider is the Rato Machhendranath located at Bungamati, Lalitpur. Named after Bungayumi during the Lichhavi times, this mother Goddess could be a direct representation of Sumnima during the ancient Kirata times. Machhendranath is taken as a female entity associated with providing a spring source by making a hole in the ground to avert famine through irrigation.

As Yalambar conquered Nepal valley (Kathmandu) beginning from Sangha (East Kathmandu) to Gokarna (north Kathmandu), he consolidated his empire completely by taking over Jolpringram (modern day Thankot) in around 600 B.C (Date Source: Jayaswal Vamshali, 1928). Thankot was named “Jolpringram” by the Kiratas. The word “gram” used as a suffix in the name “Jolpringram” suggests that it was an important town during the Kirata era. The Kiratas also used the term “pringga” to denote any settlement or village on a “hill”. The name “Jol-prin-gram” uses both the suffixes respectively, “pringga” and “gram”. Needless to say, anyone who has ever been to Kathmandu knows that Thankot is located on a hill. When the Lichhavis took over the Nepal valley, they also took over already existing Kirata towns and made it their own. The Lichhavis changed the name “Jolpringram” to “Jayapalikagram” and made it their trade hub. Thus, most towns of the Kirata era are today important centers of modern Kathmandu.

Of all the significant places that are important to the ancient Kirata heritage in the Kathmandu valley, Patan obviously stands as the most important among them all. It is in this place that the Kiratas put up their last stand as a ruling civilization and which lives to testify the consummate dexterity of Kirata town planning. It is without a doubt that we can assume that the Kiratas were the ones who introduced brick work in Nepal. The Hadigaon excavations, where bricks built as early 160 B.C were unearthed, prove that the Kiratas could have been using bricks for constructions. Amazingly, Patan’s alleyways, which have an uncanny similarity to the Harrapan towns of the Indus Valley, are but remains of their ingenious town planning, brick work and masonry. So influential was the Kirata civilization that even today the locals call Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, Ya, Yala, Khope respectively. These are all ancient Kirata names of these places.

When the 28th King Patuka’s Gokarna Kingdom was being constantly attacked by the Lichhavis, he shifted his capital by the banks of the Bagmati river in Shankamul, an extended part of the town of Patan. But why did he choose Patan among all the places in the Kathmandu valley? There can be more than one answer to that. Patan would be strategically protected by two rivers; Bagmati and Hanumante. It is also situated at a significant altitude so to capture it would be a daunting task. Patan was obviously considered a holy place by the Kiratas, hence they perhaps believed it was a protected zone. Ashoka would never build his famous stupas in 250 B.C around Patan, if he had not considered it a holy place.

It is believed that Patuka, who was enthroned in around 85 A.D must have shifted his capital to Patan in around 110 A.D. Technically the capital that he built was supposed to have lasted another 150 years but the exact dates are still a matter of speculation. But Patuka did leave behind a legacy. His palace ruin (Patuka Mound) is one of the most conclusive proofs of Patan being a Kirata dominion other than the fact that the word “Patan” is derived from his own name.