Dharma Man Tuladhar

Dharma Man Tuladhar in 1935

Swayambhu stupa in Kathmandu shortly after renovation, photo created around 1920.

Stone stupa (foreground) dedicated to Dharma Man Tuladhar erected in 1941 next to the Shantipur Temple at Swayambhu.

Dharma Man Tuladhar (Nepali: धर्म मान तुलाधर) (August 4, 1862 – August 24, 1938) was a Nepalese trader and philanthropist^[1] best known for the renovation of the Swayambhu stupa in Kathmandu, one of the holiest Buddhist shrines in Nepal.^[2] Popularly known as Dhaman Sahu (Nepal Bhasa: धमां साहु), Tuladhar headed the restoration project which began in 1918 and ended in 1921.^[3] This was the last complete renovation of Swayambhu before the recent restoration project which was finished in 2010.^[4]

Business in Tibet

Tuladhar belonged to the Nyata (Nepal Bhasa: न्यत) branch of Tuladhars. He was born in Nyata in the western part of Kathmandu and moved to Tanlachhi (Nepal Bhasa: तंलाछि) in the early 1900s. His wife was Hera Laxmi Tuladhar. His father Buddha Bir Singh Tuladhar owned a business house in Lhasa, Tibet known as Chhusingsyar with branches in Gyantse and Phari and in Ladakh and Kolkata in India.^[5] Tuladhar traveled to Lhasa and lived there many years engaged as a trader.^[6]

Following his return to Kathmandu, he devoted himself to supporting Buddhist causes.^[7] He also hosted Tibetan lamas coming to Kathmandu on pilgrimage and made arrangements for them to give religious discourses, most notably Kyangtse Lama who arrived in Kathmandu in 1925.^[8]

Restoration of Swayambhu

A Tibetan lama Sarvasri Sakyasri provided the inspiration to undertake the restoration of Swayambhu which Tuladhar began in 1918 after obtaining permission from the king and the prime minister. Tuladhar was one of the major donors to the project. Lamas and devotees from Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim also made large contributions.

The entire stupa was refurbished. The spire was dismantled and redone. The central shaft was renewed.^{[9] [10]} Tuladhar sponsored the renovation of the upper portion of the stupa while brothers Harsha Sundar, Ram Sundar and Pushpa Sundar Tuladhar of Asan Dhalasikwa, Kathmandu bore the expenses of the nine shrines around its base.

The five Buddha shrines set into the dome were covered with gilt copper, a new statue of Vairocana Buddha was installed, and four new shrines were built to house statues of Tara. A row of prayer wheels were also installed all around the stupa.^[11]

The chief engineer of the project was Jog Bir Sthapit. The restoration lasted three years. Newar Buddhist priests and Tibetan lamas conducted separate religious ceremonies at Swayambhu before work began and after it was completed.^[12]

Dharma Man Tuladhar died at his home in Kathmandu in 1938. A stone stupa dedicated to his memory was built and consecrated in 1941 on the east side of the Shantipur Temple at Swayambhu.

References

1. ^ LeVine, Sarah and Gellner, David N. (2005) Rebuilding Buddhism: The Theravada Movement in Twentieth-Century Nepal. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674019089. Page 27
2. ^ Shrestha, Suresh Suras (2010). "People's Involvement in Heritage Conservation: Swayambhu Stupa Conservation". Cultural Heritage Protection Office, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU). http://www.nara.accu.or.jp/activities/img/dissemination/sixth.pdf. Retrieved 1 February 2011. 
3. ^ Shakya, Hem Raj. (2004) Sri Svayambhu Mahacaitya. Kathmandu: Svayambhu Vikash Mandala. ISBN 99933-864-0-5. Pages 313-319.
4. ^ "Restoration of Swayambhu Stupa to complete in Feb 2010". The Rising Nepal. 11 February 2010. http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/detail.php?article_id=30611&cat_id=8. Retrieved 3 February 2011. 
5. ^ Tuladhar, Sidhartha Man (1999). "Dharma Man Tuladhar and Pratek Man Tuladhar: Nepalese Traders in Tibet". Nepal and Tibet Philatelic Study Circle. http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/postalhimal/pdf/PH_1999_003.pdf. Retrieved 11 November 2011.  Page 23.
6. ^ LeVine, Sarah and Gellner, David N. (2005) Rebuilding Buddhism: The Theravada Movement in Twentieth-Century Nepal. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674019089. Page 102
7. ^ Mahasthavir, Bhikshu Sudarshan (1998). "Role of Theravada in the Preservation of Newar Buddhism". http://www.aioiyama.net/lrc/papers/cbhnm-ppr-13.htm. Retrieved 2 February 2011. 
8. ^ Gellner, David N. (2004). "Gyanmala Bhajan (Devotional songs)". Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK). http://www.lumbini.org.uk/r_d.html. Retrieved 1 February 2011. 
9. ^ Gutschow, Niels; Gellner, David N. and Basukala, Bijay (1997) The Nepalese Caitya: 1500 Years of Buddhist Votive Architecture in the Kathmandu Valley. Edition Axel Menges. ISBN 3-930698-75-7. Page 92
10. ^ Chitrakar, Anil (August 2010). "Celebrating Swayambhu Restoration". ECS. http://www.ecs.com.np/feature_detail.php?f_id=205. Retrieved 2 February 2011. 
11. ^ Shakya, Hem Raj. (2004) Sri Svayambhu Mahacaitya. Kathmandu: Svayambhu Vikash Mandala. ISBN 99933-864-0-5. Page 320.
12. ^ Shakya, Hem Raj. (2004) Sri Svayambhu Mahacaitya. Kathmandu: Svayambhu Vikash Mandala. ISBN 99933-864-0-5. Pages 315-319.

Persondata
Name	Tuladhar, Dharma Man
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	4 August 1862
Place of birth
Date of death	24 August 1938
Place of death