A Confluence of Faith: The Palanse Kulayan Temple and Our Cultural Heritage

The Kulayan Temple in Palanse, Bhaktapur, is a shared symbol of the faith, unity, and cultural pride of the Lama Karki descendants. What follows is a historical account of how this sacred shrine was founded, from the laying of its foundation in B.S. 2073 to its infrastructure development, master plan, and organizational expansion.

A. Early Steps in Building the Kulayan Temple

Since its establishment, the Suryaman Singh Karki Foundation has played a pioneering and leading role in protecting the rights, interests, identity, and traditions of the Lama Karki descendants. The journey to build the Kulayan Temple in Palanse, Bhaktapur, began with a sacred purpose: to honor our deep reverence for our ancestors, preserve our family traditions, and strengthen the close bonds of unity among the descendants.

From the purchase of the land to the construction of the temple, the descendants of Shri Suryaman Singh Karki, together with the brothers and sisters of the Paiyapani Lama Karki family, came together and gave collective, spontaneous, and generous financial support. Through their joint contributions and devotion, the temple’s foundation was laid in the month of Chaitra, B.S. 2073, and the first phase of construction was completed successfully. After the first historic clan worship (kul puja) was held, steps were taken to develop the site as a sacred religious place for the Lama Karki descendants.

What began as a small Kulayan house has now been transformed into a magnificent Kulayan Temple, and the journey continues. There is no doubt that, in time, this temple complex in Palanse will become a grand family shrine (religious abode) for all Lama Karki kin. The Foundation’s historic decision of Asar 23, B.S. 2083, fully affirms this belief, vision, and resolve.

B. From Vision to the Founding of the Temple

The Foundation’s leadership and initiative, together with the dedication of the entire community of kin, were the main pillars in turning the initial vision of the temple into reality. The foundation was laid in Chaitra B.S. 2073, and through the tireless effort, perseverance, and devotion of all the kin, the temple’s construction was grandly completed by Baisakh B.S. 2074. On the auspicious Asar Shukla Purnima (Vyas Purnima) of that same year, the first historic clan worship was performed, establishing the site as a sacred abode of shared faith and closeness for all Lama Karki descendants.

C. Physical Infrastructure: A Golden Chapter of Contributions

Once the temple was established, the need for its overall security, physical management, and infrastructure expansion became clear. In this regard, the selfless and unparalleled contribution of Shri Dil Bahadur Karki (a descendant of Surbir Karki and proprietor of Karki Banquet, Thapathali) has become an example for all descendants to follow.

To make the temple premises safe and orderly, he had a sturdy stone wall and iron fencing installed at his own personal expense in B.S. 2076. Likewise, to enhance the temple’s dignity and provide convenient lodging for kin traveling from afar, an attractive three-room guesthouse with modern toilets was built in fiscal year 2079/80, fully funded by him. The Foundation expresses its heartfelt gratitude for his selfless service and generosity.

D. Master Plan, Modern Structures, and Future Form

To make this religious site in Palanse legally sound, scientifically planned, and modern, the Foundation has put forward a visionary physical master plan. The process of legally obtaining map (building permit) approval for the existing three-room building from Suryabinayak Municipality is underway. Keeping in mind the needs and safety of future generations, the “Monolithic Structural Bonding” technique will be used to further strengthen the structural foundation.

The ground-floor rooms will be kept as they are, while a large open hall will be built on the first floor for clan worship and social and cultural ceremonies. The plans will be approved so that, in the future, two or three more floors can be safely added above the hall, housing well-equipped rooms for guests. For those wishing to contribute to building the upper-floor rooms, proposals will be invited under a “donor model,” and those rooms will be named according to the donors’ wishes.

Ample open space will be kept on the premises so that religious rituals and social celebrations such as weddings, bratabandha (sacred thread) ceremonies, and Puran recitations can be held comfortably. Divine idols of Ganesh, the Goddess (Devi), and Shiva will also be installed there. To ensure that all construction is scientific, safe, and in accordance with Vastu principles, the master plan will be prepared under the direct guidance of a structural engineer and an architect and then approved by the municipality.

E. Revival in the Three-Tier Pagoda Style and Grant of Authority

Shri Dil Bahadur Karki proposed transforming the clan worship site, which had previously been confined to a single room, into a grand, artistic, and attractive shrine in the traditional Three-Tier Pagoda Style, with him personally covering the entire cost. Warmly welcoming his proposal, the Foundation’s Executive Committee unanimously approved it at its meeting held on Asar 23, B.S. 2083.

Likewise, on Shrawan 13, B.S. 2083, the day of the Kulayan worship, the Foundation formally presented Shri Dil Bahadur Karki with a letter of authority, entrusting him with full responsibility and jurisdiction to lead, oversee, and manage the new engineering design, the compound, building construction, and all reconstruction work. This has opened the way for the temple construction to move forward smoothly and quickly. The Foundation believes that this great work, in which kinsman Shri Dil Bahadur Karki is building the structures and beautifying the premises with his own private investment, will become a golden milestone in the history of the Lama Karki lineage. The Executive Committee has authorized the Foundation’s Chairman, Shri Prahlad Bahadur Karki, to handle all of this physical development, map approval, and necessary coordination.

F. Organizational Expansion and the “Lifetime Membership” Campaign

The foundation of any lineage or community is its history, family traditions, and the cultural heritage left behind by its ancestors. Alongside physical progress in infrastructure, the Foundation has adopted a long-term policy of expanding its organizational reach worldwide. In line with this policy, the meeting of Asar 23, B.S. 2083, launched a major organizational expansion campaign with the sacred goal of bringing together, on a single shared platform (chautari), all descendants of Shri Suryaman Singh Karki of Paiyapani, Bhojpur, and Shri Singhbir Karki of Malbanse, living both in Nepal and abroad.

In today’s modern age, our descendants have gone to many countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, Korea, and Japan, for higher education, employment, or business. Recognizing that living far from their homeland and ancestral home may cause the new generation to drift away from their family traditions, religion, culture, and rites, the Foundation began a new and sacred tradition starting with the B.S. 2083 Kulayan worship.

Under this arrangement, Lama Karki kin living abroad can now have clan worship performed by sending money for puja, offerings, or votive pledges (bhakal). The Foundation and the Kulayan Puja Management Committee will take full responsibility for performing the worship and sankalpa (ritual vow) properly at the temple premises in the names of the respective kin. This step has helped kin living across the seven seas feel the closeness and blessings of the family deity, keeping their emotional bond with the ancestral home and soil forever alive.

To make this campaign even stronger and more lasting, the meeting held on Shrawan 5, B.S. 2083, made another important announcement. To bring all Lama Karki kin in Nepal and abroad under the Foundation’s shared umbrella, “Lifetime Membership” has been opened with a contribution of Rs. 11,000. It is believed this will offer the opportunity to remain forever connected to the family’s ancestral rites. Every kinsperson who becomes a lifetime member will be honored by the Foundation with a special certificate of appreciation as a token of affection.

G. A Shared Commitment and a Historic Call

This campaign to preserve our identity, our pride, and the priceless heritage of our ancestors is not merely the formal work of an organization; it is a shared platform for building a secure future of values and culture for our descendants. Therefore, wherever in the world we may be, it is the highest duty of all of us kin to join hands in this historic journey by becoming lifetime members of the Foundation, so that we may preserve the history of our forefathers, receive the grace of our family deity, and pass on a rich culture to the generations to come.

Written / Presented by: Chandi Karki
Date: Friday, Bhadra 9, B.S. 2083