A rajkulo () is a type of

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

found in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. It provides water for

Irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

dhunge dhara A dhunge dhara ( ) or hiti () is a traditional stone drinking fountain found in Nepal. It is an intricately carved stone waterway through which water flows uninterrupted from underground sources. Dhunge dharas are part of a comprehensive drinki ...

s, 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 Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

. 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 Patan Durbar Square ( Nepal Bhasa: /यल लायकु, Nepali: पाटन दरबार क्षेत्र) is situated at the centre of the city of Lalitpur in Nepal. It is one of the three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley ...

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. Although the primary objective of the canal was to have water for worship in the Taleju temple, it was also used for irrigation, for watermills and for fishing along the way.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 2025Dhunge-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 Pratap Malla (1624–1674 A.D.) was a Malla dynasty (Nepal), Malla king and the eighth Kingdom of Kantipur, King of Kantipur from 1641 until his death in 1674. He attempted to unify Kathmandu Valley by conquering Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, but fai ...

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

References

External links

A neglected rajkulo of Lalitpur
Architecture in Nepal Water supply and sanitation in Nepal Water supply infrastructure in Nepal Culture of Nepal Canals in Nepal {{Nepal-struct-stub