Lun Hiti: Your Guide to Bhaktapur Durbar Square's Stone Water Spout - Nepal Purple Travel Guide

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Lun Hiti, literally ‘Golden Fountain’ in Newar is one of Bhaktapur’s most enchanting water spouts. Carved in the 17th century under King Jitamitra Malla, this sunken hiti blends practical engineering, sacred ritual, and breathtaking Newari artistry.

For your orientation, here is the layout of the Bhaktapur Royal Palace:

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Origin of the Name

• Lun Hiti comes from ‘lu’ (gold) and ‘hiti’ (water spout), referencing the gilt-bronze details on its carved mouth.

• In Nepali it is known as Sundhara – ‘golden conduit’ - while some locals still call it Naag Pokhari (Snake Pond), thanks to the life size serpent sculpture that coils around its small pond.

Architecture and Craftsmanship of Lun Hiti / Golden Fountain

Step down into the courtyard and you will see the spout’s dramatic reliefs:
The gilt spout shows a makara (crocodile elephant composite), that has goat’s head and front legs sticking out from its mouth. A crocodile is standing on the makara’s back. The sides of the spout are completely covered with sculptures of snakes, turtle, frog, conch shell, hippopotamus, ram and cow, etc. – all related to water and fertility.

The hiti is constructed as a sunken rectangular basin, measuring approximately 40 2/3 ft (12.4 m) long (east to west) and 30.5 ft (9.3 m) wide (north to south), with a depth of 6.5 ft (2 m) below ground level. Unlike most traditional hitis in the Kathmandu Valley, Lun Hiti is not enclosed by parapet walls. Instead, its rim is decorated with six sculpted stone serpents, each with intertwined tails and raised heads, symbolizing the presence of Nāgas, mythological serpent deities associated with water and protection.
The basin is accessed by two sets of stone stairs flanking the main spout wall on the eastern side. The spout wall itself is built of stone and features a mix of scalloped and straight forms. At the center is the main water spout described above, with two overflow spouts (tutedharas) on either side. Below each spout are stone reliefs of Bhagiratha, the sage who, according to Hindu mythology, brought the sacred Ganges River to Earth.
Above the spout is a miniature temple structure with five niches and a row of 26 ornamental recesses, which likely once housed tantric deities. At ground level behind the spout wall, five miniature shrines (two shikharas, two pagodas, and a domed shrine) stand in a row, reflecting the valley’s diverse architectural styles. A gilt serpent figure positioned behind these shrines appears to gaze toward another serpent sculpture in the center of the pond.
On the western side of the basin is a square pond about 18 1/3 ft (5.6 m) wide and 4.5 ft (1.4 m) deep, with rounded corners. Inside the pond stands a striking serpent pillar (Nāgakāṣṭha): a tall, carved (with detailed snake scale patterns) wooden post topped with a gilded metal serpent head. It symbolizes spiritual guardianship and reverence for natural water sources.
Lun Hiti is not only a beautiful example of Newar hydraulic engineering and artistic expression but also a living remnant of Bhaktapur’s royal and religious heritage.

Historical Significance of Lun Hiti / Golden Fountain

Lun Hiti owes its existence to King Jitamitra Malla, one of Bhaktapur’s most creative 17th century monarchs.
Inspired by other Malla kings, Siddhi Narasimha Malla in Patan and Pratap Malla in Kathmandu, King Jitamitra Malla commissioned his own sunken bath in 1678, completed the lavish courtyard pavilion by 1683 in Thanthu Durbar Hiti, which does not exist anymore. A royal canal (rajkulo) piped fresh spring water from the Mahadev ridge near Nagarkot into a sunken reservoir (today’s Nag Pokhari) before feeding the ornate spout. In 1688, the king endowed ten ropanis (≈5,087 m²) of farmland to fund its upkeep and added the gilt bronze detailing whose date still graces the stone inscription. Originally, this quiet basin served both as a private bathing retreat for the Malla monarchs and as the official water source for daily Taleju Temple pujas, linking royal luxury with sacred ritual.

Legend of how Lun Hiti / Golden Fountain was created

Since we are in Nepal, there is, of course, a legend about the construction:
Legend says the goddess Taleju Bhawani herself appeared to Jitamitra Malla in a dream, instructing him to fetch those Mahadev springs for her palace rituals at Taleju Temple. Between 1678 and 1683, King Jitamitra Malla oversaw the diversion of spring water from the Mahadev ridge near Nagarkot through a royal canal, storing it in a sunken reservoir, today called Nag Pokhari, and routing it to the golden spout.
On the fountain’s inauguration day, two white ducks reportedly shrank just enough to slip through the spout, only to re emerge full sized in the pond below - a marvel recounted through generations of Bhaktapur storytellers.

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Author: Rudy at Backpack and Snorkel

Bio: Owner of Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guides. We create in-depth guides to help you plan unforgettable vacations around the world.

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