Nepal, Sept. 27 -- The Gen Z uprising of September 8 and 9 evokes, among other things, the architecture of Nepal. The dominant imagery of the uprising is fire. Many old and new structures were set ablaze. The images of charred structures Kathmandu can be seen in Kathmandu Valleyand other cities. Why did the buildings, including humble houses, become targets of the ire of the unprecedented actions in the uprising? A full answer to this question may never come. In this article, I have attempted to examine the element of fire in the architectural structure of Nepal Mandala, which includes the major cities of the Valley and the vicinity.

Before discussing the architectural features, I want to present a picture of the aftermath of the riotous...