Shidhinarasingha Malla

Siddhi Narasimha Malla , also known as Siddhinarasimha or Siddhi Narasingh or Siddhi Nar Singh, was a Malla dynasty king and the King of Lalitpur. He was a religious king and ruled from 1619 to 1661.

Background of Patan After the division of Kathmandu Valley into the three kingdoms of Kantipur, Patan, and Bhadgaon, Patan was ruled by feudal lords called pramanas. In around 1697, Shivasimha Malla, grandfather of Siddhinarasimha and Laxmi Narasimha Malla, annexed Patan, which was then ruled by Purandarsimha, the son of Vishnusimha.

Sivasimha Malla installed his son Hariharsimha as the governor of Patan. Hariharsimha died shortly afterwards, and he was succeeded by his eldest son, Siddhinarasimha. In 1619, when Shivasimha Malla died Siddhinarasimha declared Patan independent from Kantipur.

Reign Portrait of Siddhi Narasimha Malla at the walls of the Jana Bahal Temple, Kathmandu. Siddhinarasima Malla's reign is generally considered one of the finest among the kings of Patan. Patan was on excellent terms with many neighboring kingdoms such as the Gorkha Kingdom which was then ruled by Ram Shah. The two kingdoms had an agreement to have a joint successor if any one of them died without a male heir. He also maintained friendly relations with the kingdoms in Terai as his wife Bhanumati was from the region of Terai.

Relations with Kantipur started to deteriorate after Pratap Malla became its king. Pratap Malla, unlike his father, did not like the idea of Patan being independent from Kantipur and laid several attacks against Patan.

He made it customary for the people returning from Lhasa to undergo a purification process. He also composed Kartika Pyakhana in Newar language which is still performed every year in Patan since its inception in 1641 CE.

Similarly, Gopinathya Gita, a 31-poem composed by Siddhi Narasimha Malla in Newar, is considered an important work in Newar literature, some of which are still sang in Kartik Nach.

Death In 1657, he abdicated as the King and went on a religious exile. He lived on the banks of Ganges and in his last years went to Vanarasi where died in 1661.