Dashed bro!

You raised many valid points. To add to your points about Lichhavi, ( CT claims he read brick n bulls,which I doubt  of S R tiwari, the book speaks all about handigaun/lichhavi period, bhdradivas) -(CT bro would you mind  telling little excerpt from  the preface/ how he started the book? Since you are the only erudite in Sajha)

nevertheless, here are some facts of Lichhavi Period-

Manadev -Changu Narayan
Bhadradivas-Narendra Dev
Kailashkut -Ansu Verma

other monuments and architecture developed during that period.

Kathmandu town planning -Gunakamadev ( Unlike many think it is malla who started KTM town sorry , but that is WRONG)
Swombhunath Stupa including Ashok Stupa of Lagankhel and Many Stupas-Belongs to Lichhavi Period ( just google image the Lichhavi chaitya-u will see the diff btn mallakalin-see how malla adapted that design)- basically , STUPA Culture brought by Lichhavi

Dhunge Dhara -Lichhavi Period
( see the link below -
http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ancientnepal/pdf/ancient_nepal_116-118_02.pdf)

Chaitya -Lichhavi Started (google the lichhavi chaitya image you will see)
Rajkulo -Irrigation system-built during lichhavi period.

Again, credit goes to malla they did do fine job, but lichhavi were the most civizlied and technically advanced people,  the malla just tried to follow their culture that is why that period is called " swornim -golden era of nepali history".

Lichhavi established advanced governing system like " kaustoshi khana"  and etc.. Lichhavi were from India, possibly chetriya (KHAS may be) so they belong to bathing culture that is why they built dhunge dhara. I am not saying this, but the very book CT read is saying this lol.. I love reading history too, but I do not want to claim and sound like idiot-" I have read that, I have done that, I know him and so on"..bhanchan ni angreji ma gadhale matra afno nam paila lincha re..aru ma k bhanu ..

So fellow newars, their existed sophisticated culture even before malla period! Aren't you proud of that too..