By Binu Shrestha
Kathmandu, Oct. 15: Reconstruction works of the cultural heritage, monuments, religious places, which were damaged in the 2015 earthquake, are moving at a steady pace.
Gorkha earthquake had damaged 753 heritages across the country, of which 444 have been completed so far, historic Ranipokhari being one of them. Monuments, including World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley are under reconstruction.
According to the Department of Archeology (DoA), 753 temples, shrines and monasteries suffered damages in the earthquake.
Record of the Planning Division of the Department of Archeology shows that the earthquake had damaged 215 temples and shrines in Kathmandu, 73 in Bhaktapur and 130 in Lalitpur districts.
The reconstruction works of 105 temples and shrines inside the World Heritage Site of Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square , Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Pashupati area, Swayambhunath and Bouddhanath areas had completed, according to the Planning Division of DoA.
In Kathmandu district, a total of 215 temples were damaged in the earthquake, out of which 29 were destroyed at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, 18 at Swoyambhunath and 66 at the Pashupatinath area.
The reconstruction work is now running in the final year of five-year project. However, due to the pandemic-induced shortage of materials used in the monuments, has adversely affected the reconstruction work for the last six months, said Ram Bahadur Kunwar, spokesperson of DoA.
Around 55 to 60 per cent work has completed so far and it will take around two more years to complete the projects, he said.
“We have sent a notice to those contractors who have been delaying their works. They cite shortage of materials for the delay,” he added.
The government has allocated Rs. 1.73 billion, of which Rs. 200 million was provided by German government, to reconstruct remaining heritage monuments for this fiscal year, according to the DoA.
In current fiscal year, it is expected that 60 new projects in Kathmandu, 33 projects in Lalitpur and 38 projects in Bhaktapur will be completed.
In Bhaktapur Durbar Square, 21 temples in the World Heritage Sites (WHS), along with eight in the Changu Narayan temple premises.
Reconstrcution of 29 projects -- both big and small -- has completed in Bhaktapur, 19 at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, 11 at Swayambunath area, 35 at Pashupatinath area, and 10 at Patan Durbar Square.
Eight temples are under construction at Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Currently, reconstruction of Ram Temple, National Arts Museum, Hanumanghat, among other projects, are running at Bhaktapur Durbar Square Premises.
Sandeep Khanal, executive director of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Museum Development Committee, said that reconstruction process of some shrines has started, while the reconstruction of Kasthmandap was underway.
While the reconstruction work of the nine-storied palace of Hanumandhoka is yet to be completed, that of Gaddhi Baithak has completed.
Renovation works of Degu Taleju Temple, Kageshwar Temple, Maru Sattal, Bamsha Gopal Temple and other big and small projects have already completed.
Similarly, renovation and rehabilitation works of other monuments -- Dashavatar Temple, Kasthamandap, Maju Dega -- are being done. That said, the work on Dashavatar Temple is yet to be started, he added.