Kasthamandap yet to reopen

BY A STAFF REPORTER Kathmandu, June 28: The historic Kasthamandap was formally opened by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on April 4. But the gate of the wood-covered shelter was closed for public after a few days of opening. Since then, it has not been opened to the public because of a case filed in the Supreme Court (SC) over the replacement of its old idols.  

The Supreme Court (SC) on January 18 had ordered that the new idols not be installed in the iconic structure. A heritage activist had filed the case at the SC demanding placement of original ancient idol of Gorakhnath with other four corner idols in the newly constructed Kasthamandap.  

The Kasthamandap Reconstruction Committee (KRC) had installed a new idol of Gorakhanth and four others of Ganesh after all idols were broken by the 2015 earthquake. 

Gautam Dongol, secretary of the KRC, said that the replicas of the old idols were established after they got broken into pieces.  

Hindu culture doesn’t allow the worshipping of broken idols, so they were changed, he said. 

Advocate Sanjaya Adhikari had filed a case against replacement of the old idols on January 13. 

He had argued that the act not only violated the Ancient Memorial Protection Act and the international law on the protection of heritage, it also hurt the religious sentiment of the people as well as violated the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. 

In response, the SC had issued an order to stop the installation of new idols in the Kasthamandap on January 18.  

SC has also ordered physical presence of director general of the Department of Archaeology, executive director of Hanumandhoka Durbar Museum Development Committee and representative from Kasthamandap Reconstruction Committee. 

Dongol said that the hearing date, initially scheduled for March, has now been postponed for August.  “We had orally handed over the authority of Kasthamandap to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) but we are yet to hold discussion with the newly elected mayor about the issue,” he added.