Reconstruction of Rato Machhindranath Temple resumes

By A Staff Reporter,Lalitpur, Dec. 23: Reconstruction of the much-awaited Shikhar-styled Rato Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati, Lalitpur, has finally resumed after a hiatus of 22 months. 

The 2015 earthquake had destroyed the temple. The Rato Machhindranath Temple Reconstruction Consumer Committee (RMTRCC) resumed the reconstruction process after performing a special worship on December 12.

According to Amir Shakya, Chairman of the Consumer Committee, the Department of Archaeology (DoA) had neither extended the project timeline nor allocated the necessary budget to complete the remaining work, which resulted in a halt in the reconstruction for almost two years. 

“The DoA has now extended the deadline until the end of the current fiscal year. The committee will complete all remaining works during the extended period,” Shakya said. 

 The pinnacle section will be finished within a week, Shakya added. The reconstruction process was halted on September 19, 2023, after the DoA delayed extending the reconstruction deadline. 

About 80 per cent of the temple’s reconstruction works were completed by the time the work was halted. 

It was not the first time the temple’s reconstruction had been delayed. Earlier, the project faced uncertainty when the Sri Lankan government withdrew its support due to technical controversies over the use of construction materials.

 Following this, the government transferred the responsibility of reconstruction to the RMTRCC, which began work after a special worship ceremony.

Although the reconstruction of one of the old temples of the valley officially began in July 2016, Lord Rato Machhindranath has not been taken to its original home for over eight years. Originally, the Machhindranath temple was believed to be built in the 8th century. 

After the government handed over the project to the RMTRCC, the reconstruction faced further delays when disagreements arose between the DoA and the local communities over construction materials. Locals insisted on using traditional materials, such as larger bricks (Maa Appa) found in ancient structures, instead of standard bricks.

An agreement was signed on June 29, 2020, to officially hand the project over to the RMTRCC. Shakya attributed some of the delays to the complexity of the reconstruction process, explaining that bricks of around 50 different sizes are being used to reconstruct the temple, all under its original design.

“From very large to smaller bricks, each weighing about 50 kg, we used traditional bricks instead of regular ones used in other temples. The process of preparing bricks of several sizes takes time, but it is necessary to ensure the temple is built in the traditional style and remains strong,” Shakya explained.

The first contract deadline expired on June 29, 2021, the second deadline in March 2022, and the final deadline in June 2023. “We have successfully extended the current term after much effort,” Shakya added.