A decade after quake, Kumari Ghar awaits retrofitting

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 8: Kumari Ghar, the residence of the living goddess Kumari at Basantapur, damaged by the 2015 earthquake, is still awaiting reconstruction.

Sunita Dangol, Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, inspected the Kumari Ghar on Sunday after photographs showing its roof being covered by a tent circulated on social media. 

Now a tarpaulin has covered the terracotta tile roof of the archaeologically important structure.   

Gautam Shakya, President of the Indrajatra Management Committee, informed that although the building appears fine from the outside, it remains structurally weak as the quake developed several cracks in its walls. 

“Cracks appeared after the earthquake, and water started leaking from the roof about three years ago. This year, the leakages have worsened,” he said. “I reported the issue to the Department of Archaeology about two weeks ago. After inspecting the site, a team from the DoA temporarily covered its roof with a tent to protect it from further damage.”

According to him, the building had been supported by more than a dozen wooden and metal poles for years. However, these supports were removed around three years ago by the Nepali Army during the visits of the VIPs to the Basantapur area, citing aesthetic concern despite the visible cracks on its wall.

Three years after the earthquake, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City conducted a structural resilience test. Based on the results, it recommended retrofitting of the building.

However, eve 10 years after the earthquake, no authority has taken concrete steps to retrofit the damaged building.

Kaliman Pyakurel, Executive Director of the Hanumandhoka Durbar Museum Committee (HDMC), stated that the responsibilities for reconstruction and retrofitting of the structures on the Hanumandhoka premises have been divided among the Department of Archaeology (DoA), HDMC, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), and other authorities. He said that earlier, KMC had committed to retrofitting the Kumari Ghar.

“This issue gained attention again after the roof was temporarily covered with a tent to stop the water leakage,” Pyakurel added.

Despite this, it remains unclear as to which government agency will take full responsibility for retrofitting.

Macha Raj Maharjan, Chairman of Ward 23, said the Department of Archaeology has agreed with his structural assessments and assured that there will be no budget constraints.

The historic Kumari Ghar, originally built in 1757, needs immediate retrofitting to prevent it from falling, Maharjan added.