New Kotghar being constructed at historic Amargadhi Fort

By Our Correspondent,Dadeldhura, July 16: A new Kotghar is being constructed at the historic Amargadhi Fort, after the earlier structure built just a year ago collapsed due to structural failure.

The original Kotghar, built in 2020 for Rs. 2 million, started deteriorating before completing a year, with the roof nearly collapsing due to poor construction. It was built with a stone foundation and roofed with slate, but structural elements weakened rapidly.

According to Deepak Ojha, a technical officer at the Federal Project Implementation Unit of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction in Dhangadhi, the current fiscal year 2024/25 has allocated Rs. 15 million for the reconstruction of the Kotghar, along with stone paving inside and outside the fort.

When the budget release procedure got delayed, the contract was only signed in early mid-June. Since work will not be completed within this fiscal year, the timeline has been extended to fiscal year 2025/26, Ojha said. Currently, the foundation for the new Kotghar is under construction.

Earlier, the original Kotghar within the fort was built using a Rs. 2 million fund under the Nepali Army’s Civil-Military Relations Programme in 2020. The remaining ruins still lie inside the fort.

In the ongoing fiscal year, the Nepali Army’s Arjunban Battalion has also restored the main entrance of the Amargadhi Fort and constructed a wooden path through a tunnel at a cost of Rs. 2.5 million. However, due to decaying timber supports, several parts of the stone tunnel have begun to crumble. 

The Amargadhi Fort Area Development Committee Chairperson, Prabin Jairu, said additional works, including the construction of a rest area and stone paving of the courtyard, are underway.

Furthermore, Amargadhi Municipality has constructed a reinforced concrete (RCC) access road and retaining wall along the outer perimeter of the fort at a cost of Rs. 500,000.  According to technical officer Janak Rosyara, 25 concrete pillars have been erected to build a 100-metre-long, 2.5-metre-high wall, with remaining work planned along the Khalanga Bazaar side.

The exterior wall is now adorned with artistic murals depicting the historical Doteli Kingdom capital, Ajaymerukot, the Ugratara Bhagwati Temple, and other religious-cultural monuments.