Reconstruction of Bhanu’s ancestral home still uncertain

By Amar Raj Naharki,Tanahun, Sept. 29: More than two decades have elapsed since the ancestral home of Nepal’s pioneer poet, Adikavi Bhanubhakta Acharya, was destroyed by fire, yet its reconstruction remains uncertain. The house, located at Chundi Ramgha Shikharkateri in Bhanu Municipality–4, Tanahun, still lies in ruins due to a lack of preservation.

Although plans to develop the site as a literary and cultural heritage destination have been announced multiple times, little progress has been made in practice. Overgrown weeds, charred wooden doors and windows, and crumbling walls continue to sadden literature enthusiasts and visitors, according to local resident Sandesh Acharya.

Bhanu Municipality Mayor Anand Raj Tripathi claimed that reconstruction efforts would move forward in the near future. He explained that although the Western Development Forum had laid a foundation stone in 2016, announcing a plan worth Rs. 6.8 million, the project stalled because the necessary budget was never allocated.

Earlier, in 2000, filmmaker Yadav Kharel had spent around Rs. 100,000 to repair the house while producing the film Adikavi Bhanubhakta. However, the thatched-roof house was completely destroyed in a devastating fire in May 2003. Excavations led by Tribhuvan University historian Dr. Ram Raj Subedi uncovered remnants of the foundation, the main entrance lintel, hearth ashes, traditional tools, and a silver ornament, which are now preserved at the committee office.

According to former Executive Director of the Adikavi Birthplace Development Committee, Shankar Ranabhat, budget constraints and security issues have been the main obstacles to reconstruction. Committee Chair Ram Kumar Shrestha said they had even requested President Ram Chandra Paudel to station a military unit in the area to ensure protection of the site.