Reconstruction of Lamjung Durbar in progress

By Nabin Raj Kuinkel,Lamjung, May 26:  Reconstruction of Lamjung Durbar has resumed after 15 months of halt. The reconstruction of the Lamjung Durbar in Gaunshahar, where construction work had been halted since Magh 2081, has resumed.

Govinda Adhikari, an enginner of the Department of Archaeology (DoA), said that although the work on the palace had been stopped due to budget shortage and tender call, the reconstruction work has progressed now.

According to him, A One Company Kathmandu has started work by getting a contract for around Rs. 4.2 million. The DoA has stated that work is currently underway to separate the old and new wood in the palace and to reconstruct some of the walls that have been built.

Rajendra Bohara, Chairman of the Village City Kalika Temple Conservation and Management Committee, expressed happiness that the reconstruction work of the palace has started gaining momentum and that the work has begun despite the delay in the budget for this fiscal year. 

He said that the construction work had been stalled for a long time and now that it has started, some hope has been raised among the locals.

Although the construction work was scheduled to be completed in two years, it has not been completed so far. 

Regarding this issue, Guman Singh Aryal, Mayor of the Besishahar Municipality said, "There is a lot of delay in completing the construction work of the palace here. We dispatched letter to the federal government repeatedly, but there had been no solution."

All responsibility for this lies with the central government, yet the municipality and the Gandaki government had already built the gate, wall and stone staircase a few years ago.

According to engineer Adhikari, there are still some remaining works to be done, including the construction of some walls of this palace, the construction of the walls of the Kalika Temple, the construction of the roof, the installation of timber for the roof, the installation of the pinnacle, plastering, window and door frames, painting and flooring inside the palace.

According to the DoA, the reconstruction work will not be completed with this fiscal year's budget, and the funds will only be used to build walls on the upper part, install wood for the roof and inspect the existing wood. 

According to him, in the last fiscal year 2024/25, a budget of Rs. 6 million including VAT was received and Shilpakar Nirman Sewa, Suryabinayak 8, Bhaktapur, had signed a construction contract for Rs. 3.5 million after making a statement.

While the reconstruction was started with a budget of Rs. 13.3 million in the fiscal year 2022/23 (2079/80 BS), the government had allocated a total budget of Rs. 5 million in the fiscal year 2023/24 (2080/81 BS). 

In the first year, Bhaktapur's construction company NPS was given the responsibility of rebuilding the palace and in the second year, Bhaktapur's RGS/Bishnu JV was given the responsibility. 

The palace is being reconstructed in its original style and form. The palace will be three-story with a pavilion and the Kalika Temple will be pagoda style. The bricks, wood and surkhi (brick dust) used to build the palace have been brought from Bhaktapur. According to the management committee, the palace is spread over an area of 16 ropanis. 

Shah dynasty originated in Lamjung, so the Lamjung Palace has its legacy. Kalu Shah, the second son of the king Kulmandan of Kaskikot, was made the king of the first Chaubise kingdom of Lamjung by Khajedura, Sukram Kyausa, Maghe Dura, Kushmakhar Ghimire, and Laxman Dura in 1483 (1540 BS). 

Shortly thereafter, history records that the army of the then Ghale Raja, who was in power in Lamjung, killed Kalu Shah. After that incident, they brought the youngest son of the clan, Yashobrhma Shah, back from Kaskikot and resumed the royal duties.    

The inscription mentions that Yashobrhma was enthroned in 1493 (1550 BS). 

Lamjung Kalika Temple, which has been worshipped since the time of the kings, holds a big fair every year on the days of Chaite Dashain and Phulpati, and government sacrifices are also performed. Lamjung Durbar is located 8 kilometres away from Besishahar Bazaar.