Reconstruction of shrines handed over to the Department of Antiquities

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Work to rebuild five historic monasteries damaged by the 2015 earthquake in Gorkha was handed over to the Department of Antiquities after the dissolution of the National Reconstruction Authority in mid-November.

The earthquake destroyed 104 monasteries in Gorkha. The National Reconstruction Authority was established to carry out the reconstruction of the infrastructure damaged by the devastating earthquake.

According to Nebraj Adhikari, Head of the Gorkha Monastery Reconstruction Project, the project implementation unit of the National Gorkha Reconstruction Authority was rebuilding the five monasteries until they were disbanded in mid-November.

“The sum of 60 million rupees was released to each monastery. The Department of Antiquities will continue the reconstruction work from now on,” Adhikari said.

Reconstruction and repair work for the Kangur Lakhang and Pungchi Monasteries of Chumenobri Rural Municipality-2 and the Chekam, Kanning and Tashi Chuling monasteries of Chumenobri Rural Municipality-4 are now under the Department of Archeology.

We have made field visits to the monasteries. Three of the monasteries need to be completely rebuilt, while two others need to be repaired. Adhikari said that all of these monasteries are over 100 years old and bear religious and archaeological significance.

According to him, the reconstruction and repair work of four monasteries will start soon while the reconstruction work of Kangor Lakhang monastery started in the last fiscal year.

However, the monasteries reconstruction project officials expressed their dissatisfaction with the ongoing reconstruction work at Kangur Lakhang Monastery.

The monastery was not rebuilt in its traditional style. We found modern building materials used to renovate the building. “We have reported it to the Archeology Department,” Adhikari said.

Soon, reconstruction and repair work will begin in three other monasteries. Adhikari said efforts are underway to call for bids and complete work on these three monasteries during the current financial year.

In the meantime, the reconstruction of the Pungchi Monastery has already been completed.

“I hope the Antiquities Department will rebuild and repair the historical monuments in its original style,” Adhikari said.

The 2015 earthquake, whose epicenter was in Barbak in Gorka, destroyed more than 100 monasteries in the region. Reconstruction and repair of 13 monasteries has been completed so far, while work on 91 monasteries has not yet gained momentum.

The National Reconstruction Authority embarked on the reconstruction and repair of 50 monasteries in the fiscal year 2018-2019. But the work was not successful due to lack of budget. Local residents and other stakeholders demanded the concerned authorities to rebuild and repair the historic monasteries as soon as possible.

The 2015 earthquake also destroyed many other historical and archaeological sites, including Gorkha Durbar, Manakamana Temple and Kalika Temple. The National Reconstruction Authority conducted reconstruction and restoration work on these monuments through the Department of Antiquities.

Reconstruction and repair work began at 24 heritage sites, including Temple, Bawa and Stahl, in the past fiscal year. Many sites have been reconstructed while some are nearing completion,” Adhikari said.

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