https://youtu.be/27DSJhsNLYgFive years after the earthquake destroyed its central temple, the 350-year-old Rani Pokhari royal pond at the centre of Kathmandu is finally getting back its original look.The temple had been rebuilt after previous earthquakes in the Moghul stucco dome style, and was going to be converted into a concrete-lined structure. But today, the shrine, the causeway and pond perimeter gleam with russet brick.Rani Pokhari has gone through many avatars in the past centuries. The earliest, an engraving commemorating the visit to Kathmandu by <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/on-queens-pond-rani-pokhari,4092">Prince Waldemar of Prussia</a> in 1845, shows the Balgopaleswar Temple having a Shikhara style spire. After it came down in an earthquake, Jang Bahadur Rana had it rebuilt with the Moghul dome architecture of north India that he admired so much.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636badea9c7e80680e077fbejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="451"/><figcaption>Rani Pokhari from the German publication ‘Die Reise Seiner KöniglichenHoheit des PrinzenWaldemar von PreußennachIndien in den Jahren 1844 bis 1846’ (The journey of His Royal Highness Prince Waldemar of Prussia to India: in the years 1844 to 1846). The temple is in the original Shikhara style spire.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636badec9c7e80680e077fbfjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="679" height="379"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636badee9c7e80680e077fc0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="628" height="386"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636badf09c7e80680e077fc1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="627" height="384"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>This structure came down again in the 1934 mega-quake, and Juddha Sumsher Rana had it reconstructed and whitewashed, adding a metal fence around the pond. This structure, too, was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake, and Kathmandu Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya’s attempt to surround the pond with cafes and shops was <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2016/08/24/save-rani-pokhari/">vehemently opposed</a> by the local community.Finally, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is giving Rani Pokhari more or less its original look. After delays due to the lockdown, reconstruction is finally nearing completion.The pond was built in 1671 by King Pratap Malla after his consort, Queen Anantapriya was devastated by the sudden death of her son, Prince Chakrawatendra Malla. The king could not bear to see his queen so distraught, so he built Rani Pokhari to soothe her, and memorialise their lost son.It was an exquisite architectural and ecological masterpiece showcasing the meticulous craftsmanship of the Malla era. The pond was consecrated with the crystal clear waters from 51 sacred sites from all over the subcontinent.On the south side of the pond there still stands a statue of an elephant bearing King Pratap Malla and his two sons Chakrawatendra and Mahipatendra. Four smaller temples protect the central temple from the four cardinal points.Besides its beauty, the pond was also an engineering feat. It was fed by an intricate underground network of channels to keep it full throughout the year. It also served to manage the surface water around in the area during monsoon, so that runoff from as far as Asan market would empty into the pond and overflow past farmlands down to Tukucha Rivulet in the east.Because Rani Pokhari recharged ground water, it kept the water sources like hitis and wells in the surroundings flowing even in the dry season. The pond bed was lined with semi-permeable black clay (dyo cha) so it retained water but also allowed some of it to seep through. The pond thus served as a rainwater reservoir that not just replenished groundwater, but also irrigated nearby farms.“Rani Pokhari shaped the water management system around the area at that time,” says Sudarshan Tiwari, professor at the Institute of Engineering and a conservation architect.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636badf19c7e80680e077fc2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="564"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636badf49c7e80680e077fc3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Kathmandu Valley traditionally had an urban-rural symbiosis with densely-packed towns situated on higher ground, with intensive farming in the fertile soil below. The pond is a reminder of the wisdom of Kathmandu’s rulers who understood this ecological balance, as well as its cultural significance.“Since the day of its inauguration the pond was already considered a sacred site due to the temple in the centre and because water from 51 holy places were ceremonially poured into it,” says <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/deconstructing-reconstruction/">heritage conservationist Alok Siddhi Tuladhar</a>.After it was damaged again in the 2015 earthquake, President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the reconstruction of Rani Pokhari in January 2016. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City got a budget of Rs120 million for the job, but it started to line the perimeter with cement for shops, and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2016/09/01/unesco-concerned/">used concrete to rebuild the temple</a>. After opposition, the work was stopped and handed over to the NRA.“We wanted to make sure everyone involved had a say in the reconstruction, as the NRA is just a temporary organisation, so we formed a committee consisting of people from KMC, Department of Archaeology and local experts,” explained the NRA’s Sushil Gyawali.After much debate the NRA decided to rebuild the temple in the original 1671 Shikhara style, and also revive the original hydrological elements used in the pond. This was not an easy job. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/resurrecting-rani-pokhari-right/">Experts from Bhaktapur</a> were brought in to line the pond with black clay and bricks.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141140/636badf79c7e80680e077fc4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The biggest challenge was to revive the previous water management system. The artesian wells and underground channels that fed the pond have dried up or have been destroyed by surrounding building construction.“We will do our best to fill the pond through natural means but we will have to take extreme measures if the plan fails,” explained Gyawali.One of those “extreme measures” was to start filling the pond last week with muddy water from a nearby tube well. But this was also stopped after local opposition.“It was a mistake. Rani Pokhari is a holy site and using tubewell water diminishes its religious, cultural and ecological value,” said Tuladhar. The NRA stopped using the tubewell water, but Gyewali says that even the heavy monsoon rains will not be enough to fill the pond.Other options are to use the trial feed from the Melamchi tunnel, or rainwater harvesting from the reconstructed Darbar High School and Tri Chandra College.Another problem might be that the bed of the pond is lined with trapezoid dachhi appa bricks and the gaps between them could over time be blocked by debris and prevent seepage of water for recharging.“This will not only defeat the purpose of recharging the underground channels but it will also make the pond dirty, so money has to be spent in cleaning it,” says Sudarshan Tiwari.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/draining-the-swamp/">Despite the compromises</a> during its reconstruction, Rani Pokhari has become a symbol of what proper restoration should look like. Relentless activism and communities uniting to preserve this heritage has saved  Kathmandu’s past for its future.

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Building back Rani Pokhari even better

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d1d9c7e80680e06b331jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1132"/><figcaption>Tripurasundari Temple in Kathmandu undergoing restoration. Photo: LOCHAN RIJAL</figcaption></figure>On 25 April 2015, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal, aside from lives lost and homes destroyed, there was great damage to the temples and monuments of Kathmandu Valley.Today, five years later, many have been rebuilt, some of them adhering even more to the original designs. But there are others which are only now being rebuilt like the 1,300 year old <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/rebuilding-kasthamandap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/rebuilding-kasthamandap&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587903386769000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHVHZi5tkXtZzhJYryQ1LGnTOBPUg">Kasthamandap</a> and other shrines, with reconstruction further delayed by the COVID-19 lockdown.One of the more unique monuments under reconstruction is the Kal Mochan Temple and Mahadev Temple in Tripureswor. Having been built relatively recently in 1818, the temple is also unique because it is a tribute to a Shah queen, Lalita Tripura Sundari, but built in the style of the Malla period.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d209c7e80680e06b332jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="252" height="128">The temple has been under renovation for the Kathmandu University Department of Music after signing a 25-year agreement with the Guthi Sansthan that manages heritage activities and the Department of Archaeology.The elegant, tall temple is located by the banks of Bagmati, and was in the process of being retrofitted when the 2015 earthquake struck damaging the structure and the surrounding sattal. But a dispute between a self-styled musical instrument museum occupying the north wing of the temple courtyard, has been refusing to vacate despite losing its case against Kathmandu University.<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/red-monsoon-lochan-rijal-song-true-to-nepali-roots,1288" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/red-monsoon-lochan-rijal-song-true-to-nepali-roots,1288&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587903386769000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEtqZZjjmY53T2Gkl_BEzheXjBrEw">Lochan Rijal</a> heads the Department of Music at Kathmandu University and is optimistic that the school and its students from Nepal and 35 other countries can move in once renovation, which is funded by the Thai government and university, is complete.“The Lalit Tripurasundari site is the best available spot for a school of ethno-musicology,” Rijal said. “Our purpose is to amalgamate both tangible and intangible heritage so that students can have an authentic cultural foundation for their study of music.”Just as the university was planning to move it, the final touches of the renovation work has been delayed by the coronavirus lockdown. Even so, wood carvers, architects and construction workers are at work at the site, aiming to complete the project on schedule.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d219c7e80680e06b333jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="960"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“We have to finish the project anyway, but for that the lockdown needs to end, otherwise, we will run out of funding. But we are patient, and will wait it out,” Rijal adds.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/learning-from-nepals-past-to-rebuild-its-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/learning-from-nepals-past-to-rebuild-its-future/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587903386769000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFG_Q8hIvlgYNWdO-4RpWKhxp_Z2w">Rohit Ranjitkar</a> of the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/lessons-from-25-April,2967" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/lessons-from-25-April,2967&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1587903386769000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGD-utSq2cBDN7zPuxfWjrjJZcLBg">Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust</a> is a consultant architect for the Tripurasundari Temple project and brings with him vast experience from the renovation work in Patan.“The temple was had fallen into disuse for a long time, there were squatters living in it, and the monument suffered from lack of maintenance and supervision,” Ranjitkar says. “The Department of Music coming on board will mean a new beginning in preserving this unique  heritage.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d259c7e80680e06b334jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d289c7e80680e06b335jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Indeed, the renovation stays true to the original architecture of the complex, but has completely remodelled the inside of the sattal for use as classrooms and for musical performances. The KU Department of Music started outing Bhaktapur and expects to move into the new premises later this year.Artisans from Bhaktapur are busy replacing wooden columns that have bene damaged by copying the carvings from the intact ones. The metal roof has had to be repaired, and the pinnacle is gleaming in the sun after being cleaned and dusted, possibly for the first time in the 2002 years since it was built.The Tripurasundari restoration has given added meaning to post-earthquake revival by turning a shrine also into a temple of learning.<h2>Fighting to preserve heritage</h2><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121120/636b8d2e9c7e80680e06b336jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Although Bhaktapur and Patan have made much progress in renovation of temples, monument complexes and shrines, Kathmandu has not shown the same level of commitment.Being the capital, Kathmandu has had to deal with foreign countries competing to rebuild various parts of the old town. Even though Nepal has rebuilt its monuments itself after destructive earthquakes every 100 years,  governments since 2015 have not been able to say no. The hanuman Dhaka Palace is being rebuilt by the Chinese, the Gaddi Baithak was renovated by the United States, the Japanese are rebuilding a section of the Nasal Chok.But there have been delays even the sites that the municipality itself was reconstructing like Kasthamandap and Rani Pokhara. Disputes arose between heritage preservationists and the city government which wanted to pour concrete and depart from the original style and design. The disagreement has finally been sorted out, and both sites are now being rebuilt.Dharara tower, where more than 60 people were killed five years ago, was also bogged down in a controversy about how to rebuild it. It was finally decided to keep the base of the tower that remains as a monument to the earthquake, and build another identical tower next to it.In July 2019, UNESCO issued a statement on dropping two construction projects from Basantapur Durbar Square the Jagannath and Gopinath temples, following threats from the community and local workers.Sushil Gyewali, the head of Nepal Reconstruction Authority, agrees that there have bene delays in Kathmandu and hints are lack of coordination between various government entities.He adds: “It is true that the authority has prioritised family homes, and heritage reconstruction has suffered, and the lockdown has pushed the completion further.”

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Turning a shrine into a temple of learning

<figure><img width="4160" height="3120" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131144/636a4f609c7e80680e04fd04jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>PHOTOS: REETI K.C.</figcaption></figure>Usually a venue for contemporary Nepali art, the latest exhibition at the Siddhartha Art Gallery at Baber Mahal Revisited is unconventional in both form and substance.The exhibits are digital prints depicting characters from Marvel and DC Comics like The Hulk and Captain America, but on bicycles wearing dhaka topi, red tika and jamara, ready to celebrate Dasain in the streets of Thamel. Designer Disneys wearing Nepali costumes in the city’s landmarks, and there are even  Ronaldo and Messi wearing dhaka topi.“I chose international characters because they are globally recognised icons, and I wanted to showcase Nepal’s cultural heritage sites,” explained artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunny_toygraphy/?fbclid=IwAR0eNdEkRv9tIFU4CSfjw02uVE3CsTzfmebbFWeL82d7YCG36JIchG2S4U8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunny Shakya</a>, who started out as a sculptor, but switched to toygraphy, combing toys and photography. He got the idea when he took a picture of toy key rings with the background of Bhaktapur. People liked his work and he came up with more toys and more settings, combining his photography skills with knowledge of culture and sculpting.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/lost-in-transition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lost in Transition</a>, Sewa Sewa Bhattarai <figure><img width="4160" height="3120" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131144/636a4f649c7e80680e04fd05jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Sunny Shakya poses in front of his digital print of Hulk Bahadur. </figcaption></figure>This is an unusual way to feature Nepali culture, but taking photographs of Barbie dolls draped in Hakupatasi, Super heroes in Nepali caps, and Joker playing the near-extinct Nepali string instrument, the arbajo.   The photographs divide the exhibition into sections: Spiderman and Batman fly kites with Spidey’s web in place of string in the section with a Dasain theme. There is a Hulk and Batman series with a little story of a fun love triangle. Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean poses on a boat in Phewa Lake where he is the Pirate of Pokhara instead. Super villain Thanos carries a doko collecting grass in Ghandruk, and has obviously given up trying to eliminate half the world’s population. Aquaman protests the Guthi Bill in front of Rani Pokhari and Spiderman in front of Tribhuvan University.  “I try to make pictures meaningful,” Shakya explains, pointing to a photo of Hulk wearing a Nepali cap and waving the national flag with a background of people demonstrating against the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/culture-revolution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guthi Bill</a> at The Mandala recently.   <figure><img width="1500" height="1125" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108131144/636a4f689c7e80680e04fd06jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Hulk Bahadur protesting against the Guthi Bill. </figcaption></figure>Shakya also used names such as Hulk Bahadur or Hulk ‘Cha’, Barbie maicha, Wonder Woman is Wonder Kanchi, Captain America is Captain Nepal. Thor holds a trisul instead of his hammer.  Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/365-is-not-just-a-number/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">365 is not just a number</a>, Sewa Bhattarai “I have been sculpting for 15 years, but the last eight months working on these photographs is the happiest I have been, and I have gained much more recognition,” says Shakya, adding that the plans to do more photo stories to promote Nepal’s ethnic attire and promote tourism through his photography.  Toygraphy by Sunny Shakya Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited Until 24 July

Hulk Bahadur and Barbie Maicha

<figure><img width="800" height="1067" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101144/636a25c59c7e80680e0439ddjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: HANS HOFER</figcaption></figure>Communities in Kathmandu Valley’s historic towns have revived age-old traditions and craftsmanship to rebuild after every earthquake in the past. The disasters provided the opportunity to revitalise ancient art, architecture, traditional techniques for wood carving and metal work. Nearly four years after the 2015 earthquake monuments like the Patan Museum (above) are examples of Kathmandu Valley’s living heritage that attract pilgrims and tourists.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=21144&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learning from Nepal's past to rebuild its future</a>, Prakriti Kandel<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/deconstructing-reconstruction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deconstructing reconstruction</a>, Alok Tuladhar <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/bhaktapur-shows-the-way-by-rebuilding-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bhaktapur shows the way by rebuilding itself</a>, Suyog Prajapati<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/piece-by-piece-patan-darbar-square-reconstruction,3782/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Piece by piece</a>, Sahina Shrestha<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/owning-our-past-heritage,3461" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Owning up to our past</a>, Sahina Shrestha<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101144/636a25c89c7e80680e0439dejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="132">

Our past is our future

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csrbcdCBW4IIt has been nearly four years after the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Monumental-loss,2215" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2015 earthquake</a>, and media reports about reconstruction of damaged buildings is mostly negative: compensation is too little too late, it has not reached the neediest, and the process is too bureaucratic.Indeed, only a fraction of the 700,000 buildings destroyed have been rebuilt with government help. Since the money is not enough, families are building small sheds so they can receive their third tranche.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/deconstructing-reconstruction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deconstructing reconstruction</a>, Alok TuladharHowever, in Kathmandu Valley’s historic towns, communities have revived age-old traditions and craftsmanship to rebuild after the earthquake just like their ancestors did after every previous disaster. In fact, along with tourism, earthquakes have provided the opportunity to revitalise ancient art, architecture, traditional techniques for wood carving and metal work.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a25d39c7e80680e0439e3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="132"/>“Earlier, it would not be possible to study the interiors of heritage structures, but the earthquake gave us the chance not just for building back stronger, but also for detailed research of how our ancestors knew about seismic resistant building designs,” says conservationist Alok Tuladhar.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a25d59c7e80680e0439e4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="786"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>One of the most dramatic examples of this is the reconstruction of the three-storey <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/restoring-bhai-dega-temple-in-patan,4046" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bhaidega Temple</a> in <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/patan-museum-updated,1304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patan Darbar Square</a>, which was razed in the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1934 megaquake</a>, and had been rebuilt with a Moghul stucco dome. Reconstruction in the original Malla style had just begun 80 years later, when the 2015 earthquake struck.Nearby, the Char Narayan and Hari Shankar temples were reduced to rubble, and ancient pati (traditional rest houses) came down. Today, most of the damaged monuments have either been rebuilt or are covered in scaffolding (right).Leading Patan’s restoration work is the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2017/04/26/story-of-a-temple-rising/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KVPT</a>), which was supervising Bhaidega and other reconstruction even before the 2015 earthquake. KVPT’s architect Rohit Ranjitkar says the earthquake four years ago provided the opportunity to learn more about <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/In-perfect-harmony,3251" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traditional construction methods</a> so they could be revived.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a25d89c7e80680e0439e5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933">In KVPT’s workshop in the Patan Darbar gardens, a dozen woodcarvers are busy with their chisels and mallets renovating damaged eaves and columns from the temples, and also carving new ones to replace missing originals. The descendants of famous artisans are carrying on their family professions and rebuilding after 2015, just like their forebears did after 1934, 1866, 1833 and other destructive earthquakes that struck Kathmandu Valley in the past.KVPT’s reconstruction philosophy is to retain as much of the original pieces as possible, so woodcarvers work carefully to graft pieces salvaged from the rubble, ensuring that the fresh carvings perfectly complement the darker brown hues of the original wood structure.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a25da9c7e80680e0439e6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="934">One of the carvers, Pratap Shilpakar, takes a break and tells us, “I feel honoured and proud to contribute to help preserve our heritage, and to repair these precious artifacts that were carved by my forefathers.” Shilpakar was working in his personal handicraft shop in Bhaktapur before being recruited by KVPT for the intricate task of repairing the originals.Off the 17th century Pimbaha Pukhu at Sulima Chok is a small temple where the four columns holding up the roof are from different centuries. Heritage expert Anil Chitrakar points them out: “Each of these columns are from a different era, recarved after every earthquake. Our ancestors knew how to improvise and rebuild as they went along.”To be sure, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/traditions-dying-off-in-patan-temple-courtyard-as-young-generation-leave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not many young Newa people today are too keen</a> on taking up their ancestral profession of wood carving, which needs life-long devotion and instruction to master. However, after 2015 there is renewed interest in preserving the built environment and Kathmandu Valley’s intangible heritage. Says Chitrakar: "As long as there is a critical mass of artisans to take it to the next generation, the craftsmanship will survive."Shilpakar (whose surname means ‘craftsman’) admits he has learned more about ancient styles and techniques while reconstructing Patan’s monuments -- skills that he can incorporate into his handicraft business, now that tourism is on the rebound. Reconstruction has also been a financial boost for carvers after plummeting business post-earthquake.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a25df9c7e80680e0439e7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="934">Besides woodworkers, the earthquake also helped revive artisans who worked on bronze as they repaired the gajur pinnacles damaged in 2015. Masons and clay workers who specialised in traditional dachi appa bricks have also got new business after the earthquake.Studies prove that structures which had been maintained regularly before the quake suffered minimal damage. Conservation is therefore an ongoing exercise, and important not just for a regular flow of skills amongst artisans, but also safety in preparation for the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/aint-seen-nothing-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">next big earthquake</a>.KVPT’s Ranjitkar says, “We apply the principle of minimal intervention to improve safety features of buildings, because human life comes first. The damage in the 2015 earthquake gave us further insight about the weak points that we need to work to strengthen.”Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/bhaktapur-shows-the-way-by-rebuilding-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bhaktapur shows the way by rebuilding itself</a>, Suyog Prajapati<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/kathmandu-monumental-rivalry,4209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A monumental rivalry</a>, Om Astha Rai<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/piece-by-piece-patan-darbar-square-reconstruction,3782/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Piece by piece</a>, Sahina Shrestha<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/owning-our-past-heritage,3461" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Owning up to our past</a>, Sahina Shrestha<h2>A tale of two cities</h2>Of the ancient kingdom towns of Kathmandu Valley, <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/piece-by-piece-patan-darbar-square-reconstruction,3782/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patan</a> and <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/bhaktapur-shows-the-way-by-rebuilding-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bhaktapur</a>  have made the most progress in reconstruction because of the involvement of local communities and the activism of organisations like KVPT.It is in Kathmandu, the seat of the national government and led by a <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/editorial/state-of-confusion-kathmandu-mayor,4094" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weak mayor</a>, where the progress in rebuilding monuments have been slowest. The government has waited four years to decide on the reconstruction of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/On-the-way-up/untie-the-knot-in-heritage-reconstruction,862" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kasthamandap</a> and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/on-queens-pond-rani-pokhari,4092" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rani Pokhari</a>. It blundered in trying to rebuild them with concrete, ignoring traditional design styles.<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/kathmandu-monumental-rivalry,4209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rivalry among donors</a> like China and the United States which have vied for high-visibility reconstruction projects in Hanuman Dhoka and Darbar School have also put additional pressure on the municipality.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a25e39c7e80680e0439e8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="786">Patan heritage activist Ram Prasad Amatya, 80, shakes his head comparing his town with Kathmandu: “After four years, the Rani Pokhari and the temples in Kathmandu are still in ruins. The central government has no love or ownership for our heritage.”In stark contrast, Patan has not just rebuilt inner-city tanks like Pimbaha Pukhu, but the reconstruction has revived the entire neighbourhood, attracting new <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Heritage-homes-in-Kathmandu,3400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homestay tourists</a> and giving locals an open space with a relaxing ambience.Says heritage activist Alok Tuladhar: “Whatever has worked in post-quake reconstruction in Patan or Bhaktapur have been achieved by local communities. The national government has bungled everything it has tried to push in Kathmandu.”<h2>Dharma Bajracharya's dharma</h2>Woodcarver gradually recovers his trade after the hard challenges of the 2015 earthquake<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a25e69c7e80680e0439e9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Despite new tools and automation, Nepal’s artisans have gone back to <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/a-craving-for-carving,3637" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traditional methods to rebuild monuments</a> destroyed and damaged in the 2015 earthquake.In the Chwechhen neighbourhood of Patan, detailed carvings adorn almost every piece of architecture. A crumbling old temple in the square has now been lovingly and painstakingly restored to its former glory, using old techniques, raw materials and tools.Dharma Dutta Bajracharya (pictured, above) is one of the woodcarvers, and has been chiselling figures of deities into wood since he started as an apprentice to learn the craft from his father at age 13.Woodcarvers like Bajracharya lost much of their business when the earthquake and Indian Blockade reduced tourist traffic to a trickle. Luckily, the disaster turned out to be boost because of the demand for reconstruction using traditional techniques that generations of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/half-full/relearning-build-better,1118" target="_blank" rel="noopener">woodcarvers</a> have passed down to the present day.The eldest of four brothers in his family, 43-year-old Bajracharya’s upbringing was tough. “Money was tight so you either learnt the trade or you went to school, not both,” he recalls. He was the only brother interested in <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/training-woodcarvers-to-restore-the-future,3586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">woodcarving</a>, but he now fears that these skills will end with his generation because his son is not interested in carving.Bajracharya says these are skills that you cannot just be trained for, they need to be learned from a very young age. It is not just the skill and craft, he adds, but a whole culture of devotion that imbues a piece of wood with divine attributes.Younger children in the neighbourhood now wear smart uniforms and go off to school every morning. Few have time to learn the old crafts, and it is not taught in school. Bajracharya admits he wants his son to be happy, and perhaps it is just as well he does not get encumbered with a dying profession.But despite the difficulties, Bajracharya still takes great pride in his profession and it shows in his craftsmanship. “I’ve done this for 30 years, and the carvings on the reconstructed monuments will be passed down for the next generation to enjoy.”With all the rebuilding around the corner, and Visit Nepal Year 2020 reviving hopes of tourism, Bajracharya has reason to be hopeful.Taylor Mason<h2>Heritage hotel</h2><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a25e99c7e80680e0439eajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="934"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Earthquakes may have preserved Kathmandu Valley’s culture in the past, but recent times it was tourism that kept the craftsmanship alive. One of the prime examples of this is <a href="http://dwarikas.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dwarika’s Hotel</a> in Kathmandu that is more like a museum of Newa devotional art than a hotel.At the peak of Kathmandu Valley’s heritage destruction in the 1970s, founder <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=1181#.XFwC5FUzaUk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dwarika Das Shrestha</a> roamed the city streets salvaging carved windows, columns and eaves. As the city itself turned into concrete, Shrestha embedded the priceless elements into a new hotel that started in 1977. Today, the award-winning hotel is an example of how tourism can help preserve heritage.Shrestha also employed local artisans to carve extra windows and doorways and thus kept the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/rebuilding-temples-a-chance-to-creat-jobs-and-to-revive-woodcarving-industry%20,2347" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tradition of woodcarving</a> alive. Along with collected woodwork, carpenters created the hotel’s furniture, traditional brick-making skills were used for terracotta work.  Today, many more Kathmandu hotels, even private residences, have emulated the Dwarika’s model of preserving traditional motifs.

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