A photo exhibition documenting the transformation of Barpak, the epicentre of the devastating 2015 earthquake, was held on Friday to mark the disaster’s 10th anniversary.

Organised by Barpak Sulikot Rural Municipality, the event featured 60 photographs captured over a decade by photojournalist Prakash Chandra Timilsena.

CPN (Maoist Centre) chair and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the exhibition and toured the photo display alongside Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey, Maoist Centre leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, and Rural Municipality chair Bishnu Prasad Bhatta.

Dahal praised the resilience and determination of survivors and pledged to facilitate the completion of the remaining reconstruction works.

Chief Minister Pandey acknowledged shortcomings in the rebuilding process. Pandey said the authorities were unable to restore Barpak to its original form or develop structures attractive to tourists. Although it may look fine now, the village has lost its traditional charm, he said, urging disaster preparedness for the future.

Bhatta said the local government was working to boost livelihoods and promote Barpak as a tourist destination.

Photojournalist Timilsena, who is one of the international photographers to cover conflict zones following the Israel-Hamas war in 2024, said the exhibition aimed to raise awareness of quake-resilient reconstruction and bring Barpak’s journey to national and international audiences. He announced that all images would be handed over to the rural municipality for display in a planned earthquake museum. Photographs taken by Timilsena, who has worked with various Nepali media outlets for over two decades, have been published by international platforms such as the Associated Press, Caravan, European Pressphoto Agency, and Stern magazine.