Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday inaugurated the refurbished Gaddi Baithak, a historic monument built by Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher in 1908.

The palace, a focal component of Unesco World Heritage Site, is the first major heritage project Nepal has reconstructed after the devastating earthquake on April 25, 2015 damaged properties all over the country.

Speaking at the event, PM Oli said the monument is important not only because of its age, but it is also linked with the country’s religious, cultural and historic values among others. “We love our history and tradition. The historic monument has been retrofitted using domestic materials and has been restored back to its original shape,” Oli said.

The historic building, located at the centre of Kathmandu Durbar Square, was retrofitted by Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief and was funded by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation under the supervision of the Department of Archaeology (DoA). The restoration process had begun in October 2017. The retrofitting cost $700,000, according to the US Embassy in Kathmandu.

Four other ethnic Newari style architecture monuments—Mahadev Temple, Kageshwor Temple, Laxmi Narayan Temple and Saraswati Temple—were also inaugurated on Wednesday.

PM Oli thanked the government of several countries, embassies and international organisations, including the US mission in Nepal, for extending support at the time of severe humanitarian crisis and joining hands with the government for resurrecting the structures destroyed in the disaster.

During the ceremony, PM Oli reiterated the government’s commitment to speed up the post-earthquake reconstruction process.

“Political struggle in the country has come to an end and now we are set to embark on the journey towards development and prosperity,” the PM said.

While the Gaddi Baithak Palace was inaugurated amid a big fanfare, conservationists were not amused with the alteration made to its main façade that had prominently featured a pattern similar to the British flag on the balcony.