Valley
Works begin at Pashupati area
Rebuilding works have been launched from the Lalganesh temple, which lies near the eastern gate of Pashupatinath templeReconstruction works have begun on quake-damaged shrines in the Pashupati area.
Around 90 percent of structures in the PADT area had been damaged by the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks. Of that, 70 percent of structures need to be rebuilt, while the others require renovation. Although the main temple of Lord Shiva, one of the most significant hindu temples, remained intact, other important temples such as Bishwaroop and Lalganesh temples have been reduced to rubble. An estimated Rs1.5 billion will be required to rebuild or renovate the damaged monuments in the area.
Reconstruction works have begun from the Lalganesh temple, which lies near the eastern gate of the Pashupatinath temple. According to the PADT, rebuilding was started after conducting Chhyama Puja, a Hindu ritual asking forgiveness from the gods. The trust has called tenders for the rebuilding of Guheshwori Sattal.
Shankhanarayan Temple, Gorakhnath Sattal, Prakasheshwor Temple, Jaybageshwori Temple, temple kitchen, Panchadewal Dharmashala were among the important historic monuments destroyed or damaged in the worst natural disaster to hit Nepal in more than 80 years.
Spreading across 264 hectares of land on the banks of Bagmati River at Gaushala, the Pashupati area contains a total of 518 temples and monuments. The Pashupatinath temple was included on the Unesco World Heritage List in 1979 for its archaeological, historical, cultural and religious significance, along with Valley’s other monuments like Swayambhunath Stupa, Boudhanath Stupa, Changu Narayan Temple and Durbar Squares of Basantapur, Patan and Bhaktapur. All of them have suffered significant damage in the quake.
According to the Department of Archaeology, a total of 750 historical, cultural and religious monuments in 20 districts have been damaged by the Great Earthquake and its aftershocks. Among them, 133 have been destroyed, while 617 have sustained partial to severe damage. An estimated Rs20.56 billion will be required to rebuild the damaged monuments, according to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment report prepared by the National Planning Commission.