Surroundings of Nuwakot Palace to have ‘Heritage Look’

Nuwakot, Nov. 18: As the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) and the Department of Archaeology (DoA) are geared up to begin reconstruction works at the historic Nuwakot Durbar Square within a couple of months with the Chinese support, the local government of the Bidur Municipality has decided to regenerate the whole surroundings with ‘heritage look’.

The newly elected representative Shahi is hopeful of rebuilding the whole area, including the private residential houses, with historic look.

“We want to make ‘Heritage Village’ around the Durbar Square. Although we have scarcity of budget, the municipality has passed the agenda and has begun to create awareness as well as support the locals for the same,” said Birendra Kumar Shahi, chairman of Bidur Municipality Ward No. 2.

According to him, the local government wants to recreate the whole area in the line of Bhaktapur Durbar Square and the city around.

Following the decision of the municipality, households around and between the Durbar Square and Bhairavi Temple have begun to decorate their houses with Newari and historic architecture.

“We are happy recreate our village with heritage looks. It will certainly help us in attracting more tourists and boosting our income,” said Ram Krishna Budhathoki, a local.  

The Chinese side had completed the detailed project report (DPR) of the heritages at the Nuwakot Durbar Square that date back to Malla era.

“The seven-storey main durbar in the square was built by King Prithvi Narayan Shah about 250 years ago, a year before he annexed the kingdoms in the Kathmandu Valley to his Gorkha Empire,” said Shahi.

Tulaja, Kantipur, Patan palaces, Rangamahal, seven-storey palace and temples are the major attractions of the Durbar Square. All of them were damaged in the devastating Gorkha Earthquake 2015.

China will reconstruct seven structures in the square.

The government had allotted Rs. 10 million for the construction of museum near by the square. The erstwhile museum was badly damaged in the quake and is closed since then.

Likewise, the historic and famous Bhairavi Temple is being rebuilt by the Department of Archaeology at the cost of Rs. 50 million. So far, reconstruction of the first floor of the temple is completed.

The main palace is badly damaged in the quake and is on the support at two sides.

Prior to the quake the palace was open for the public and people could explore the multi-storey palace that was once the second capital of King Prithvi Narayan Shah before he finally made Kathmandu as the capital city of modern Nepal.

“As the palace was closed to the tourists and other public after the earthquake, we lost the revenue. More than 30,000 people used to visit the Durbar Square before the quake,” said Shahi.

NRA Spokesperson Yam Lal Bhoosal said that the reconstruction of the heritages at the Palace Area would be carried out by China, and during a meeting with the NRA a couple of weeks ago, Chinese officials had agreed to initiate the work at the earliest.

The government had signed agreements with China for the reconstruction of various heritage sites including the Basantapur Durbar Square and Nuwakot Durbar Square.

According to Deputy-Spokesperson of the reconstruction body Dr. Bhishma Kumar Bhusal, the reconstruction of the heritages will be as per the turn-key basis.

The DoA will monitor the reconstruction works.