Dispute on temple style delays Ranipokhari reconstruction

Kathmandu, Nov. 25: Ranipokhari located at the centre of the capital city now looks like a pasture.

One of the most celebrated landmarks in the capital, the historic pond is still bearing a pathetic look even three and a half years after its destruction with half built white temple standing in its centre and grassy land on its bed.

While the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Office, the Department of Archaeology (DoA) and locals are still trading arguments about the structure of the Balgopaleshwor Temple that stands at the centre of the Ranipokhari, the pond has remained without water for almost three years after the devastating Gorkha Earthquake in 2015.

The debate is about whether to build the temple in dome style or Granthakuta style – a variant of Shikhar style, said Bhishma Baskota, Archaeological Officer at the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA).  

The DoA was rebuilding the temple, which is opened only on Bhaitika day during Tihar festival, in dome style as it was before  the quake while the KMC and locals are demanding that the temple should be built as per its original Granthakuta style built by Pratap Malla.

Malla king Pratap Malla had built the Ranipokhari in 1670 to console his mourning queen  following the untimely demise of their son. The king had collected  water from 52 holy sites in Nepal and India and poured into the pond.  The Ranipokhari was built at the eastern side of the city which is known as the core city area in the capital.

The reconstruction of the temple was assigned to the KMC but as it faced obstacles while rebuilding the temple as per the design prescribed by the DoA, the latter took the responsibility of the job two years ago.

The DoA had said that the KMC did not adhere to the standards of heritage reconstruction.

Later when the KMC constructed concrete sidewalls in the pond, debate erupted again as the experts criticised the metropolis’ decision to use the modern construction material. It delayed the construction of both the temple and the sidewalls.

In the past two years, from October 2016 to 2018, multiple committees have been formed to study and prescribe the structure of the temple while multiple dialogues happened among the stakeholders, including the local residents and heritage conservationists, said Baskota.

The DoA had already tendered out the temple for reconstruction in dome style, but a committee formed by the NRA in the leadership of former DoA Chief Bishnu Raj Karki recommended Granthakuta style and also prescribed the architectural map of the temple.

The DOA is in a fix whether to demolish the half-built temple or continue with the previous design, he said.

Meanwhile, a meeting of Tourism Ministry, NRA, DoA and KMC last month had asked the DoA to review the architectural design of the temple.

Spokesperson of the DoA Ram Bahadur Kunwar said that the dispute on the architectural design of the temple had not been settled yet.

“The reconstruction has been delayed because of the design dispute. We are having discussion with the expert teams and hopefully it will be settled within a week or two. Then the reconstruction will move ahead,” Kunwar said.

According to Baskota, the temple was initially built in Granthakuta style which was rebuilt in another style by Junga Bahadur Rana. When it was destroyed in the 1933 earthquake, the then Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher rebuilt it in dome style.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 November 2018.