Nepal’s surviving temples: good news

Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Nepal
Bhaktapur Durbar Square after the earthquake
Bhaktapur Durbar Square after the earthquake – nearly all of it is untouched

Most of Nepal’s temples are still standing

The last few weeks have been burdened by the dour and devastating news from Nepal and the 7.8 earthquake that hit it on April 25th. I’ve written about it and spent countless hours helping, searching and trying to do what I can to help.

Now, nearly two weeks later the dust has settled. Aid is getting to the remoter villages. Utilities are being restored. Damaged buildings are being taken down safely. There’s finally good news filtering in.

Last week I began a project with my good friend Amir to locate all the major temples in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan to see what really was destroyed. I’ve written up a list of destroyed temples in Nepal here. It’s a sad read for me as I know all of those temples. However, at the completion of the survey we came to an overwhelming conclusion.

“The vast majority of the Kathmandu Valley Temples are still standing”

Indeed, many don’t even look to have a scratch on them other than the sands of time.

Let’s take a look at the behemoths, architecturally great, visually stunning and culturally unforgettable great buildings still standing in Nepal.

Temples in Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu’s durbar square took a beating. My favourite sitting spot at dawn, Maju Dega, and sunset, Trailokya Mohan are gone. As is the temple that gave Kathmandu its name Kasthamandap.

But look at the temples that remain!

Jagannath, Vishnu & Indrapur & Temples in Kathmandu Durbar Square
Jagannath, Vishnu & Indrapur & Temples in Kathmandu Durbar Square

Nepal still has more heritage sites concentrated in one area than anywhere else on earth.

Shiva Prabat Mandir
Shiva Prabat Mandir still stands, the little man inside who keeps chasing me out is still there too.

Nepal’s prime minister has promised that all of Nepal’s fallen temples will be rebuilt.

The Kumari House
The Kumari House is still intact

All the Kumari houses in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur survived as did the Kumaris.

Mabendreshwar Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square
Mabendreshwar Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kathmandu Durbar Square took a beating, but there is still so much there to see.

 Taleju temple
The grandest temple of them all still stands, the Taleju temple

List of surviving temples in Kathmandu Durbar Square

Kumari House, Bimaheshwor Temple, Kabindradpur Sattal, House of the Priest, Kal Bhairab, Kabindra, Mahhendreshwar Temple, Taleju Temple, Vishnu & Indraha Temples and Jagannath Temple.

Temples still standing in Patan

Of all the durbar squares in Kathmandu Valley Patan took some the heaviest losses. It’s a smaller area than the other squares but this city makes up for it in artisitc value. Most of this still stands today.

Uku Bahal Courtyard
Uku Bahal Courtyard

Some of Kathmandu Valley’s oldest and artistic buildings are still found in Patan.

Machchhendranath temple, Patan, Nepal
Machchhendranath temple, in south Patan, Nepal

Much of South Patan and North Patans temples were not destroyed by the earthquake.

Krishna Mandir
Krishna Mandir in Patan Durbar Square still stands today

Patan is known as the city of artists for a reason. Many of whom will be involved in the reconstruction of lost temples.

Keshab Narayan Chowk, <a href=
Patan Durbar Square, Nepal” width=”580″ height=”386″ /> Keshab Narayan Chowk, Patan Durbar Square, Nepal

Temples survived the earthquake in Patan

The Golden Temple, North Stupa, Kumari House, Krishna Mandir, Shikarra Temple, Chyasin Dewal, Bishwakaram Temple, I Baha Bahi Monastery, Machchhendranath Temple and Uku Bahal all survived.


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Temples still standing in Bhaktapur

Nearly all of Bhakrapurs great temples are still standing. Far too many to list here. But here are some of the greats.

Dattatreya temple, Bhaktapur, Nepal.
Dattatreya temple, Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Dattatreya square in Bhaktapur suffered only one small casualty in terms of collapsed temples. The main Dattatreya temple and others still stand.

The tall Nyatapola Temple in Bhaktapur
The tall Nyatapola Temple in Bhaktapur remains virtually undamaged

Much of Taumadhi Tol in Bhaktapur survived. Only the small Betal temple next to Bhairabnath temple collapsed.

 Bhaktapur Durbar square
Much of Bhaktapur Durbar square looks the same as it did before the earthquake

Bhaktapur Durbar square lost the stone Vatsala Durga Temple. A beautiful temple that can be reconstructed again. The majority of temples in Bhaktapur survived with only mild damage:

Swayambhunath, Boudhanath & Pashupatinath are all open to visitors too

While Swayambhunath lost one white brick chedi known as Anantapur it can be reconstructed. Moreover the rest of the iconic “monkey temple” still stands.

(update: further investigation has revealed cracks around the stupa. While the site is open to visitors it’s envisioned the structure will need extensive repairs.)

Swayambhunath
Swayambhunath “Monkey Temple”

 

Likewise the giant stupa at Boudhanath only has a small crack at its base and some superficial damage.

Boudhanath Stupa
Boudhanath Stupa is open to visitors

 

Finally Pashupatinath is virtually unscathed.

Pashupatinath
Pashupatinath continues on today just as it did last month and last year

The one temple that survived that we can learn from

Chyasilin Mandap is not a temple no matter what the guidebooks say. It is a pavilion built in the 17th century under the Malla Kingdom. It’s main purpose was to deflect a powerful “force” coming from a nearby Shiva temple. It was later used as a meeting place and a tax office.

During the 1934 earthquake Chyasilin Mandap was completely destroyed. In the late 1980s the then Chancellor of Germany Helmut Cole was due for a state visit. Protocol dictated a gift should be given to Nepal. Funded by Germany, architects Götz Hagmüller and Niels Gutschow set about rebuilding this lost treasure of Durbar Square.

Chyasilin Mandap
Chyasilin Mandap survived the 2015 earthquake for a reason

It was restored during the 1980’s and completed in 1990. It survived the 2015 earthquake due to the metal reinforcements used in its reconstruction as a preventative measure for another earthquake.

There’s more to this little building too. During its rebuild in 1990 a stone step was reconstructed blocking vehicular traffic into Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Upon seeing this “benefit” the stone plinth was left there. And that is why traffic was banned from entering Bhaktapur Durbar Square!

Nepals temples are open to visitors right now

As you can tell the media’s cackling about Nepal’s historic landmarks being torn to ruins is more than slightly overzealous. Yes, some iconic buildings are gone, but so many more remain.

Yes, archaeologists and purists will have their arms up saying nothing will ever be the same again. And they are right. Much like all of us who questioned the lack of maintenance on these temples in Nepal for years. We must adapt, see what we have, make the best out it and prepare them for the future.

Unlike the lives lost during the earthquake Nepal’s ruined temples can be rebuilt and made safe for the future.

Fire ceremony at Kumbeshwar Temple Complex
Nepals buildings are more than just historic landmarks, they are used everyday by everybody. Here at the Kumbeshwar temple in Patan people celebrate in a fire ceremony.  Nepal is now open for tourists to see this living historic heritage.

Nepal is a country with a living heritage. Those temples that are now gone will be rebuilt. The current damage will be repaired. It’s not just about keeping history. It’s about what the temples and buildings mean to people in their everyday lives.

People still pray by the ruins. They pay respect to various deities who have no temples to house them. This is a living, breathing culture of immense importance and heritage that still lives today.

What Nepal needs now, is to get the message out that all is not lost. Far from it. As you can plainly see, Nepal still has a wealth of beauty, culture and heritage for everyone to visit.

And yes, Nepal is open to visitors right now.


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