Three heritage sites getting a facelift
In what could very well be one of the most important initiatives ever taken by the Department of Archaeology (DoA) in conserving heritage sites across the country, three major temples in Nepal are all set to have “large-scale” facelift in the coming year.
Under its new plan, the DoA has announced an intensive refurbishment of three temples—Muktinath in Mustang, Manakamana in Gorkha and Ram Janaki Mandir in Janakpur—which, according to archeological experts, are on the verge of collapse owing to excessive dilapidation.
Mohan Singh Lama, research officer at the DoA’s planning department, says the budgets required for the renovation of the three sites have been released by the Ministry of Culture (MoC).
According to him, all three temples are suffering from weak foundations and are under serious threat of breaking down if they are not renovated soon. The last renovations occurred too long ago, he says.
As directed by the MoC, the DoA has already announced the tender for proceeding with the renovation at Ram Janaki Mandir. However, due to some minor technical glitches, details are yet to be finalised in terms of plans for the Muktinath and Manakamana temples.
While the DoA is pressing for employing the bidding process, locals of the Muktinath area have been demanding that the DoA hand over the budget to the local community so that they can carry out repair duties themselves.
Similarly, the renovation model for Manakamana too has also not been finalised yet, since three different stakeholders involved in the temple’s preservation, including locals, business entrepreneurs and the DoA itself, have prepared three separate proposals with different ideas about what the model should incorporate.
“The three proposals are yet to be merged into one, and until then, we can’t get started,” says Lama.
Muktinath
Located in Mustang district at an altitude of 3,710 meters, the Muktinath temple is in a dilapidated state, and has been gradually tilting towards the south-west for the last five years.
The reason behind this, Lama says, is the weak surface the temple is located on, and soil erosion caused by the flow of water in the temple’s inner structure.
“The water flowing continuously from 108 water spouts in the temple’s basement is the main reason behind the temple’s current state,” says Lama. He adds that there are other factors contributing to the soil erosion, including the construction of a road near the temple, use of bulldozers, frequent landing of helicopters and other heavy vehicles plying nearby.
According to Lama, the temple—significant from an archeological and historical point of view despite its rather small size—will be given a budget of Rs 10 million
for repairs.
Considered equally important by both Hindus and Buddhists, Muktinath literally means the “land of salvation” and it is said to have been chosen by gods and sages for attaining nirvana through meditations during the Vedic periods.
The pagoda-style temple, constructed in 1815, has never been renovated on as large a scale as planned recently by the DoA. “We have planned to build a concrete structure four to five foot below the ground on which the temple stands,” says Lama. “By doing this, we can divert the flow of water, thereby saving the temple from further ruin.”
Manakamana
As one of the most popular hubs of religious tourism in Nepal, Manakamana’s plights are similar to those of Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. Like in Pashupatinath, due to lack of proper maintenance, the temple has become pestiferous, run over by mice and cockroaches.
According to archaeologists at the DoA, wooden planks and logs used to support the temple from the inside have been chewed up by pests. Besides which, the heavy movement of people in the area has also made the temple’s foundations quite unstable, calling for an immediate refurbishment. “The condition of the temple as it is, an accident may occur anytime,” warns Lama.
The MoC has allocated a total budget of Rs 10 million for repairs at Manakamana, but Lama claims the money is inadequate; it is his estimate that a total budget of Rs 30 million will be required to accomplish an inside-out renovation. According to him, the rest of the required budget will have to be collected from other private and local stakeholders involved in the temple’s preservation.
Dating back to the 17th century, during the reign of Gorkha King Ram Shah, Manakamana is said to have been built initially by Lakhan Thapa, a devotee of Ram Shah’s wife who is often considered the human incarnation of the Goddess Manakamana. The temple was later given its present day shape in the 19th century.
Ram Janaki Mandir
Popularly known as Naulakha Mandir, the Ram Janaki temple, according to Lama, is also in a rather sorry state at present, mostly owing to the heavy flow of pilgrims to the area from both Nepal and neighbouring India. The lack of timely repairs and the fact that locals seem little involved in the conservation of temple premises have rendered the area to decrepit ruins.
Constructed in the rare Mughal style, the area has two separate temples, one dedicated to Lord Ram and another to Sita (Janaki), his wife. While Ram Mandir has vestiges dating back to the 11th and 12th century, the Janaki temple was later built in 1911 by Vrisha Bhanu, the Queen of Tikamgadh, an old Indian province. Constructed in bright white marble, Janaki temple
is said to have cost Rs 0.9 million (nine lakhs) to build, which is where the temple’s name—Naulakha—originated.
“The temple is a blend of classical and neo-classical design, with elements of fortification and a unique environmental setting,” says Lama, emphasising on the kind of rare architectural elements that can be seen here.
“Overall renovation will require a budget of around 11 million,” he says. According to him, while MoC has released a budget of Rs 0.8 million for the Ram Janaki temple, Guthi Sansthan and Janakpur Conservation Committee, a local body, have pledged to contribute Rs 0.2 million each. The Janakpur renovation will probably kick-start within the next couple of months.
Posted on: 2011-12-06 07:53
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