By Thimi Times
Weekly
BHAKTAPUR. In the first week of last February, Bhaktapur Municipality mobilized a local consumer committee and allocated Rs. 65.13 million for the renovation of the historic Nyatpol temple. The first floor of the temple was damaged by the earthquake of 2072 BS, so it had to be removed and restored to its old form.
The roof was torn down to make way for the restoration of the temple. However,
on March 26, the government announced a strike. Construction sites closed. The
restoration work of the temple was just as confusing. Complicated issues,
including the threat of infection and social distance, prevented the work from
moving forward.
"Nyatpole is a national pride and an important heritage of the world. We
have decided to move ahead with the work by maintaining social distance even if
the rain does not affect us in the slightest," said Rajni Joshi, Deputy
Mayor of Bhaktapur Municipality. As soon as the municipality took this
decision, the consumer committee was mobilized. The renovation work of the
temple has been completed recently. Even though the work has been completed so
quickly, only about half of the budget allocated for Nyatpol has been spent.
According to Deputy Mayor Joshi, the locals of Bhaktapur have provided
construction materials including cash and goods worth Rs. The details of the
collaborators are posted on the municipality's website.
Besides, the locals have contributed Rs 2.2 million. About Rs 3 million saved
after not spending all the money has been returned to the municipality.
According to Deputy Mayor Joshi, there was pressure on the municipality to
complete the work before it started raining. If the work was not completed on
time, various parts of the temple could be weakened.
As the renovation work progressed, the Consumers' Committee issued a notice
urging people to donate labor. According to the municipality, about 3,100
people have worked for the renovation work. When many people come to work at
once, to prevent the risk of infection, the municipality has to make
arrangements for them to come only on the appointed day by typing their names.
The municipality was forced to take turns to work in different groups on a
daily basis. Locals from local mothers' groups, cooperatives, colleges, toll
development organizations, other local organizations and others came to the
group on a daily basis for mass labor. According to Deputy Mayor Joshi, there
is a record of more than 500 people working in one day.
The Consumers' Committee did not have to look for wage workers in the work of
sweeping the soil, passing the lumps and carrying bricks. From the very
beginning of the work, I felt the urge to work. Even after the completion of
the temple work, Larco did not stop expressing his desire to work. Most of
those who came to help with the work of the temple were women. When he came to
work, he used to bring his own food.
Some of those who could not work and those who could not work provided fruits,
food and water to those who worked. Some people had been urging me to keep even
one or two bundles of 'Let my labor be in the renovation of the temple'. Deputy
Mayor Joshi says that the municipality has been involving the locals in the
reconstruction work of every property. Stating that there was more public
participation in the temple of Nyatapol than expected, she said that it
reflected the passion and consciousness of the people of Bhaktapur towards
culture, heritage and art.
"The people of Bhaktapur believe that the renovation work of the temple is
a virtue. We have heard the belief that if only a lump of soil is kept here,
the pigeons will be able to live in the tundal of the temple in the
future," she said. According to Archaeologist, Nyatapol is the temple of
Siddhilakshmi, the goddess of Tantric power. The temple has not been completely
demolished for 318 years since its construction. Even in the B.S.1990 earthquake,
only the first floor of the temple was damaged.
