Spaces Vol 1 Is 6
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Spaces Vol 1 Is 6

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HERITAGE Photo: Lumanti Joshi, 2005 • The composition of orders framing the colossal image appeared to be ad-hoc from post-earthquake repair years with little formal sympathy in relation to the fine focal image. • The roof and pinnacle composition was architecturally of poor quality. There were no proper joints between the roof members and the stone work at the roof level. In this case there was no way to waterproof the poorly laid stones. The existing configuration was still incomplete due to the 1936 repair and to complete the roof pinnacle, the design had to be reinvented. Excellent documentation of the pre 1934 configuration had fortunately been done, which was considered to be the original and hence the base for the restoration. Restoring the Kal Bhairav shrine The approach to the restoration problem involved analysis of the structure as a whole and depended on various larger considerations in the local context. An on-site workshop was conducted with the entire KVPT technical team to explore different views regarding its restoration. Top: Stone blocks on opposite facades with steel reinforcement drilled into the blocks to stablize individual pieces and strenghten the entire structure. Top below: Carved details of the pinnacles refined at site. Construction period: December 2003 - May 2005 Construction cost: Nrs. 29,99,211.00 With generous support from: U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Heritage Preservation, US Embassy, Kathmandu, Nepal Investment Bank, Kathmandu, Mr. Prithivi Bahadur Pande, German Development Service (DED), Mr. Deepak Man Sherchan, Mr. Bikram Krishna Shrestha, Mr. Prem Lal Shrestha, Mr. Jitendra Basnyat, Mr. Jitendra Rajbhandari, Mr. Niranjan Lal Shrestha, Mr. Siddhant R. Pandey, Mr. Surya P. Shrestha Implemented by: Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) In cooperation with His Majesty’s Government Department of Archaeology (DOA) & Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Documentation and Implementation Team: Erich G. Theophile, Dr. Rohit Kumar Ranjitkar, Sushil Rajbhandari, Raju Roka, Lumanti Joshi, Badri Juwal, Rajan Shrestha, Sujata Shakya, Sushma Bajracharya, Bishnu Chulyadha and Dinesh Tamang. Some were of the opinion that the 1936 layer needed to be retained for its historic value. However, the stones had deteriorated considerably and some of them required urgent replacement. Juxtaposition of the historic stone with the new stone would be extremely jarring and thus seemed a rather harsh approach. Moreover, the architectural frame from the 1936 repair lacked the richness in artistic value of the original. It seemed to be ‘incorrect’ to leave it as it stood; restoring the original form of the structure was preferable and so was recarving the lost elements. Since the advent of foreign visitors in 1951, the cluster of monuments at the entrance of the Hanuman Dhoka Royal Palace has been a ‘snapshot’ of the country’s architectural heritage, with Kal Bhairav as a major focus of the square. Thus, restoring the ensemble image, which has become iconic, was complementary to the environmental quality of the historically and architecturally significant Square. However, the thickness of the principal wall, which composed of core brick masonary, was retained reusing some of the surviving stone blocks. The study and documentation process to redesign this stone architecture from the photographs as well as the enormous number of excellent stone commissions generated, meant that the human factor weighed the argument in favour of re- carving the lost carvings (i.e. pinnacles, cornice details and tympanum). Where vital components were missing, like the elaborate tympanum above the focus image and the details of the stone pinnacles, they were re-carved based on the historic photographs and documentation. The Trust has not just focused on the ‘visible’ restoration of the shrine but also on structural restoration. Additional stainless steel mesh has been introduced in between core brick masonry structures of the frame to tie the outer skin of stone blocks. This extra bracing of the stones supports and stabilizes the structure in the event of any probable seismic movement. Votive offerings of sculptures, bells and polychrome on the God seem to have been common for as long as we know. Restoring the monument at the disposal of these offerings would have been such as being disrespectful of the prevailing rituals and people’s sentiment. Considering this human factor as a significant aspect of the project, these details have been incorporated into the restoration of the Kal Bhairav shrine. Thus, the model effort of the Trust to reinstate the significant part of the historic ensemble incorporated various aspects of conservation methodology, integrating new technology and traditional construction methods. S 36 SEP-OCT 2005 SPACES

SPACES SEP-OCT 2005 37

SPACES SEP-OCT 2005 37

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