Lalitpur, October 7

With a view to preserving ancient culture, locals of earthquake Pilachhen, Lalitpur have started building traditional style Newari houses. The devastating 2015 earthquake had destroyed almost all houses of the locality.

According to Ramesh Maharjan, president of the Pilachhen Reconstruction and Tourism Promotion Project, of a total of 82 houses destroyed by the earthquake, the construction work of 15 houses have been completed so far. The residential area that covers almost 100 ropani land would be opened to tourists at the start of the next Nepali month, Ramesh added.

“National Planning Commission selected Pilachhen to develop a model residential area for promotion and protection of Newari culture in Lalitpur,” he said, adding that once the area was opened to tourists, a variety of Newari cuisines would also be served to tourists.

Bikash Maharjan, another local said the locality would be developed into a unique residential area of Kathmandu Valley that would not only preserve Newari culture and architecture but also promote tourism in Lalitpur.

“We are happy to develop our community as a model residential area. We have contributed 25 per cent of the cost and also provided human resources to the project,” he said. “The total project cost is estimated at Rs 500 million, and Rs 100 million has already been spent on the project,” informed the president of the project Ramesh Maharjan .