Teku’s Radha Krishna temple restored

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 21

UNESCO, in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology, has completed rebuilding of the shikhara-style Radha Krishna temple located at the confluence of the holy Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers at Teku, Kathmandu.

To mark the completion, Jeev Nyas Puja, a ritual to restore the divinity will be performed tomorrow, in the presence of a minimum number of concerned stakeholders due to the current COVID-19 crisis. The temple had suffered massive structural damage during the 2015 earthquakes. The entire ground floor’s brick walls collapsed, revealing the damaged structural timber. Multiple peepal (ficus religiosa) plants growing in the temple also threatened the integrity of the structure. The daily puja of the temple had stopped since the outbreak of the virus due to safety reasons. Within the framework of ‘UNES- CO-Hainan Province Cihang Foundation Project for Recovery and Rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage in Kathmandu Valley,’ the temple was successfully shored up and braced. Earlier, UNESCO had conducted an in-depth study of the temple, including detailed architectural documentation and damage assessment.

The study revealed serious deterioration of supporting timber frame in the super structure and cracks in the brick walls.

According to UNESCO, a detailed study of the previous restoration process and archaeological excavation helped in better understanding past interventions and the condition of its foundation.

Based on the findings, a restoration plan was prepared.

The temple was carefully dismantled and systematically documented and rebuilt. Each layer of exterior bricks of the tower structure were numbered and measured and were later replaced in their original positions.

Artefacts, statues of the deities and the pinnacle were safely stored under the priest’s care, and have now been re-installed, following rituals. “UNESCO prioritised the use of traditional materials in the rebuilding. A special traditional sealant called silay was used in the outer layer of the exposed brickwork, and wood.

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