KATHMANDU: The US embassy of Kathmandu Monday announced that it has decided to grant the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust USD 900,000 (NRs 6 Crore 90 Lakhs) to restore the Patan Royal Palace in Lalitpur through the US Ambassadors Fund for the Cultural Preservation Large Grants Programme. This is the one of the only three worldwide projects to receive funding from this prestigious and highly competitive programme in 2009.

Earlier the US State Department invited 16 countries throughout the world to submit proposals for large scale-partnership-based cultural preservation projects at sites of global significance. The other two projects to receive this prestigious award are for the conservation of the Sacred City of Caral (USD 800,000) in Peru and for the restoration of the Monastery of the Holy Mother of God Peribleptos in Ohrid, Macedonia (USD 650,000).

The Patan Royal Palace along with its associated building date from the 17th and 18th centuries, a period in the reign of the medieval Malla dynasty (1200-1768 AD), is regarded as the one of South Asia's finest and most intact historic urban royal ensembles. The most significant impacts of this restoration project include fostering increased understanding between cultures, the creation of a world-class institution furthering knowledge of Nepalese culture, local training and education, and economic development.

From the past eight years the US government has committed approximately USD 355,500 to restore and preserve eight cultural sites of Nepal which include the restoration of Kal Bhairav and Kageshwor Temple in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square; rebuilding the Lakshmi Narayan and Mahadev Temples in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, the Machali Pati in Teku, Nag Bahal Hiti in Lalitpur, ancient Buddhist Chhortens in upper Mustang; and 17th Century Water Architecture in the Patan Durbar in Lalitpur.