Wednesday, June 27, 2018

PM inaugurates ‘Gaddi Baithak’ post reconstruction

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today inaugurated the historic Gaddi Baithak post reconstruction.
The historic building located at the heart of Basantapur Durbar Square was destroyed by the devastating earthquake of April 2015.
On the occasion of the inaugural ceremony of the renovated Gaddi Baithak the premier recalled the devastating earthquake that florred many historic sites apart from residential buildings, health posts, police posts and schools. "It also caused huge losses of lives," the prime minister said, thanking the US Embassy in Kathmandu for financially supporting the restoration of infrastructure.
The government is committed to maintaining the standard in reconstruction of quake-damaged structures, he said, adding that the country has entered into a new era with the promulgation of constitution through Constituent Assembly.
The historic Gaddi Baithak – dating back to the Rana regime – stands as a tribute to the European architectural style. It was retrofitted and renovated under the partnership of Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief and Nepal Government’s Department of Archaeology. The US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) has funded $700,000 for the reconstruction.
US Charge d’ Affaires Peter Malnak, On the occasion, said that the collaborative effort between Nepali and American cultural heritage experts has presented an opportunity to restore and seismically strengthen Gaddi Baithak.
"Gaddi Baithak is one of the most important structures of Nepal’s cultural heritage and history," Malnak said, adding that the real result was achieved by the US governments and communities working together collaboratively.
PM Oli and Charge d’ Affaires also jointly inaugurated the newly reconstructed Mahadev Temple, Kageshwor Temple, Laxmi Narayan Temple and Saraswati Temple in the premises that were built in the 17th and 19th centuries.
These Newari style architectural monuments were restored and seismically strengthened by Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) with financial aid from the American government through AFCP which had provided $2 million through emergency grant.
According to the American Embassy in Kathmandu, AFCP is the most significant cultural preservation initiative abroad by the American government and since 2001 it has supported over 850 projects to preserve cultural heritages in more than 125 countries.
In Nepal, over the past two decades, 22 projects were completed worth over $3.4 million.

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