Conservation and Retrofitting of Sattal in Hiranya Varna Mahavihar and Digi Chhen, Lalitpur, Nepal

Hiranya Varna Mahavihar popularly known as the Golden temple or Kwa Baha is situated in the buffer zone of Patan Durbar square, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kathmandu Valley. It is believed to have been established in the 11th century CE. The Mahavihar is an important religious centre and has one of the largest Sangha or monk communities in the valley and serves as a site of pilgrimage during important festivals and bearing testimony to the living heritage of the valley.

The scope of the project has two parts: one part addresses the restoration of the three Sattals blocks and the second part entails restoration of the Digi Chhen(ancillary building). The project aims to provide adequate building retrofitting to improve the overall seismic resistance of the building and reduce the weight of the roof while maintaining the original character of the monastery complex.

The buildings have suffered severe structural damages after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Inappropriate additions and alterations, water seepage from ground and roof has adversely affected the building. It is proposed to carry out retrofitting of the heritage structure using timber seismic elements and repair and reduce the weight of the traditional roof. The building will be restored as per Nepal’s Ancient Monument Preservation Act, 2013 (1956) and Department of Archaeology’s Basic Guidelines and Manual for conservation and reconstruction of heritage affected by 2015 earthquake (2072)

Project Cost: NPR 18.16 Crore I USD 1.55 Million

Map Link: http://goo.gl/maps/AdSm1DYXnyMojLAc