Conservation and Retrofitting of Seto Machindranath Temple

Seto Machindranath Temple is one of the 18 main Bahals of the Acharya Guthi in Jana Bahal, an old settlement area in the Kathmandu valley. The temple is believed to have been established in the 10th century CE.

The temple is a testimony to the living heritage of the valley and is a monument of national importance in Nepal. The pagoda style temple is built with bricks in mud mortar with a roof covered with gilded metal and metal banners in addition to the carved timber work and other surface decorations which adorn the temple façade. The surrounding courtyard of paved stone has numerous small chaityas and stone pillars supporting Buddhist deities.The temple after the 2015 earthquake has suffered damages resulting in water penetration through the roof, ground settlement, rat infestation, structural and non-structural cracks which has accelerated its dilapidation process.

It is proposed to carry out retrofitting of the heritage structure using timber seismic elements. The decorative art surfaces and features such as repousse work, decorative and non-decorative woodworks including timber members with traditional polychrome arts will be documented and conserved through minimal interventions.

The main aim of conserving Seto Machindranath Temple is to preserve the living temple through renewal of its surface parts and conservation and retrofitting of the historic structure per the traditional ethos, local traditions and values that sustains and enriches such living heritage sites in Nepal.

Project Cost – NPR 6.26Crore; USD 0.53Million

Map Link: http://goo.gl/maps/bwVsWTPH9rBkitm17