A view of the renovated Manakamana Temple on Friday.
KATHMANDU, NEPAL, September 15, 2018 (Kathmandu Post): Authorities have completed the reconstruction of Manakamana Temple damaged during the earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015. The four-story temple of Manakamana, the wish-fulfilling Hindu Goddess popular among Hindu pilgrims, was tilted 9 to 12 inches towards northeast by the earthquake and developed cracks on its pagoda style roofs. Reconstruction crew removed the damaged structure and started renovating the temple from a new foundation in June 2015. The renovated temple has gold-plated roof. Renovation Committee Coordinator Narendrababu Shrestha said, “We used 40lbs. of the precious metal to gold-plate the temple’s roof.”
The committee spent around US$785,000 to buy the gold, and around $1.13 million to reconstruct the temple, the official said. “We purchased gold for plating the temple’s steeple and roof after obtain permission from the Department of Archaeology (DoA),” said Shrestha. DoA engineers guided the reconstruction of the temple, committee members said. They used limestone, surkhi, bricks and wood to reconstruct various structures. “We shall open the temple for devotees for the Dashain festival,” said Shrestha. The committee estimates an additional $349,000 to construct other infrastructure in the temple.