When the shaking stops: an evaluation of post-earthquake rehabilitation of the Kasthamandap in Hanumandhoka Durbar Square

Abstract

The Kasthamandap, a historic timber pavilion, and eponym of Kathmandu, collapsed during the Gorkha Earthquake that struck central Nepal on 25th April 2015. The reconstruction was completed in 2021. The aim of the thesis is to map and evaluate the longitudinal success of heritage rehabilitation approaches focused on a single monument in Kathmandu, the Kasthamandap, and the extent to which each intervention altered and transformed linkages with its communities. The thesis investigates the communities involved with the Kasthamandap before, during and after the Gorkha Earthquake, under the five main categories of users, urban community, authorities, custodians and those providing a broader significance to the monument. The research was carried out through interviews and consulting secondary sources, accompanying the four-year reconstruction of the monument.
The relationship of a community to a specific monument, such as the Kasthamandap, is determined by its interaction and positioning with other associated and, often contesting, communities. With political and social change over time, the relationship between individuals and groups and the monument changes. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes which cause physical damage to the monument, can be catalysts for changes in the relationships of the various community groups with the monument.
Communities do not belong to a single homogeneous entity with clearly defined needs and aspirations; and, therefore, it is necessary for these communities to negotiate amongst themselves as to how best to address issues concerning their livelihood, collaboration and identity. The negotiations that went into the reconstruction of a historic monument, the Kasthamandap, have been presented in this study. By understanding and recognising these dynamics, it may be possible to improve community consultation and engagement in Nepal’s rehabilitation procedures in the future.