To our friends and supporters, As you see from the various reports on these pages, the Trust has had a busy, productive year with plans for more to come.
The London reception at Clarence House, so graciously hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales, brought a wonderful boost to our fundraising and was a major public vote of confidence in the Trust’s work. We are grateful to Prince Charles and appreciative of the support of all those who made the effort to attend. It was a memorable event.
Our June Gala in New York, complete with reception, silent auction, recognition of Prabhakar Rana, and dinner was another gratifying success. We are grateful to Andrew Solomon and John Habich for their lovely home, to Prabhakar Rana for honoring the Trust with his support, and to all those who helped make the evening outstanding.
In Kathmandu, KVPT Director of Development Gautam Rana successfully worked his usual magic, hosting two delightful fundraising events in support of the Trust at Baber Mahal Revisited.
In April “Nepali Women in Concert for KVPT,” attracted 230 supporters, and in September a dance performance and dinner also showcased the Trust and its work.
While the exciting news concerns the planning for the restoration of Patan Royal Palace Complex, the restoration and preservation work on our current projects continues with the inauguration of the completed Jagannath and Kageswara Temples.
In a difficult political climate, the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust can and does produce results – lasting benefits that can be seen, appreciated, studied. Those who work on our projects gain, as do all those who view them. The Trust has done much, with, of course, so much more to be done. It is your continued support that makes our work possible, and we are truly grateful to each of you. |
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Friends of Nepal know that the architecture of the Kathmandu Valley to be one of the world's treasures, one of importance to all humanity. We were excited to see this acknowledged on the international level this year with HRH The Prince of Wale's hosting of our campaign launch in May at Clarence House, London. As always we thank you for your loyal support which made 2006 our most successful year ever, allowing us to launch the Patan Royal Palace restoration project, our most ambitious ever.
While we continue necessary documentation, training, monitoring and smaller repair projects in Patan and Kathmandu --- as we have been doing for the last fifteen years--- please look forward to more updates about the Patan Royal Palace restoration project. Not only is this palace complex one of the richest historical monuments imagi- nable with its multi-layered buildings and towers, stone baths and extraordinary Mannerist woodcarving, but the idea that the restored monument will house a museum of architecture, extending the already successful Patan Museum, makes the effort all the more |
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worthy for both the local and international communities.
Planning over the next years will determine the shape and specifics of this facility, but many positive ingredients already in place which can be mentioned: the adjacent Patan Museum, a connection to Harvard's Francis Loeb Library where KVPT has established the Nepal Architecture Archive, and the KVPT headquarters across the square with a dozen young professionals at work. Opportunities for crafts development, walking tours, and links to local community groups and local government abound.
Please stay tuned for further developments!
Below: Aerial view of the Patan Royal Palace Complex. To the right is the series of quadrangles that make up the complex, and is backed by historic gardens. To the left facing the Palace is the collection of royal temples that contribute to one of the most intact historic urban ensembles that survive in South Asia. |
