Major donors Mr. & Mrs. Prithivi B. Pande presenting KVPT's work at the annual New York fundraiser, May 19th, 2007. Visible behind Mrs. Pande is one of the prints from Robert Polidori’s stunning series of Kathmandu Valley photographs, exhibited this May at Tibet House in New York.
 
Sundari Cok courtyard, Royal Palace Complex, under scaffolding after the Nepal Government's approval in 2008.

Work Begins on Restoration of the
Patan Royal Palace Complex

With the achievement of Nepalese government approval in 2008, the real restoration work has begun. Scaffolding is up in the courtyard of Sundari Cok; mud floors have been removed to assess joist conditions; and archeological excavation is underway to uncover water supply lines and historic foundations and courtyards behind the east wing. This restoration project, the Trust's most ambitious since its inception in 1990, was launched by HRH Prince of Wales in 2006 and has since received support from donor agencies in Asia, Europe and the US as well as private local corporations--an unprecedented commitment in Nepal. The Trust has received funding for the Palace project from the Robert W. Wilson Challenge to Conserve our Heritage (under the auspices of the World Monuments Fund), Ludwig Kuttner and Beatrix Ost, the Nepal Investment Bank Ltd., Mr. & Mrs. Prithivi B. Pande, the Federal Republic of Germany’s Foreign Ministry through the German Embassy in Kathmandu, and the Sumitomo Foundation in Japan, as well as numerous private donors. Our application to the United States Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation met this month with first-round approval. Over the next eight years the Trust will rehabilitate and restore this major World Heritage Site ensemble, including three Malla-period courtyard buildings and the Tusha Hiti and Bhandarkhal Tank, to creat a Museum of Architecture for Nepal.

Mrs. Pratima Pande Wins MBE Award

Pratima Pande was awarded the MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for her work with the Nepal Britain Society and Nepal Britain relations. She has been involved in all kinds of social work for the last fifteen years with many organizations. She is very enthusiastic and wants to do more good work for Nepal and support KVPT's restorations work.
   
 

Woodcarvings of Sundari Cok at the Patan Royal Palace Complex

Sundari Cok, the southernmost courtyard building of Patan Palace, is considered by architects and historians to be a jewel of Nepalese architecture for its virtuoso woodcarvings and for the exquisite stone carving of the Tusha Hiti,--the royal stepwell in the courtyard. The original woodcarvings of Sundari Cok are still largely intact. Many are weathered but in relatively good condition, requiring only conservation (see photos of cornice and dalan pillar details below). In other cases, such as the ivory window facing the square (see photo below), vandalism and neglect, and misuse of the building as a police station and prison have taken their toll, and extensive restoration will be required. Closed to the public since 1993 for reasons of public safety and to prevent further vandalism and theft, Sundari Cok will once again be open after restoration to locals and visitors alike.

   

The woodcarvings of Sundari Cok are among the finest in Nepal. Top left: Ivory Window. Top right: Cornice detail. Left: Courtyard door and niches. Above: Detail of north dalan pillars. Generous donors providing initial funding include The World Monuments Fund, Ludwig Kuttner and Beatrix Ost, and The Sumitomo Foundation.
 

Water Architecture of the Patan Royal Palace Complex

Research suggests that the Tusha Hiti, a crown jewel of Nepalese stone carving and the centerpiece of Sundari Cok, was not a royal bath, as is commonly believed, but the setting for the king’s ritual offering of water to the deities depicted in the carvings.
 

Loh Hiti (stone spout) of the Bhandarkhal Tank during testing of restored water supply line, December 9, 2008. It is believed that the Tank, like the Tusha Hiti, was constructed in 1647 by King Siddhinarasimha Malla. Recent poor repairs, including damaging clear coatings and repointing with cement mortar, are accelerating decay and will be remediated during restoration.
 

Vishveshvara Temple/Bhaideval Reconstruction

In parallel with planning and fund raising for the royal palace, the Trust is collaborating with Kanak Mani Dixit in his work with the community to restore the monumental Vishveshvara/ Bhaideval pagoda temple outside on the public square. The entire temple above the plinth was lost in the 1934 earthquake. Project drawings have been made by KVPT to support this local initiative. Fund raising will be exclusively through the local community, with technical support from KVPT. Historical research is provided by Dr. Niels Gutschow, whose forthcoming history of Nepalese architecture is expected in 2009. Dixit's concept is to make this the first temple reconstruction which can include donations from every citizen of Patan, at every scale from ten rupees to ten lakhs.
 

Folio of Historic Images of Patan

- A perfect gift...

Help support this project through your purchase of 12 museum quality prints of historic views of the Patan Royal Square and Palace. This collection of oversized prints (15" x 19") and black linen presentation box produced in the U.S makes a handsome gift and is available immediately and in time for this year's holiday season: $295 gift box (of which $200 is tax deductable). Email to info@kvptnepal.org, credit cards accepted. Click here to see folio images...
WWW.KVPTNEPAL.ORG, E-MAIL: INFO@KVPTNEPAL.ORG, U.S. TEL: 212  727 0074,NEPAL TEL:977 1 5546055