KVPT

Kathmandu’s rich Buddhist heritage does not dominate public space: it is found in semi-public courtyards, often accessible only through narrow passages or gates. 18 major monasteries (mahavihara), 10 Shakya bahas, 16 bahis and some 60 branch monasteries can be found within the core of Kathmandu. Only five of these structures retain the unique character of a square ground plan. Within Kathmandu‘s core area and along the Bishnumati river, 579 caityas have been identified, of which 69 incorporate ancient fragments of the Licchavi era (6th/7th century).Most attention paid to the architectural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley is focused on World Heritage Sites. Other sites have been largely neglected. This situation, however, is changing through the efforts of the Buddhist Kathmandu Campaign. The restoration of Chusyabaha from 1999-2001, followed by the restoration of the Yethkabaha Agam building and Itum Baha monastery, marked the beginning of a new awareness and brings hope for the safeguard of other neglected Buddhist spaces. Overlooked by preservationists, who in broad strokes describe Kathmandu as “lost”, hundreds of individual monastic complexes survive in the core of the capital city, many deserving documentation, protection, and preservation.