KVPT

The two stone gates standing on either side of the Degutale Temple feature rare Malla-period bas-relief figures. Built in the 17th century, the gates are set against the brick walls of the two small courtyards between Mulchowk and Keshav Narayan Cok. Both gates collapsed in the 1934 earthquake, were subsequently reconstituted, and have since suffered from inadequate restoration efforts. The south courtyard was closed to the public and was being used as a garbage dump and latrine, and the north courtyard was filled with debris. The present restoration began with the removal of individual stone components from both gates. The damaging Portland cement infill was cleaned without damaging carving details, a difficult and laborious task that required the expertise of a stone conservation team from the University of Applied Arts Vienna. After careful documentation and iconographic analyses, damaged or missing fragments were identified and recarved by local stone masons and craftsmen. The walls and paving of both courtyards, damaged by decades of rising damp, were excavated and rebuilt after the addition of a drain. Today, the south courtyard is connected to the north wing of Mulchowk through a new doorway. Opened to the public for the first time in 2012, the small courtyard forms a unique enclosure between the palace and the square.