KVPT’s Patan Darbar Earthquake Response Campaign - Work to Date - September 2016

Sundari Cok
The Patan Royal Palace Conservation Project
2006–2014
Within the context of the Patan Royal Palace Conservation
Project, established by the Kathmandu Valley
Preservation Trust in 2006, the southernmost of the sequence
of palace courtyards, Sundari Cok, (also written
“Chowk” in colloquial Nepali) was studied for a period
of three years. A Historic Structures Report was presented
after three years of investigations by Liz Newman and
Lumanti Joshi in 2009.
Implementation started in 2009 on the northern wing in
order to remove the roof which had, probably since the
1930’s, covered both the southern wing of Mulcok and
the northern wing of Sundari Cok. The individual roofs
were restored to their original configuration with a rafter
spacing and a layer of roof tiles in conformity with the
norms of Newar Architecture. The restoration / rehabilitation
of the west wing followed in 2010, funded mainly
by the World Monument Fund (New York). The ivory
window is replicated by a team of the University of Applied
Art (Vienna) since 2012 and will be installed in
September 2016. In May 2010, work started also at the
east wing in the context of excavations to allow water
again to feed Tusha Hiti. The Hiti was restored by the
team of the University of Applied Art (Vienna) in summer
2010, and the face of veneer bricks of the ground
floor arcade was renewed.
The south wing had been restored in 2012 with funds
from the German Embassy. This allowed to finally regain
the first floor space which was appropriated by the
neighboring shops.
Lack of funds stopped restoration of the east wing, which
was planned for 2013. The replacement of parts of the
much eroded ground floor wall, however, was initiated
in October 2013. Funding did not improve in 2014. A
small contribution by the German Embassy, granted in
October 2014 ,allowed the plinth to be restored and the
pavement to be replaced in the area between the east
wing and the Bhandarkhal tank. In early 2015 funds
to continue the restoration of the east wing were not in
sight.
The earthquake
The earthquake caused the total collapse of the upper
two storeys of the east wing’s rear facade, and the central
portions of the first and second storeys of the quadrangle’s
facade. The eastern end of the south wing’s courtyard
facade was slightly distorted and the ground floor
wall of the facade facing the square was bulging at its
northern end.
The fragments of the first floor windows could easily be
salvaged and stored at the courtyard’s arcades.
Rebuilding
Seed money for immediate rebuilding was granted by
the German Embassy in early October 2015. Rebuilding
started immediately by relaying the foundations of
the outer (eastern) wall in mud mortar, completing the
ground floor walls with regular bricks (māapā) on the
outside and veneer bricks for the arcade. Vertical timber
posts, wrapped in sheet copper, were integrated into the
wall to increase seismic safety. At half of the height of
the first floor, construction was stopped at the end of
December in anticipation of a further grant.
A second substantial grant was provided by the German
Embassy in February 2016 with the requirement
to complete the rebuilding by the end of the year. Work
was resumed in early March, the first floor courtyard
windows were relocated in June, the wall plates of the
top floor were in place in July, and the projecting balcony
with its latticed frames in early August. The timber
roof will be completed in early October, the roofing in
November and the interior work in December.
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