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

Taleju Agam North
Projects by the Trust since 2011
Damage in the September 2011 Earthquake
Before KVPT was involved with the Patan Palace, the
Taleju Agams North and South had been partially restored
in joint UNESCO/Nepal Department of Archaeology
projects in 2000-2001. In 2007, KVPT’s first estimate
was that in the Patan Royal Palace Conservation
and Restoration project, the North Taleju Agam would
require only seismic strengthening and minor repairs.
However, closer inspection of North Taleju after the 6.8
magnitude earthquake of September 18, 2011 and the
lesser tremors that followed soon after revealed that the
agam had been so severely compromised that stabilization
and seismic strengthening were required on an
emergency basis. Existing structural cracks in walls and
between masonry and timber door and window frames
had widened significantly, one of the roofs was separating
from the wall, and rotting timbers were exposed in a
number of locations. Without these problems being addressed,
the agam would not be able to survive the next
major earthquake.
Left
Crack on interior north wall. This
large crack was present before the
September 2011 earthquake, but
grew in width to as much as 8 cm
in the earthquake as the two walls
moved farther apart.
November 2011
Right
Detail of crack on the west-facing
exterior facade of Taleju North
Gallery. This severe crack on the
exterior of the building was present
prior to the earthquake, and was
likely the result of a lack of proper
wall joining techniques. This detail
shows the gaps that had opened
further—up to 10 cm—after
the September 2011 earthquake,
requiring immediate attention.
November 2011
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