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

19. Traditional Practices and Commencement
Rituals
The damage that the earthquake has caused to religious
structures has especially had a profound effect on the
communities’ traditions. In such situations, it is usually
found that traditional practices and religious commencement
rituals, including forgiveness-worship, are
performed before the restoration and rebuilding work
kicks off. As such practices and commencement rituals
make monuments lively from a cultural and religious
perspective, traditional practices and commencement
rituals must be organized while carrying out the work
of restoration and rebuilding, and coordination efforts
must be made in order for that to happen.
20. Traditional Purpose and New Use of Monuments
(a) Generally, the continuation of the traditional use and
purpose of the monuments to be restored and rebuilt
shall be encouraged. However, in the case of monuments
whose original purpose has fallen into disuse, they may
be utilized for newer purposes, in agreement with relevant
stakeholders, ensuring that the appearance, size,
type, composition, and architectural exterior of those
monuments is not affected in any way.
(b) In the context of monuments where a community
is involved in the use and maintenance of the structure,
preservation work shall be carried out through the provision
of necessary support for the activities of that community.
(c) In the case of monuments that have lost their original
use, they may be used for a new and appropriate purpose
for income generation, ensuring that this does not adversely
affect their original use.
21. Installation of Modern Service Mechanisms
(a) Modern services, including electricity and water
supply, together with burglar and fire alarms, may be
installed in the historical buildings that continue to be
used to this day or those that have been put to newer use.
(b) Modern equipment shall be installed at the various
types of historic buildings, based on their vulnerability
and usage, following the prescribed standards to ensure
that the monuments’ authenticity and originality, together
with its external appearance and location, is not
affected in any way.
22. Availability and Quality of Materials
(a) Special attention shall be paid to the smooth availability
and quality of traditional/non-traditional construction
materials necessary for the rebuilding and restoration
of damaged monuments.
(b) The Department of Archaeology shall play a coordination
role in order to facilitate the supply of essential
construction materials.
(c) Quality of Timber – Timber that is crack-free, mature,
smooth, hard, dense, granular, less damp, and less
flexible should be used. Likewise, timber with joints and
palāns (leaves?) may not be used. Timber that needs to
bear load, be carved with patterns, remain open in outdoor
settings, and that needs to be used in a location
where it will become wet with rainwater, should come
from a sāl tree. In locations that will not get wet with
rainwater, other good quality timber may be used. Only
pure Nepali timber should be used.
23. Availability of Artisans and Training
(a) Top priority shall be given to according the highest
level of respect to senior artisans with traditional skill
and expertise and training new artisans.
(b) It should be ensured that work is carried out by good,
expert, and experienced artisans or that it is carried out
under the surveillance of such artisans.
24. Supervision and Quality Control
(a) The tasks relating to preservation, restoration, and
rebuilding shall be carried out as prescribed by the
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