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| Dharahara |
Dharahara in Kathmandu was the tallest building in Nepal and the
second such tower built by Bhimsen Thapa. The first tower was built eight years
earlier in 1824 and was 11 stories high, two stories taller than the Dharahara.
Dharahara is said to be built for Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, who was the
niece of Bhimsen Thapa.
During the earthquake of 1834, both towers survived, but the first Bhimsen's tower suffered
severe damage. A century later, on 15 January 1934, another earthquake completely destroyed the first tower,
and only two of the 9 stories of the second tower remained. The then Prime
Minister of Nepal, Juddha Shumsher, subsequently carried out
renovation work of the Dharahara tower to fully restore it. After the original Bhimsen Tower was
destroyed, Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari's tower became known as 'Bhimsen
Stambha' or 'Bhimsen Tower'.
Dharahara was constructed for military use as a watchtower. When
incidents of national importance occurred, bugles were blown from the top floor
of the tower. This was the signal for soldiers to assemble. This tradition of
bugle trumpeting continued until the collapse of the tower.
On 25 April 2015, another earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of
7.9 (Mw), hit the region, leading to the collapse of the tower. The
earthquake's epicenter was approximately 29 kilometres (18 mi)
east-southeast of Lamjung,
Nepal. The structure collapsed
and only its base survived.
In February 2016, the government decided to rebuild the tower,
and Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and his cabinet ministers contributed
one month's salary to the rebuilding. A fund called I will construct Dharahara was also established to collect money
for the reconstruction. According to Sushil Gyawali, a civil engineer who heads
the National Reconstruction Agency, the new tower will be earthquake-resistant. The foundation stone of the new tower
is to be laid down on 24 April 2016.
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