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| Dharahara |
Dharahara (Nepali: धरहरा), also
called Bhimsen Tower, was
a nine-storey, 61.88-metre-tall (203.0 ft) tower at the center of Sundhara in Kathmandu. It was built in 1832 by Mukhtiyar (equivalent
to Prime Minister) Bhimsen Thapa under the commission of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari and was a part of the architecture of Kathmandu recognized by UNESCO.
The tower had a spiral staircase containing 213 steps. The
eighth floor held a circular balcony for observers that provided a panoramic
view of the Kathmandu valley. It also had a 5.2-metre (17 ft) bronze mast
on the roof.
Most of the tower collapsed in the 25 April 2015 Nepal earthquake, but the
base remains. Sixty bodies were
found in the rubble. Reconstruction of the tower is to commence in
November 2017.
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.
The architecture of
Dharahara was designed in both Mughal and
European style. It resembled an Islamic minaret. The statue of Hindu deity Shiva was
placed on the top of the tower.
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