Inspired by the Mughal architecture of Lucknow, the then prime minister of Nepal, Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa, built two splendid towers on either sides of his Sundhara-based palace, Bagh Durbar, in the heart of the capital as a "sign of prosperity" in the 19th century, according to historical and architectural experts.
The other purpose of the watch-towers was to "keep an eye on the enemies," says Dr Shiva Rijal, whose study and PhD research were on traditional architecture and open spaces of Kathmandu.According to historian Tri Ratna Manandhar, the exact date when the towers were built is hard to ascertain but is believed to have been constructed a few years before the massive earthquake of 1890 BS (1833 AD), which claimed one of the two towers.
Another lesser known fact to surface after the collapse of the only remaining tower of Dharahara on April 25 due to the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake is that there was a similar earthquake almost a hundred years before the last major tremor rocked the Kathmandu Valley in 1990 BS (1934 AD).
"There wasn't any official documentation at that time," says Manandhar, a retired professor of history at the Tribhuvan University (TU).
"But some varying records claim that one fourth to one third of the population had perished then," added Manandhar, a former dean of TU.
Manandhar told Republica that one of the 11-story towers built by Thapa had collapsed during the 1890 quake but the premier did not bother to rebuild it. The other tower fell a century later during the Rana regime but was restored by Juddha Shumsher Rana.
"The first one fell almost a century before the much-hyped quake of the 1990," clarified Manandhar. "Unlike the complete destruction this time, only the top portion of the Dharahara had crumbled in 1990. Juddha Shumsher repaired the monument two years after the quake but it stood only nine-story tall after restoration," said Manandhar.
Very few people know that there were two Dharaharas, which can be literally translated as view tower or big tower, says Manandhar.
Dr Rijal believes that the memory of the tower will be wiped out if a replica of the monument is not made, but warns against building such a tall tower given the repetitive history of its destruction.
"Dharahara was a landmark that awestruck the countryside folks. It used to be the tallest building. However, we don't need such a big monument in the changed context but we need to have its replica," he said.
Manandhar shared his view that a monument of such historical significance must be restored, albeit a smaller version of it.
"It is for the experts to decide the height of the tower but any archeological site to be restored must not lose its originality," said Manandhar.
"At first it was 11-story tall but later it was made just nine-story. It can be made smaller but it has to be there as a reminder of our legacy," he added.
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The Dharahara Debate
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