A night shot of Basantapur that I took when I came to Kathmandu nine years ago to pursue a career in photography was published in two major national newspapers back then. The photo also found its way to the top 10 of a photo competition I had participated in, in the same year. It was a huge morale boast and it felt like my journey had started off right. My photojournalism career, in a way, started at and with Basantapur.
For that reason and many more, I’ve always had a fascination and a deep sense of attachment with the place that, not long after I first arrived in the capital, became my favorite hangout in the city. Over the years, Basantapur quickly became the place I photographed the most. There was something alluring about the area that just dragged me there, over and over again.
For me, Basantapur had it all. Besides being the most vibrant and happening place in the capital, it was also a place where different cultures and architecture merged. It was a melting pot of the old and the new, and it had something for everybody. There used to be old people sipping tea without a care in the world, young ones engrossed in happy conversations, families enjoying their time together, and tourists gawking at the marvels of architecture. In a way, it seemed like an open theatre where different acts were being performed simultaneously.
The April 25 earthquake has now changed the face of this Durbar Square. Many structures have totally collapsed and the remaining ones are either crumbling or damaged. The Kasthamandap, from where the city got its name, is completely destroyed. Life has come to a standstill and the charm has been lost. But even as Basantapur lies in ruins, it’s difficult to forget how it had once been and that makes many of us pine for the restorations to begin soon and for the place to go back to the way it was.
This was perhaps why the locals gathered to save what was left just a day later. They wasted no time in sorting out wood, metal, and whatever they thought was worthy of saving. You could see that many loved Basantapur with all their heart in the way they came together to clean it up. The constant aftershocks didn’t matter as they put all their efforts into clearing up the place. I believe that the place will rise again though many structures have been damaged, because the spirit of the place, it seems, is still intact. 
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