KATHMANDU, May 21: Bhaktapur Municipality has completed the reconstruction of the 700-year-old Lakshmi Narasimha Temple in Gahiti for Rs 48.3 million, well below the estimated cost of Rs 77.7 million. This cost-effective restoration serves as a model for typical heritage project delays and budget overruns.
Ramgovinda Shrestha, chief engineer of the Heritage Section at Bhaktapur Municipality, said that most monasteries and temples restored earlier in Bhaktapur cost less than their estimated budgets. "Consumer committees overseeing the work foster strong community ownership," he explained. "With effective municipal regulation and voluntary labor, we complete projects at much lower costs than expected."
For instance, the municipality completed the Bhairav Temple in Taumadhi for just Rs 5.6 million, compared to the estimated Rs 14.6 million. Similarly, it renovated the famous five-story temple for Rs 4 million, well below the Rs 6.4 million estimated in 2020 (2077 BS).
Mayor Sunil Prajapati said, "These examples show that the community, proactive municipal efforts, and cultural passion help us complete most temples at significantly lower costs."
Out of the 120 heritage sites damaged by the 2015 earthquake, the municipality has restored and reconstructed 118. "We are rapidly working on the remaining sites," Mayor Prajapati said. "We took the initiative to revive earthquake-devastated Bhaktapur."
The inauguration of Lakshmi Narasimha Temple also marked the third anniversary of the elected representatives' oath-taking at Bhaktapur Municipality. To celebrate, the municipality released a brief report of its three-year progress. The representatives took office on May 20, 2022, after winning the second local elections.
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Mayor Prajapati highlighted key achievements: "In our first year, we inaugurated the new Khwopa Hospital building; in the second, Bhajya Pokhari; and last year, the Table Tennis Covered Hall in Ward No. 10 and Khwopa Tilganga Eye Hospital. Today, we opened the reconstructed Lakshmi Narasimha Temple in Ward No. 4."
Describing Bhaktapur as an ancient city rich in art and culture, Prajapati called its tangible and intangible heritage invaluable. "We see preserving and promoting this heritage as our duty to future generations," he said. "That's why we work tirelessly to safeguard our art and culture."
He also cited the book 'Bhaktapur After One Hundred Years,' authored by Nepal Workers and Peasants Party President Narayan Man Bijukchhe (Rohit), along with the vision of achieving "one graduate per household within 15 years," as guiding Bhaktapur's economic, cultural, and social transformation.
Despite the new constitution's ten years in effect, Mayor Prajapati noted that federalism has not fully taken hold. Yet, Bhaktapur Municipality embraces self-reliance and steadily advances development.
He shared progress in education, health, and culture: "More than 7,000 students from all 77 districts study in seven municipal institutions, including two engineering colleges that offer quality education at affordable fees. We continuously prioritize establishing Khwopa University, providing education from early childhood to postgraduate levels."
Between 2001 and 2025 (2058-2082 BS), Khwopa Engineering College enrolled 5,265 students from outside Bhaktapur and 2,063 from Bhaktapur, he said.
In healthcare, the municipality operates the 100-bed Khwopa Hospital and delivers services through the Respiratory Rehabilitation Center, Public Health Center, Urban Health Center, and Basic Health Centers.
Mayor Prajapati emphasized heritage conservation as a key development priority. During the first 10 months of this fiscal year, the municipality reconstructed or renovated 16 heritage sites, including monasteries, temples, rest houses (patis), deity houses (dyochhens), ponds, wells, and stone spouts.
He added that renovation work is underway on 23 more sites, including renowned structures such as Thanthu Durbar, the priest's residence at Dattatreya, and the Chhuma Ganesh Dyochhen in Ward No. 6, rebuilt using traditional mud mortar techniques.
Bhaktapur welcomed 118,754 visitors from non-SAARC countries and 93,321 from SAARC countries and China during the same period, according to the mayor.
To empower youth, the municipality offers skill-development training in sewing machine repair, gas stove repair, haircutting, cooking, and tailoring. Mayor Prajapati said 516 people completed training this fiscal year.
He added, "Under the Poverty Alleviation Micro-Enterprise Development Program, we provide training in bakery, velvet shoe-making, and paper recycling." The municipality also grants youth entrepreneurship loans up to Rs 500,000 to support startups.
On infrastructure, the mayor announced that the municipality is constructing the second phase of its flagship project—the Araniko Assembly Hall—in Dekochha, Bhaktapur-6. "We preserve art and culture while guiding citizens towards knowledge and science," he said. "By blending traditional knowledge with modern science, Bhaktapur forges a unique path forward."
