This is one of eight projects at World Heritage Sites to receive financial support from the Ambassador´s Fund, the US Embassy said Friday.
Tusha Hiti and the Bhandarkhal Tank are among the crowning artistic achievements under the Malla kings, whose patronage of the arts marked the height of Nepali culture. The project to restore the stone sculpture is part of a larger effort of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust to preserve the palace complex and reopen its courtyards, gardens, and other spaces to the public. The Patan Royal Palace is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.
Established by Congress in 2001 and administered by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Cultural Heritage Center, AFCP provides direct grant support for the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects and collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression in countries around the world, a press release by the US embassy said, adding, “Since its inception, the Fund has demonstrated America´s respect for the cultural heritage of other countries by supporting more than 500 cultural preservation projects in more than 100 countries.”
Over the past eight years, the US Government has committed approximately $355,500 to restore and preserve cultural sites in Nepal.
Projects supported by AFCP in the last eight years
- Restoration of Kal Bhairav (completed in 2005)
- Kageshwor Temple (completed in 2006) in Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Rebuilding of the Lakshmi Narayan and Mahadev Temples, both in Kathmandu Durbar Square (completed in 2007)
- Machali Pati in Teku (completed in 2007)
- Nag Bahal Hiti in Lalitpur (completed in 2008)
- Ancient Buddhist Chhortens in upper Mustang (under construction)
- 17th Century Water Architecture in Patan Durbar in Lalitpur (present)
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