The foundation stone was laid for the reconstruction of the renowned 400-year-old Manakamana Temple in the district after the older structure was demolished. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25 had shook the foundation of the Temple titling it sideways.
The foundation stone was laid at the auspicious hour of 10 am amid religious rituals, prayers and offerings to the foundation.
Gorkha’s Chief District Officer Uddhav Prasad Timalsena laid the foundation stone in the presence of Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sureshman Shrestha and Director General of Department of Archeology Bhesh Narayan Dahal.
The temple had tilted six inches south-west after the massive 8.4 Richter scale earthquake which struck Nepal in 1934 and another powerful quake in 1988. It leaned further six inches in the same direction after the April 25 quake.
“It took 13 days to demolish the Temple,” Manakamana Temple Renovation Committee Coordinator, Narendra Babu Shrestha said adding, “It took four days to dug the foundation of the Temple.”
According to Shrestha, the foundation was dug 7 feet below the surface. The Renovation Committee sent a sample of the soil of the foundation for testing. He also informed that the foundation was laid after finding the bedrock.
Chief Priest Insan Thapa said Rs 150 million would be spent for reconstructing the Temple. The cost may rise as the walls in the south-west area of the temple also needed reconstruction. RSS
July 22, 2015
श्रावण ६ गते, २०७२ मा प्रकाशित
