Sights of Kathmandu after the 2015 earthquake

A year after the devastating earthquake of 2015, we walked through the main attractions of Kathmandu and now we can say with complete confidence that there is still something to see in the capital of Nepal. All the main attractions (temples, palaces, Buddhist stupas), even in their current, not fully restored state, are of interest and worthy of the attention of tourists. Read more about the results of our inspection and photographs from the scene below.

We have something to compare with

A year ago, in the spring of 2015, we left Kathmandu less than a week before the earthquake. And before that, we had seen each of the objects discussed many, many times and we remember well what the city was like before the earthquake. Therefore, I dare to classify us as fairly objective judges.

General condition of the city

The city is NOT destroyed. Some dilapidated buildings have collapsed, but there are few of them, and in general, Kathmandu 2015 is by no means Dresden 1945. The tourist quarters (Thamel) have not changed at all, because most hotels are new buildings. Old-timers like Kathmandu Guest House (they have an incredibly civil, completely un-Nepalese courtyard with a restaurant) got it, of course, but for the most part they have already been restored.

The worst effects of the earthquake in Kathmandu are visible on the banks of the rivers. There is usually terrible dirt and a complete dump. And now these empty lands have been slightly cleared in order to organize tent (or rather hut) camps for Nepalese who have lost their homes. In addition, the Kathmandu authorities decided to quietly expand the western exit from the city (a terribly congested 2-lane road).

This required the partial demolition of some buildings that were too close to the road. And when you drive (barely trudge) along this street towards Pokhara, you get the impression that Kathmandu is a complete disaster zone. But as I already said, this is not so - the city is alive and beautiful in its own way))

Kathmandu Royal Square - Durbar Square

In the royal square, the hardest hit was the old royal palace - a three-story white building with columns similar to a provincial theater. Now the palace is surrounded by scaffolding and it is they (and not the picturesque cracks) that most spoil the picture of the square.

To tell the truth, the palace has never really attracted the attention of tourists. Pagodas are much more important.

Nepalese pagodas are multi-tiered red brick tower-temples richly inlaid with wooden carvings. The tops of the two largest pagodas in Durbar Square have crumbled, and their bases now closely resemble the Mayan and Aztec step pyramids.

Smaller pagodas stand still. They were surrounded by numerous supports and piles of bricks. Since the Newar style of brickwork involves the use of a minimum amount of mortar, it is almost impossible to determine whether these bricks are old (from crumbling towers) or new (brought for restoration work):)

It is noteworthy that Nepalese are not at all afraid to sit on the steps of rickety temples. As before, couples in love coo in the shadows of the upper tiers, not paying attention to the supports and terrible cracks in the walls

My favorite landmark of the royal square, the statue of the bloodthirsty demon Kali Bhairav, was not damaged. This black multi-armed giant is one of the aspects of the merry fellow Shiva.

The house of the living goddess Kumari also acquired high-tech supports.

Near many of the damaged architectural landmarks there are information stands showing the former appearance of the structure.

Pashupatinath (crematorium)

Pashupatinath (a Hindu temple complex dedicated to Shiva) was practically unaffected by the earthquake.

The main pagoda stands still, the golden bull has not gone away. Only with some secondary service buildings there are piles of bricks. Apparently, something has fallen apart here after all.

The ghats (the place where Hindus burn their dead) on the banks of the Bagmati are working properly, the bridge across the river is intact.

Numerous “chapels” with Shiva lingams also remain completely intact.

Boudhanath Stupa

As a result of the 2015 earthquake, the Boudhanath stupa lost its top. Until the fall of 2015, the rubble was cleared there, and now reconstruction has begun. On one side, bamboo walkways were added to the stupa for the delivery of building materials. There are piles of bricks stacked around the perimeter of the structure, and in this case we can finally say with confidence that the brick is new!

The garlands of Lungta prayer flags now do not flutter in the wind, but cover the base of the stupa with a mourning ring. It must be admitted that without the flags and the stern gaze of the Buddha (in fact, this gaze is loving and compassionate), the stupa has lost a significant part of its magic. The image of other attractions was distorted to a lesser extent. Therefore, I am inclined to consider the Boudhanath stupa to be the most damaged “star” of Kathmandu and I look forward to the completion of its reconstruction with the greatest impatience.

Take a closer look at the right photo (Present, After Earthquake) on the information board. The construction stage depicted here is far ahead of reality. It seems that the Nepalese had to dismantle the almost rebuilt top of the stupa and start all over again. Error in calculations?

Due to the piles of bricks and drooping flags surrounding the stupa, the prayer drums are practically inaccessible. Of course, tourists haven't stopped spinning them, but as far as I've noticed, local Buddhists are now ignoring them. They concentrated on large drums in nearby monasteries.

Buddhist monasteries, by the way, are in perfect order. We went to my favorite monastery with golden deers on the roof - everything there is as before: lamps are burning, sacred texts are being read, the Dalai Lama is smiling slyly from the wall.

Swayambhunath Monkey Temple

Swayambhu Stupa is located on the top of a hill. This is not only a religious monument, but the main observation deck of Kathmandu.

Fortunately, there is almost nothing wrong with this complex.

One of the two Hindu mandirs collapsed (pictured left). The second, right mandir was rebuilt after a fire a couple of years ago and therefore survived. But the old (and not very beautiful) building of the Buddhist monastery on the right edge of the site disappeared from the radar.

But the stupa, flags and monkeys were not damaged at all. Most tourists will not notice that anything has changed on the hill.

Pathan

As before, Patan Royal Square looks more attractive than the similar Durbar Square in Kathmandu.

One pagoda turned into a pyramid, the rest acquired supports, one garuda fell from its pedestal, but overall... In general, Patan is beautiful and still pleases the eye.

And this season, along with the entrance ticket, they give you a particularly large and beautiful badge in plastic.

The courtyard of the Golden Temple in Patan has not changed. I did not look into the monastery.

Results

If you are trying to decide for yourself whether it’s worth going to Nepal “after all, everything is destroyed there and there’s nothing to see,” then my advice is clear - it’s worth going. Firstly, the destruction is much less than it seems from TV. Secondly, all the main attractions of Kathmandu have retained their identity and continue to impress (verified). Thirdly, going to Nepal just for the temples of Kathmandu is wrong. The main beauties of this country are located outside the city - in the Himalayas, in the rice fields, in the jungle. And an earthquake won’t do anything to them. And the Nepalese will quickly restore brick temples - this is not the first time. Powerful earthquakes happen here regularly and all the “ancient temples” were actually rebuilt several times:)