When the massive earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, it created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. It also caused devastating damage to the country’s important and magnificent built heritage. All of these seven World Heritage Sites, and many others, suffered severe damage. Entire buildings or parts of buildings collapsed, burying sanctuaries filled with religious icons and artwork. Many more structures were rendered structurally unstable.
For the subject of this narrative, it is important to notice that also architectural metalwork as well as metal sculptures suffered damage along with the stone, brick, and wooden architecture and its many decorative elements. Images released in the press frequently depicted metal icons protruding from rubble of collapsed buildings and people scurrying through the chaos hugging metal sculptures on their way to a safer location.
Many elaborate gilded copper finials of temples toppled as did sculptures mounted onto tall stone pillars, such as Yoganarendra Malla in front of the Patan Museum.
Damaged large-scale metal objects in temporary storage.
While it is deeply disheartening to compare the images from 2015 with those taken after the last earthquake in 1934, depicting almost identical devastation prior to the recent earthquake, the medieval town centers and shrines on the Kathmandu Valley had been restored and resurrected to their former glory. The work was in many ways exemplary and had been carried out in international collaboration. Some earthquake mitigation did provide structurally safer monuments, which survived the 2015 without collapsing. By now, safeguarding measures have been implemented. Built heritage specialists able to begin grappling with the issues of rebuilding. Even in light of the devastating recent losses, hope can be gathered that rebuilding is possible and it is underway.
An hour long PBS NOVA TV program provides much interesting background information on the nature of the earthquake and its impact, as well as earthquake monitoring.
Preservation of metalwork in Nepal 