The roofs of temples and shrines are traditionally topped with gilded finials (gajuras). Worked from shaped and joined copper sheet, many are plain and bell shaped with various smaller, stepped tips. Two elaborate, temple-shaped finials crowned the Patan Palace: a smaller one, in shape of the Krishna temple at Durbar Square, at the private Taleju shrine – and a taller shape at the Taleju Bhawani Mandir.
Even in the best of times, the finials need to withstand extreme weather conditions: winds, thunderstorms, and hail. Sunlight heats them to stove-top temperatures, followed by occasional extreme cold at night. All three of these finials shown below had to be removed for repair, pre and post earthquake. They are currently stored in the courtyard of the palace and allow a rare opportunity to view them up close. Nutan and I spent a good part of the day trying to figure out where they belong. Below, their position marked on a postcard, that shows Patan prior to the 2015 earthquake. In due time, the finials will return to their lofty heights.
Preservation of metalwork in Nepal 