Patan World Heritage

Just like the historical centre of Salzburg, the centre of Patan, the neighbouring town of Kathmandu with a population of 170,000 is on the UNESCO world heritage list. While historical sites are protected by law in Salzburg, the craze for modernisation, environmental pollution and land speculation pay little respect to Nepal's architectural treasures. Therefore the Society for Promoting World Heritage and International Cultural Cooperation and EcoHimal started a world heritage partnership between Salzburg and Patan.
As part of its cultural projects, EcoHimal is also committed to preserving the world heritage not only in Sagarmatha National Park, but also in the Kathmandu valley. The preservation of cultural heritage and the restoration of the city's water supply system and wells were identified by the Patan/Lalitpur City Council as important steps in the development plan. In 2007, the city council conducted a detailed survey of the condition of the water supply, sewerage and wells in the city. The dhunge dhara, water spouts demarcated by stone walls and assigned to various gods, are sacred and artistically sophisticated. Many of them were in a critical condition due to lack of maintenance. At the request of the Lalitpur Municipality, the Mangal Hiti, the oldest dhunge dhara dating back to 570 AD, located next to the Patan Museum, was restored as a pilot project with the support of EcoHimal.
During the work, serious problems were discovered in the Raj Kulu, the city's sewage system. The project, funded by the City of Salzburg in a kind of World Heritage partnership, was not able to restore the entire water system, but it was at least able to provide the local population with access to clean drinking water again. Women in particular have benefited from this rehabilitation, as they are the ones who procure drinking water for their households. This improvement in the water infrastructure has also made a valuable contribution to the preservation of the World Heritage Site.
A similar intention was associated with the Bhandarkhal Garden project, the large water tank behind the Royal Palace of Patan and the Patan Museum. EcoHimal supported this project after the severe earthquake in 2015 and helped to restore the natural water reservoir and the associated cistern. Both had been severely damaged by the earthquake and needed to be renovated. The work was carried out together with the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, with whom we have a long-standing relationship. The restoration of the Itumbaha temple in the heart of Kathmandu's old town was also successfully completed several years earlier in collaboration with the KPTV.
Bhandarkhal Garden

EcoHimal is also involved in the preservation of the Bhandarkal Garden next to Patan Museum. Both projects were supported by the municipality and the province of Salzburg. >Read more
Kontakt

EcoHimal Austria Gesellschaft für Zusammenarbeit Alpen-Himalaya
Hofhaymer Allee 11/17
5020 Salzburg
E-Mail: office@ecohimal.org
T: +43 662 829492
ZVR Zahl: 886266575
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