Latest Embassy Programs
July 1, 2009
Ambassador Nancy J. Powell visited the site of the 17th Century Water Architecture project in Lalitpur (one of the historical cities within the Kathmandu valley) to initiate a restoration program. This project has been recently awarded a grant of $86,700 through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation program. The project will be managed by the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT).
The restoration of the Tusha Hiti and Bhandarkhal Tank at the Patan Royal Palace in Kathmandu, Nepal, is one of eight projects at World Heritage Sites to receive financial support from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2009. This project will restore exquisite examples of 17th century royal waterspouts and baths intricately carved from stone. The Tusha Hiti and Bhandarkhal Tank are among the crowning artistic achievements of the Malla kings, whose patronage of the arts marked the height of Nepalese culture. The project to restore the stone sculpture is part of a larger effort of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust to preserve the palace complex and reopen its courtyards, gardens, and other spaces to the public. The Patan Royal Palace is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.
Over the past eight years, the U.S. Government has committed over $355,000 to restore and preserve cultural sites in Nepal. This Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation grant underscores U.S. friendship for the Nepali people and its commitment to preserving Nepal’s unique cultural heritage.
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View of Bhandarkhal tank, to be restored as part of the project. |