Understanding activism through the process of heritage reconstruction: A case study of Kasthamandap

Abstract

Kasthamandap, is a historical structure in the heart of the old city of Kathmandu. This seventh century timber building lends historicity to the Kathmandu city with its demure architectural style. It and was under contestation of identity and ownership during the reconstruction phase, after its collapse in the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake.

            The immediate attention given to eighteenth century monument, Dharahara, garnered public sentiments and symbolically associated with national resilience. A public dissatisfaction began to surface after the declaration of reconstruction of Dharahara,as a national priority reconstruction project, but priority to  Kasthamandap was neglected. The call for solidarity with advocacy began to emerge out of need for research, documentation and value creation. The process of Placemaking in national politics also comes into interplay within the context of reconstruction of Kasthamandap activism and advocacy. The paper intends to present the movement of value creation in Kasthamandap as a case study, in which solidarity and activism seen in pre and during construction period of Kasthamandap. The reconstruction of Kasthamandap, as the national pride project, credits all its value creation process to the process into an activism movement, hence it becomes important to see the reconstruction through the initial process of solidarity in heritage and placemaking