A massive earthquake which shook the nation on April 25 has destroyed the historical Gorkha Durbar. The palace was built four hundred years ago. It served as a home to Shah Kings from Ram Shah to Prithvi Narayan Shah.
The massive quake and aftershocks destroyed the palace, the Gorakhnath cave, the Gorakhnath temple, the Kalika temple and other old heritages at the site, said Ganesh Prasad Bhattarai, chief at the Gorkha Palace Management Office.
Almost all historical and cultural sites in the Durbar premises have been badly damaged due to the quake. Owing to the possible risk of the collapse, devotees of the Gorakhnath and Kalika temples have not been allowed to enter the premises for prayers and worship. Meanwhile, other temples in the palace premises - Pashupati, Guheshwori, Vidya, Bajra Bhairav, Kotkali, Kalika temples - were destroyed due to the quake. Similarly, other historical buildings and squares constructed during the reign of Prithvi Narayan Shah and Bhimsen Thapa were also destroyed.
Chief priest at the Gorakhnath Temple, Pradip Nath Yogi, said they had not stopped the daily worship and other religious rituals at the temple but are worried on how to continue these in the present pro-tem manner as the temple was destroyed.
Prithvi Narayan Shah, who began the unification campaign to merge the small kingdoms in Nepal in the late 18th century, was born and brought up in the palace.
