prof. Adalbert Gail (Freie Universität Berlin): Earthquakes and sacred architecture in Nepal

Earthquakes are almost regular events in the Himalaya area. Unsurprisingly they are also reflected in Hindu and Buddhist literature. Hindus enumerate earthquakes (Skt. bhūmikampa) among omina and portenta (Skt. nimitta, utpāta) that indicate prodigious incidents in general, Buddhists connect earthquakes with major events in the life of the historical Buddha as well as with Jātakas such as the Vessantarajātaka.
The last heavy earthquake in the Kathmandu Valley happened on 25th of April 2015. It destroyed the most attractive squares, embellished with the royal palace and various temples, both in Kathmandu (Hanuman Dhoka) and in Pāṭan (Maṅgal Bazar). The lecture will present the most affected structures in Pāṭan and the workshop, where the first steps of reconstruction are taken.
Responsible is the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) financed by private sources.