‘New Dharahara is not Dharahara, but view tower’

Apparently, the collapse of the nine-storey Dharahara at the heart of Kathmandu was one of the biggest losses caused by the 2015 earthquake. Perhaps, that is why, in February 2016, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli rushed to announce the ‘Mero Dharahara Ma Banauchhu’ (I will construct my Dharahara’) public fundraising campaign in February 2016 at a time when most of the heritage reconstruction activities had failed to kickstart.

Oli’s announcement raised hopes in the public. Many thought they would get back the collapsed Dharahara. An image of the old Dharahara rebuilt became the most common symbol of ‘building back better’ and ‘we shall rise again’ as you could see on graffitis and even on t-shirts.