July 13, Kathmandu.

A powerful earthquake in April 2072 not only caused great damage to property in the country but also led to the construction of strong structures. Discussions also started on the construction of traditional or modern style structures. It also provided an opportunity for many to know and understand the importance of the traditional style.

Vijay Lama of Humla Simkot built a two-and-a-half-story RCC building four years ago for Rs 70 million. When asked about the reason for constructing such an expensive building by transporting cement and poles in a helicopter, Lama said, "After the earthquake in Kathmandu, there was a rumor that there would be an earthquake. I demolished the old house to make it safer."

According to Lama, there are now two government offices and about half a dozen such houses in Simkot. According to Lama, there is a bid to demolish an old house in Simkot and build a modern building.

Presenting the final budget of this term, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has announced a bumper offer to the city dwellers who build houses in the old style. According to the new criteria of the corporation, if a person repairs an old house in the World Heritage Area, a procedure has been made to give him a grant of up to Rs 3.2 million.

For this, the settlements within the metropolis have been divided into four categories and the title of the grant has been specified accordingly. For example, if someone builds an old-style house in the Naya Baneshwor area, the grant he gets will be less than if he builds a house in the Asan area. Officials in the metropolis say the decision was made after locals lost interest in building the old design house.

The Bhaktapur Municipality had prepared the building construction criteria in the second year of the new people's representative. In which it is mentioned that houses of modern design will not be allowed in the ancient settlements around the Durbar area. The municipality has decided to provide a subsidy of up to 35 percent of the fee for following the old style on the front, windows, and roof of the house.

Although this rule is not enforced outside the main city, the number of people wanting to build old-style houses is increasing in other settlements within Bhaktapur Municipality, says Damodar Suwal, Chief of Administration of the Municipality.

The Bandipur Municipality of Tanahu has decided to give a 50 percent discount on the fee for passing the map to the housewife who builds a house in original style from the second year of the new people's representative. For some time, the attraction was growing. Village head Purna Singh Thapa says that the people of Bandipur have stopped building new houses due to problems in business due to corona.

Government's interest in preserving the indigenous style

The use of pillars and cement in house construction is considered to be the result of Western influence. After the earthquake of 2072 BS damaged about 14 districts, there was a heated debate about the structure of the indigenous style or the traditional style.

After the demolition of some traditional houses, it also got a new look. Due to which the government side understands that urban beauty has declined.

Architecture also received a good deal of attention in heritage reconstruction. Architectural experts say that the importance of the traditional style has come to the notice of many as the topic of rebuilding Ranipokhari, Dharara and other monuments in modern style or old style have come up. Some understand that this debate has helped many local levels to spread awareness about originality.

During the earthquake, many people became familiar not only with the style but also with the method of building traditional houses. The quake was expected to cause extensive damage to Asan's old homes. But that did not happen. Traditional home engineering engineers say that the old method of building a house is also safe.

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has issued a circular to all local levels on Tuesday, focusing on urban and rural beauty and its security. In which those who build houses in original style have been requested to give concessions in various titles.

According to the ministry, the circular is intended to encourage the local level to build a safe house using original style and original materials.

How practical is the development of indigenous style?

Chief Joint Secretary of the Planning and Development Assistance Coordination Division of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Bishnu Dutta Gautam, says that the circular has been issued for the preservation of the indigenous style as the country is becoming a jungle of concrete.

The ministry has also sent seven types of sample styles. But how relevant are the seven types of samples across the country? In response to the question, Joint Secretary Gautam said, "This is not to say that the house should be built according to the model, but the circular has been issued to preserve the original style.

How practical is the policy of having to build a house in an original style? Damodar Suwal, administration chief of Bhaktapur municipality, says, “Based on the availability of materials, it seems somewhat impractical. But it's a great style in terms of beauty and environmental friendliness. '

But for those who want to build a house in a small area for commercial purposes, it is a problem, says Suwal. That is why people are less attracted to it.

In a house that does not have a sloping roof and bricks, it feels warm in winter and cold in summer. That is why original-style houses are air-conditioned, says Suwal.

A practical problem faced by Bhaktapur

Bhaktapur Municipality brought a policy in the second year of the new people's representative. In which it is mentioned that old houses should not be allowed to be built higher than 35 feet in the city area, shutters should not be allowed in the house, the front part should be made in an original style and original materials should be kept as much as possible.

The Bhaktapur Municipality has set the criteria of keeping at least 30 percent of the total roof and the windows and doors should be made of wood. But homeowners complain about the lack of wood.

The municipality bears 35 percent of the total cost of bricks, mortar, and timber used in the previous section for the householder who meets all the above criteria.

According to Suwal, a private residential household has received a grant of Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 470,000.

Despite this, the problem is due to lack of manpower and inadequacy of construction materials, says Suwal. "As aluminum windows are cheaper than wooden windows, there are fewer people who build houses in the original style," says Suwal. "There is a shortage of manpower to build houses in the traditional style."

Modern or old-style house strong?

The geographical architectural style has been developed in different parts of Nepal. As there is a lot of soil in Kathmandu Valley, it has been a tradition to build houses using bricks since the Lichhavi period.

Similarly, stone houses are found to be built outside the valley where there is a lot of stone availability. Experts argue that houses can be built in the traditional style using materials available according to the place.

Rohit Ranjitkar, program director of the Kathmandu Valley Conservation Fund, says that modern style and old style have their own characteristics. "It is not possible to say with certainty which one is stronger," he said. "If old engineering is a method based on long-term practical knowledge, then modern engineering is based on calculations." He says that even houses built in the traditional style will be safe and sustainable if the process is combined.

Stating that traditional style engineering is a combination of bittersweet experiences over a period of almost 100 years, Ranjitkar expressed the view that adopting a traditional style should not lead to security concerns. He says that the security of the house depends on the materials, methods, and the art of the engineer.

Originality is also being sought in government buildings

The Ministry of Urban Development has stated that it is looking for original style in the construction of government buildings as much as possible. However, the Ministry's Information Officer Suresh Kumar Wagle said that the houses built in the original style could not be made very large and they were forced to adopt modern architectural style for government purposes.

He says, “Whether it is the parliament building or the office building of the Auditor General. Everything is being built in an original style. We are preparing to adopt the original style as much as possible in the new building.

A law prohibiting others from building houses in the 'core city' of Bhaktapur

Has been brought The Bhaktapur Municipality has banned others from buying land and building houses in the old municipal area of Bhaktapur to preserve its originality. The municipality has made such an arrangement by making a law a year and a half ago.

Suwal said that he would not elaborate on the issue as the case was pending in the Supreme Court. According to Suwal, more than 95 percent of the indigenous people live in the old urban area of Bhaktapur.

Indigenous home style

Looking at the traditional architectural style, it is found that houses are built in different ways according to the place. It is the oldest medieval architecture to date. In which there were two to three-story residential houses.

Even the medieval structures found are found only in the Kathmandu Valley or in the Khas state of western Nepal. Besides, it is difficult to say what the medieval structure outside the valley was like. But there are some differences between the Shah Valley residential architecture in and outside the Kathmandu Valley.

Houses in hilly areas used to have two to three shifts, a roof covered with stone or shingles, and a slope of 45 degrees.

Cultural expert Satya Mohan Joshi says, "In a hilly area, the ground floor was used for cooking, while houses made of wooden poles and beams were connected by stone and mud." Which can still be seen.

According to Wolfgang Kern, who wrote a book about the traditional Newari-style house in Kathmandu, in the Middle Ages, there were three or four-story houses in the valley. A three-faced, five-faced open window was placed on the third floor of a four-story house in Patan Saugol Tol, which was found almost a century ago. For the security of the house, there were blindfolds on the lower floors and open windows on the upper floors.

Traditional houses had only one roof. In today's houses, it is customary to keep two to three shifts even if they are built in the same size.

In Buingal, open space was made for a feast. Upstairs, there was an open kitchen and a terrace. Smoke billowed out of the kitchen. There was a place to eat in all the houses.

The third floor of a three-story house was usually used as a kitchen and dining room under a straight roof. The four floors of the house, the second and third floors were used for living and the fourth floor was used for cooking.

The buildings had a main window, with windows on the right and left, and so on.