Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square Conservation Program

Kathmandu Metropolitan City

Rashmila Prajapati, Program Manager

Agenda

Completed and Ongoing Activities

Durbar Square

  1. Establishment of Office and Staff Management
    1. Established Hanuman Dhoka-Durbar Square Conservation Program Site Office: Aug. 2001
    2. Installed collection booths at 5 different entry points: Aug. 2001
      Mandate:
      1. Give a clear message to visitors regarding the need for fee, the objectives and use of funds raised (conservation, preservation, building of tourism amenities)
      2. Clear message refereeing not raising fees as replication and opportunity [=???]
      3. Clear message that funds are not to be used for administration and other unrelated purposes
    3. Recruitment of staff for the program: Aug. 2001; Jan. 2002; July 2002
    4. Orientation and training of conservation program staff
    5. Publications: Ongoing from August 2001
      1. Brochure
      2. Tickets
      3. Entry forms
      4. Visitor Pass
      5. Other

  2. Site Management
    1. Cleaning the stone-paved Hanuman Dhoka-Durbar Square area: Ongoing from Aug. 2001
      1. Sweep the street (every morning)
      2. Collect solid waste (every morning)
      3. Pick up waste material (throughout the day)
      4. Pluck grass from temples, dabli, pati, etc.
      5. Clean the monument floors with high pressure water jet
    2. Traffic management
      1. Maintain no-vehicle zone Sept. 2001
      2. Erect traffic signs and barriers at appropriate sites Oct.-Nov. 2001
      3. Install chains and poles for traffic control at appropriate sites Oct.-Nov. 2001
      4. Remove parking area from the site [=???] Dec. 2001
    3. Vegetable market management Aug. - Sept. 2001
    4. Manage the curio shops of Basantapur dabali Dec. 2001

    Durbar Square

  3. Services for Tourists
    1. Install toilets for tourists
      1. at site office Aug. 2001; Dec. 2001
      2. within the area Dec. 2001 - Jan. 2002
    2. Install detailed maps at appropriate places Oct. 2001
    3. Install complaint and suggestion boxes at appropriate locations Oct. 2001
    4. Designate tourist rest spots and install chairs and table for this purpose Sept. 2001; Jan. - Feb. 2002
    5. Mobilize city police to control harassment of tourists by hawkers and unlicensed street guides Ongoing from Aug. 2001
    6. Establish police post and coordinate tourist police efforts to serve tourists Jan. 2002
    7. Coordinagte with civil police for the security of the area Ongoing from Dec. 2001
    8. Tourism information center Jan. 2002
      1. Heritage walk signs
      2. Regulation signs
      3. Program signs [=?]
    9. Perform regular cultural programs Ongoing from August 2001
    10. Arrange regular exhibitions to prolong the stay of tourist in this area Ongoing from August 2001

    Durbar Square

  4. Repair and Maintenance Work
    1. Repair the stone pavement Aug. - Oct. 2001
      1. Between Maju Deval and Narayan temple
      2. West of Narayan temple
      3. West of Kabindra temple
      4. South of Mahadev-Parvati Dabali
      5. Between Juddha Salik and Basantapur Durbar
      6. Path to Maru Hiti
    2. Surface drain construction work at Maru Hiti Oct. 2001
    3. Sewage and block maintenance in Gwasimo galli [=?] Oct. 2001

  5. Restoration/Beautification
    1. Five steps and plinth of Maju Deval Nov. 2001 - Jan. 2002
    2. three step plinth of Trilokya-Mohan temple Nov. - Dec. 2001
    3. Three plinth and Jhingati (roof) of Narayan temple Nov. - Dec. 2001
    4. Floor maintenance and beautification of Kasthamandap Nov. - Dec. 2001
    5. Telia brick laying at Mahadev-Parvati Dabali Oct. - Dec. 2001
    6. Plinth of Kamadeva temple Oct. 2001
    7. Put Jhallars in major temples [=?] Dec. 2001

    Durbar Square

  6. Other
    1. Interaction program with tourism related stakeholders, tourism entrepreneurs, curio shops and journalists Aug. 2001; Dec. 2001; Apr. 2002
    2. Interaction with local clubs and local people Sept. 2001; Jan. 2002; May 2002
    3. Self-explanatory descriptions at monasteries, stupas, and sharin (on brass plates)Jan. 2002
    4. Remove posters and discourage poster advertisement in this area Ongoing from Dec. 2001

Activities Planned for Early 2002
    Durbar Square
  1. Services for Tourists
    1. Regulation of hawkers
    2. Provide free tourist guides (at 9 am and 3 pm)
    3. Provide authentic guides throughout the day (with nominal charge)
    4. Designate tourist rest places in this area. For example:
      1. Kasthamandap
      2. Big bell
      3. Temple north of big bell
    5. Identify new places of tourist interest
    6. Provide tourist vehicle parking area
    7. Publish and distribute map of heritage walks
    8. Print annual festival calendar
    9. Regular cultural program
    10. Arrange regular exhibition
    11. Arrange special location for festival viewers
    12. Arrange rickshaw stand and standardize the fare
    13. Establish well-equipped information centre in coordination with Nepal Tourism Board
    14. Provide telephone services
    15. More places for refreshment and washing facilities (free of cost for tourist)
      1. Encourage refreshment stalls (toilets) and restaurants with sanitation conscious restrooms
      2. Encourage privately run heritage restaurant with physical amenities

  2. Maintenance
    1. Blacktop the street from east corner fo Basantapur dabali through Jhochhen to the path to Om Bahal
    2. Stone pavement of area from Makhan Kampukot to Yatakha
    3. Stone dabali to the west of Counter #3, Kasthamandap
    4. Stone paving of the area down from Maru Ganest to Maru Hiti
    5. Repair of broken stone pavement in this area

  3. Restoration
    1. Roof and upper two storeyes of Singh sattai
    2. Shiva temple northwest of Kasthamandap
    3. Shiva temple west of Trilokya-Mohan temple
    4. Shivalaya Bagawati temple
    5. Big bell courtyard
    6. Kankeswori shrine (west of Narayan temple)
    7. Roof, plinth and steps of Shiva-Parvati temple
    8. Small Shiva shrine east of Kashthamandap

    Durbar Square

  4. Awareness/Others
    1. Give priority to pedestrian attitudes
    2. Mobilize school children for heritage love and ownership
    3. Education and Awareness Programs
      1. Identify new places of tourist interest to reveal the historical yet hidden sites (if any) and revitalize the areas
      2. Organize tourist guide campaigns to inform tourism related organizations about such new tourist sites
      3. Conduct public awareness campaigns and maximize community participation in all associated activities
      4. Disseminate information through brochures, maps, profiles, coffee table books about the area
      5. Foster frequent lectures to prove the glory and wonder that was Kathmandu Valley
    4. Hygience and sanitation awareness campaign
    5. Media campaign
      1. Brochures, booklets, pamphlets about heritage sites (detailed descriptions of monasteries, shrines, monuments, temples, festivals, etc.; for sale)
    6. Alternative arrangements for vegetable shops and vendors belonging to the flea market [=?]
    7. Opportunity for food services training
    8. Mobilize CBOs and youth clubs [=?]
      1. Invite local CBOs on participatory management and program [=?]
      2. Support local CBOs ownership program
    9. Identify heritage houses and encourage the maintenance of façade with denting and painting (public and private properties) [=?]
    10. Reduce spider wiring and visual pollution
    11. Publish yearly progress report
    12. Network and coordinate with tourism industry
    13. Annual report for income and expenditure

      Activities Planned for April 2002 - July 2002
    14. Extend heritage walk to Indrachowk to Bhotahiti and Maru Tole to Bhimshen Sthan
    15. Organize appreciation and punishment with certification, awards and fines
    16. Tourism and heritage libraries
    17. Conservation, preservation, and repair of heritage sites (temples, patis, monasteries, shrines, monuments, etc.)
    18. Standardize tourist guides with different modern languages
    19. Audio/visual program
      1. Audio/visual presentation program
      2. Switchboard language guiding or button touch guiding [=?]
    20. Internet publication through NTB access with a variety of languages
    21. Formal presentations of audio visuals
    22. Heritage rest places with all furniture and amenities
    23. Supplement of heritage galleries, cultural museums and art emporiums
    24. Heritage restaurants and kitchens
    25. Encourage to maintain the heritage houses (façades) for nex/ renovation on private house through different exemptions [=?]
    26. Eliminate spider wiring (coordinate with electricity, telephone, television authorities)
    27. Alternative motorable roads (Bishnumati Link Road)
    28. Open rickshaw/carriage (a special kind) sightseeing tour without guide (free of cost for tourists)
    29. Replication to other heritage sites
    30. Introduce one-pass system for all heritage sites within KMC
    31. Research and documentation of heritage sites
    32. Classic signage and postage at heritage and tourist sites [=?]
    33. Discourage billboards with high and low tax/rent regulations
    34. Spare space/wall beautification with gardening, art drawing, etc.
    35. Standardization of restaurants
      1. Get affiliated with the different relevant organizations to set parameters for monitoring the restaurants so as to ensure hygienic conditions (kitchen, water, toilets)
      2. Help in grading the restaurants and issuing licenses
    36. Price standardization
      1. Identify suitable open markets of curio shops
      2. Look into the possibility of price standardization of curio goods
      3. Encourage the curio shop owners to standardize the prices of their wares
      4. Eliminate the sale of fake articles and deceipt of tourists
      5. Support the local programs organized by youth clubs

Durbar Square

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