KVPT

This impressive temple houses an actively worshipped shrine to Taleju, the tutelary goddess of the Malla kings. The rooftop temple, with three-tiered roofs of octagonal shape, was consecrated in 1671 by Srinivasa Malla. The top two tiers collapsed during the 1934 earthquake and were rebuilt. Prior to the recent restoration, the temple was structurally unstable and in danger of collapsing again. The most unusual feature of the building is its massive masonry core, extending uninterrupted from the ground floor to the sanctum on the third floor. It has been suggested that the core, essentially a vertical extension of the ground, may have been built for religious reasons, as the Taleju deity must have a connection to the earth. The recently completed structural reinforcements include a series of interventions using timber and steel. The addition of horizontal timber trusses, supported by diagonals and connected with stainless steel bolts, achieves a warren truss capable of stabilizing the entire gallery space. The floor planes have been stiffened with layers of hardwood and plywood to create rigid diaphragms. These measures have substantially improved the temple’s resistance to seismic movement.