BHAKTAPUR (Nepal): There is little left in Bhaktapur. A quarter of this 12th century city has fallen; half of it lies abandoned, its buildings leaning dangerously. This heritage city will have to be rebuilt almost entirely, and it will take years.

But now, it's time to pick up pieces, quite literally. At the Durbar Square here, 100-odd people, including locals and men from the Nepal Armed Police, are lifting the debris of the 300-year-old Vatsala Temple with their bare hands. Not that JCBs are in short supply, but the Nepal administration and people are determined to rebuild their cherished heritage and so stones with ancient carvings and artwork have to be removed carefully.

Then, there's the other problem: because Bhaktapur is a heritage city, no one is allowed to build houses their own way. The design has to be approved by the municipality first to preserve the character of the city. With everything lost in the quake and little expected in compensation from the government, the residents say it will be years before they can return to the city as rebuilding heritage homes will take a lot of money.

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Across Bhaktapur and even Kathmandu, the administration is taking special care to preserve the ancient carvings on stones and bricks that carry the names of various kings who contributed to their construction.


"Using cranes will destroy the artwork. This is not debris. This is who we are," says municipality official Rajesh Joshi, as he helps locals pull a huge statue over ropes to be carried to a designated spot. Joshi has been supervising the work for the past two days, ensuring that all antiques and artefacts are retrieved without damage.

Before that, the Nepal Army had kept the site under security to ensure no one stole anything. Joshi is now directing how stones with engravings are to be kept in one corner, pillars and statues in another corner and flat stones in a separate place.

"We will rebuild the temple again just as it was. We may use stronger binding material but not cement as that was not how the temple was built. Lost stones will be carved afresh. The archaeological department of the government will take a final call on when and how the reconstruction will start," says Joshi.

It is easier said than done though. Experts quoted by local media say every temple could take $250,000 to rebuild. But Joshi is confident. "This temple fell in a 1934 quake as well. We rebuilt it then. We will rebuild it now," he says.

The city's architectural history goes back several hundred years when it was part of the Silk Route and a separate kingdom ruled by the Mallas. Several structures and sites in the city have been declared world heritage sites by Unesco.

For residents of Bhaktapur, the destruction of the temple is a personal loss. Seventy-eight-year-old Bishwaram Donche's hands shake when he picks up a stone but he continues to extend a helping hand. "There is a great importance of this and other temples in our life. There are few architectural marvels like this. People come here to see our art. We can't let it be ruined," he says. His own house has developed cracks and he is forced to live in a tent.

Sharmila Sual, a 24-year-old business management student, is ready to risk ruining her manicured nails to save what she says is part of her " identity". Dusting her bag, she says, "I came here to donate blood, but they rejected me, saying I was too frail. Then I saw this work happening here, I thought I must contribute. It's my city. Rebuilding it is my responsibility."