A copper roof will be installed at Ratnakar Mahabihar in Patan. The Ratnakar Mahabihar Consumer Committee is replacing the existing roof of this historic monastery. According to Committee Chairman Karunaratna Bajracharya, there are 16 Mahabihars in Lalitpur. Mahabihar was relocated from the Krishna Temple in the Patan Durbar area to Lalitpur Metropolitan City-16 by King Siddhi Narsingh Malla around 400 years ago.
He stated, ‘Ratnakar Mahabihar is a historical heritage site. Old photos from before 2038 BS show a tin roof, which was later replaced with traditional clay tiles. However, due to water leakage and damage from monkeys, we are now installing a copper roof.’
The project, with a total cost of NPR 2.89 million, is set to be completed by Baishakh. The Bagmati Province’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Cooperatives is contributing NPR 2.59 million, while the Ratnakar Mahabihar Consumer Committee will cover NPR 302,727.
Kiran Bajracharya, secretary of the Ratnakar Mahabihar Conservation Committee, mentioned that many historical sites in Lalitpur suffer damage from ropes used to pull the Rato Machhindranath chariot, and old clay-tiled roofs often leak. Mahabihar hosts various Newar cultural and religious events under the Guthi system, serving as a venue for gatherings and feasts according to Newar traditions.
