This is a publication site of Sudarshan Raj Tiwari Research Laboratory on historical architecture, urbanism and culture of Kathmandu Valley and Nepal. In addition to publishing research outputs such as books, articles and lectures on these areas, this site will also release occasional papers coming out of my other activities such as project appraisal, design and supervision of educational and healthcare facilities, community based construction of social development facilities such as schools and healthcare centers in Nepal and Afghanistan (as consultant) and teaching at Tibet University, Lhasa (as visiting professor). Some special lectures given to classes at Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University are also posted.
CURRENT RESEARCH AND EXTENSION WORKS
My current and ongoing research activities are in these areas – Technologies for building ecocities, Sri Yantra (a tantrik diagram representing universe or Goddess Bhuvaneswori), Vastushastra and Vastu-purusha-mandala (ancient treatise on architecture and architectural design diagram), Conservation at World Heritage Sites of Nepal. I am also involved in some community/public service projects such as Radhakrishna Mandir Development at Gahana Pokhari, Hadigaun Town Central Space Conservation and Bhuvaneswori temple at Jitpurfedi, Kathmandu. Both the projects welcome other contributions and contributors and viewers can participate in their realization.
Central northern Nepal and Kathmandu Valley was massively shaken by the Gorkha Earthquake of April 2015. The destruction and damage to housing and humans was enormous. The traditional heritage buildings, temples and palace buildings from the Malla period in particular were as greatly affected. Many collapsed, a lot of them were heavily damaged and only a few escaped with minor cracks and without damage. This disaster has been immense from the perspective of my research and publications in this site too. Rescue, salvage, stabilization, restoration, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the cultural heritage have been my major area of concern and much of the research and writings have been in this area since then. Many of the new posts that follow will be dealing with this crisis of heritage of traditional buildings, public spaces and settlements and the associated intangibles.
