TABLE OF CONTENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
SITE, CITY AND ECOLOGICAL CONTEXT
SOCIAL ASPECT
CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS ASPECT
MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY
ELEMENTS OF DHARAHARA
PINNACLE
DOME
BALCONY
CENTRAL SHAFT
WALL
WINDOW
STAIRCASE
DOOR
BOUNDARY WALL
THEMATIC PARK
RENOVATION HISTORY
COMPARISON OF DHARAHARA WITH OTHER
CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX

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INTRODUCTION
Dharahara in Nepali language are tall towers are called dharara,
dhalara, dhajara, dhajahara, dhahara or Dharahara. In
Sanskrit any white buildings are known as dhawalgriha. In far western
region locally white means dhaulya, dhaule, dhaul, dhaulae ,
dhaule. Even in Sanskrit White Mountain is called Dhaulagiri which itself
means dhaulagry, dhaelagiri, dhaulashri and so on in Nepali
language. Dhaulahar or dhaulahara itself means tall tower. These all
show that a single word Dharahara is a Sanskrit word.
Perhaps Dharahara itself is a defining word in Nepali dictionary Dharahara
means high tower whereas in English dictionary tower is a structure that is
relatively high from its length and width, either standing alone or as part of
another building. From its definition it is clear that Dharahara itself means
man made high building, minar, tower, Ghantaghar and so on. From its
structure it has got its name.

Dharahara
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Dharahara queen Lalit Tripura Sundaris tower

Dharahara also called, as Bhimsen tower has been one of the strongest
landmarks in Kathmandu valley with its peculiar structure. Dharahara is a
nine-storied (50.2m) tall tower at the center, which was built in 1832A.D. by
the prime minister of the time, Bhimsen Thapa of Nepal. Under the order of
queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, the Rana PrimeMinister, Bhimsen Thapa, as
parts of the citys first European-style palace, originally built The tower in
1826. It was rebuilt after being severely damaged in earthquake. The nearby
sundhara water tank leads its name to the district

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Prime minister Bhimsen Thapa (1778-1839) is credited for the construction
of Sundhara (little golden conduit) and Dharahara also known as Bhimsen
tower after its creator. Dharahara is actually the second such tower made by
Bhimsen Thapa. The original Bhimsen Tower was built in 1824 and was 11
stories high, 2 stories taller than Dharahara. Dharahara was built for Queen
Lalit Tripura Sundari, who was the niece of Bhimsen Thapa. She wanted a
tower of her own next to Bhimsens Dharahara.
During the earthquake of 1834, both the towers survived, but Bhimsens
tower suffered severe damage. 110 years later, on January 15, 1934,
another stories on the second tower remained. The prime minister of the
time, Juddha Shumsher, renovated Dharahara to its previous form. While
the original Bhimsen Tower was obliterated, Queen Lalit Tripura Sundaris
tower got its name, Bhimsen Stambha
As history reveals, Bhimsen Thapa was a military personnel, but also a wise
politician, a reformer and a lover of art. The tower construction was not a
local concept in this region and Bhimsen Thapa might have imported the
idea along with the design and construction features from outside
apparently from Mughal India. Dharahara was the next translation of Minar
(minaret) tower typology typical in Mughal Architecture
Surprisingly enough, though Bhimsen Thapa is credited for the construction
of Dharahara, there is absolutely no mention of his name in the metal
inscription at top of the main entrance to the tower. The tower instead has
been dedicated to queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, apparently a powerful figure
in the political system of those days. We can settle that Bhimsen Thapa
might have dedicated the tower in the name of the then ruling head.
The existing Dharahara stands 9 stories, in 50.2 meters height with spiral
staircase running up to the top counting 213 steps from top to bottom
rowing.

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Dharahara before 1834 earthquake

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Present Dharahara

FACT REGARDING DHARAHARA

Dharahara was built during the period of Bhimsen Thapa in honor of his
name. It was actually built by his wife in dedication to her husband,
Bhimsen Thapa for his bravery.
When British invaded India, they captured many parts of India by war.
Bhimsen Thapa, looking at the British extending their boundary by war,
also thought to extend the boundary of Nepal. So he also attacked many
parts of India and won the war. At one stage, the boundary of Nepal
extended up to Punjab. Looking at the aggressive nature of Nepalese,
British decided to stop Nepal. So they attacked Nepal and Nepal lost the
war. Thus Nepal lost the captured land and again it was in the previous
state.
After losing the war, Bhimsen Thapa felt very humiliated and remained
disgraced. He never liked to be defeated. So, looking at her husbands
condition, to assure him and to encourage him, Bhimsen Thapas wife built
Dharahara. It was built taller to show that Nepalese were always at top than
any other in the world.

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Contribution of Bhimsen Thapa

Bhimsen Thapa was the first Prime Minister of Nepal. He is regarded as
national hero of Nepal. He was born in small district of Gorkha. At the age of
22, he became personal secretary of king Rana Bahadur Shah. He served for
31 years fewer than 6 kings. During these periods he built different towers,
temple. In 1832, Bhimsen Thapa built a tower under the order of Queen
Lalit Tripura Sundari. Lalit Tripura was niece of Bhimsen Thapa. Queen
Lalit Tripura Sundari wanted tower of her own next of Bhimsens Tower,
second such tower made by Thapa. The original Bhimsen tower was built
in1824 and was 11 stories and 2 stories taller than Dharahara.
During the earthquake of 1834 both the tower was survived but Bhimsens
tower suffered severe damage. After 110 years later on January 15,1934
another earthquake caused. This earthquake completely damaged the
Bhimsen tower, but only two of the 11 stories on the second tower remained
as it is. The Prime Minister of that time Juddha Shumsher renovated the
Dharahara to its previous form. While the original Bhimsens tower was
obliterated queen Lalit Tripura Sundaris tower got its name Bhimsen
Sthambha.

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SITE, CITY AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECT

athmandu valley, the capital and heart of the country. Kathmandu today
is an urban city that has
history rooted in ancient
myths yet stand testimonial
to the greatness to the
people who have lived here
for centuries.
For constructing any kind of
buildings,
the
most
influencing part is its site.
The building of different
designs
reflects
the
character
of
the
surroundings.
It
also
reflects its social, cultural,
religious and environmental
aspect of society.

Greenery part of Dharahara

Dharahara was built about one and half centuries ago that reflects the
identity of its own age and surroundings. As it was not built for living
purpose but was for military purpose, it has its own design, which attach
the interest of people in art, culture, and design. It also depicts, general
people or any ruling people there, were also similar like today as they
believed and loved aesthetic part of life. But only the technology and
material makes the things different.
Dharahara constructed in the Mughal way of architecture, the surrounding
walls are of European architecture. Dharahara represents Muslim, Hindu
and Christian religions. It is site of satisfaction for all. Dharahara not only
being historical place is a site for exploration of panoramic view of the whole
Kathmandu valley where general peoples are allowed after paying the
applicable entrance fee. Presence of thematic park along with Dharahara
makes it more visited tourist spot due to its greenery. But nowadays
surrounding is lacking greenery due to commercialization of the area in a
rapid pace.

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Dharahara is located in
sundhara with the golden
spout Sundhara in its
periphery, which is one of
the important spot for
tourist
attraction.
But
nowadays due to high
scarcity of water and lack of
its conservation, it has gone
dry and has loss its
importance.
Along
with
sundhara another important
place nearby it is a huge
View of Tudikhel
field at the center of the city
and almost at its front view
known as Tudikhel. At the eastern edge of Tudikhel there lies a temple of
goddess Bhadrakali (Bhadrakali temple) also known as lumarhi temple. It is
one of the main sharkti temple and pilgrimage spot of valley. Martys
memorial i.e. shahid gate located at the eastern side of tower is one of the
well-known historical site of Nepal and a good example of Nepalese
architecture. The memorial monument contains the statue at late king
Tribhuvan Bir Bikaram Shah dev and busts of martyrs. Presence of army
headquarters along with Sahid gate has added a little bit of greenery in the
area. But due to crowded commercial environment and rapid urbanization
with establishment of various building it has lost
its greenery, tress and grazing area like before. All
the other important historical and religious
structure present near Bhimsens Tower has made
the site must be visited spot.
The open garden instead of providing a breathing
space, is used exclusively by the elite few passes
the enclosure of the Dharahara through a ticket
counter, while much of the space build retail
outlets and for the extension of the Kathmandu
mall (Sundhara Mart). Whatever open space is left
for the general public is crowded by the inclusion of
in term of its entrances and by the venders, vehicle
traffic and parking areas. The area has undergone
the series of transformation through the times from
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Street market

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an open space to a regional bus park to a brick paved plaza, through a state
of neglected, to the current state of development.
These days Dharahara is losing its ancient look and
important due its establishment of various
buildings and the huge malls like Kathmandu mall
and many more in its surrounding. Huge
commercial building in its surrounding has
obstructed its view from different place and
synchronizing its importance. Due to the presence
of dance bars, night markets and people daily
street activities. The surroundings of Dharahara
has become more crowded which however enables
the economic growth but it also degrades the
surrounding area. Due to peoples activities its
atmosphere has become polluted and hampers the
look of Dharahara. The use of surroundings of
Dharahara for parking purpose obstacles the
tourist who come to visit Dharahara and degrades
the quality of stones paved roads.

Compact housing

Houses build in its surroundings are mostly modern house built in a very
congested way, attached with each others and leaving minimum spaces.
Inhabitant in its surroundings are mostly Newars and small streets gets a
lot crowded in office hour which obstructs tourist to visit it. Most of tourists
visit Dharahara at evening time.
So day-by-day, Dharahara is losing it greenery part but however the entire
area is revitalized by Kathmandu metropolitan city (KMC) in a public private
partnership programmer, with Side walkers trades. The project initiated to
revitalize the two historical structures along with the open garden in front of
Dharahara as well as making sustainable. However owing two lack of
effective legal framework and poor capability of municipality the target of
sustainability transformed itself into commercial.

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SOCIAL ASPECT

harahara is situated in Sundhara. A golden spout (sundhara) is

at the foot of Dharahara. Dharahara and Sundhara two of the
most
significant,
well
preserved
landmarks
in
Kathmandu are components
of
an
important
public
square. The actual location of
Dharahara is 50.2m, ahead
along
the
shahid
gate
(Martyrs
memorial).
Dharahara and sundhara lies
just opposite to Kathmandu
mall i.e. in the northeast
Dharahara and Sundhara
direction and shahid gate and
Tudhikel lies in eastern
direction. The Prithivi path (shahid gate road) leads to NAC (kanthipath) in
north, Tripureshor in South and Dharahara in the west.
Tudhikel the huge green field
used for parades, national celebration,
various color festivals and also the major sports. Ratnapark, the open air
theater and Royal Nepal Army pavilion are at its one end to north direction
.The army headquarters with large ground and Dashrath stadium where
many national sports program
are organized is at south direction from
Dharahara, Shahid gate, a Martys memorial gate located between
bhadrakali and sundhara. It contains the statue of late King Tribhuvan Bir
Bikram Shah dev and the busts of your martyrs Sukra Raj Shastri, Dharma
Bhakta, Gangalal and Dasrasth Chand who scarified their life to liberate the
country from the Rana regime. Bhadrakali is situated at the edge of the
Tudhikel, which is the temple of Bhaqwati. Singh durbar, which is in the
eastern face of Dharahara, is the secretarial of government of Nepal where
the national radio and television station is situated is grand imposing place
built in the neoclassical style.
Sundhara, which is located in north direction to Dharahara, is one of the
historical places built by Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari in 1884. From ancient
period Sundhara is very well known golden spout. Since, Tripura Sundari
built it. It is also called Tripureshor.

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Considering the natural environment, there is a open garden full of colorful

flowers and trees. The open garden instead of providing a breathing space is
used ex exclusively by the elite few who pass the enclosure of Dharahara
through its ticketing counter while much of the space has been used to
build retails outlets and for extension of the Kathmandu mall (sundhara
mart) whatever open space is left on the general public is crowded by
confusion in terms of its entrances and by the vendors and vehicular traffic
and parking areas.
On the other hand, a few minutes walk from Dharahara will take you to the
Kathmandu durbar square, which is one of the highly severed architectural
sites of the country. It has great significance in terms in history culture as
well as other prevailing social factors on important reason of its success is
that it appeals to the people it is connected with the people by responding to
this mala the process of interaction a mutual one.
The area is one of the visited areas due to presence of historical place
Dharahara, sundhara. Dharahara has its own distant personality; so, it has
been able to attract the native and non-native tourists since the date of
erection. The moment tourists enter into the valley either by road or air, the
first thing which catches their attention is a beautiful slender tall tower with
an extremely heart catching cylindrical golden top. Whats that beautiful
cylindrical piece of construction? This may be the eager question to visitor
and they go close to sundhara and want to know its history and
archeological details.
But
since
the
street
market, sundhara market
vendors have opened there
Dharahara is losing its
attention. Visitors are more
focused to street with
shopping, eating rather
than
querying
about
Dharahara. Due to street
market which especially
opened at eveningnight
make the area crowded
along with vehicles traffic
which arising the pollution
as well as lacking the
ancient value of the place
due to raise of commercial work.
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View from Dharahara of its surroundings

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Base map

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RELIGIOUS ASPECTS

he statue of Lord Shiva Along with

Ganesh and Kumar are placed on the
9TH floor. These statues are made up of
black limestone. The temple is situated on
the ninth floor. This is the only storey with
the landing, which is approached after
climbing the 213 steps from the ground
floor. The statue of Lord Siva made up of
limestone.

Shiva Lingum

The statue of Lord Ganesh and Kumar are

attached to the parapet wall. This parapet wall is separates the floor from
the staircase. The area where the statue full of Abir and flower, which
should be cleaned regularly and well, maintained.

INSCRIPTIONS:
There are two metal inscriptions just above the
main entrance door. The inscription has been
written in Nepali. These inscriptions have been
the name of people, date of conservation etc.
besides. There are some symbols and circular
forms in the inscription.

Stone inscription

PLINTH STEPS:
There are nine big steps, each of 65cm tread and 25 small steps, which
approach to the main entry. These steps are made up of stone. The cement
mortar is used in these steps, which is not the original material.

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Material and technology aspect

tanding 6188m high, covered in complete white apparel like a

beautiful Mughal Princess, Dharahara is 250ft is itself one of the
pieces of construction, which is deeply affected by the foreign architectural
style. There is a little door on the ground, which leaves in to staircase into
the interiors of Dharahara. Inside the faade there are 24 steps to go up.
Through these stairs one can climb up to near top where there is a circular
terrace. The door at the top of the Dharahara is also east faced and the
frame of the door is made by the stone pieces. By standing at that little
terrace, one can enjoy the aerial view of this ancient lotus valley surrounded
by green blue and white hills. Iron railing protects this open-air terrace.
There are little bulbs in the railing, which are lighted during the different
festive occasions in the dark night.
White minaret like tower located near the main post office is perhaps the
most important one situated in the heart of valley with distant personality
and separate history. Architecturally designed in a postmodern style with
huge influence of the Mughal and European style, the monument holds a
pristine image of craftsmanship and culture. It is beautiful slender tall tower
with an extremely heart catching cylindrical golden top emphasis Dharahara
itself as a great sculpture. Furthermore if we study its internal structure
virtually its a hollow pipe with the central core and spiral stair running all
the way to the top. The inner shaft is almost vertical while the outer surface
tapers as it goes up. Though the horizontal cornices on the external surfaces
of the tower makes it seem as if there are storey inside, the internal spiral
staircase with its 213 steps leads all the way up to the top without any
landing levels or storey except at the 188th step for a projecting circular
balcony on the 8th floor.

As per requirement even at that time the main material used in the
construction of this divesting tower was all raw materials including VajraSurkhi (brick dust), Chuna (lime), Mas (black lentil) and Chaku (caramel)
along with the mixture of mortar called molasis i.e. using no ordinary
construction rather traditional which holds its strength and witnesses years
of its survival and existence. The thickness of wall goes on decreasing as the
tower goes up- from 72 inches at the bottom to 29 inches at the top. The
diameter of the core and the width of the spiral stair are each 3 feet wide. I14 | P a g e

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section steel beams have been heavily used in the structure in is like the
balcony projection and spirally across the core and the outer wall to hold the
spiral stair. At places, circular perforation is made in the wall to seek light
and ventilations.
Whitewashing Dharahara posed a special challenge because of the
lack of appropriate technology and methods in use in other parts of the
globe where there are high rise structures. There have been stories of
painting Dharahara in the past by hanging oneself in the bamboo baskets
group of daring painters ultimately ended with the rudimentary method of
making rope ladders to paint Dharahara. After all except for the outer
plaster crumbling at a few places, the masonry inside was found to be sound
enough.

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Ground floor plan

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ELEMENTS OF DHARAHARA

Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown
of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners
of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small
spire:
The bronze pinnacle of the structure is
the most chemically affected part of
Dharahara. It is losing its shine and corroded
by the polluted air day by day. Pinnacle is
important in religious point of view .too.
According to Hinduism, importance of pinnacle
is way to heaven. It is placed at the top so as it
is believed that god lives in heaven so it is
pointed upward.

Dome
A dome is a structural element of
architecture that resembles the hollow
upper half of a sphere. Dome structures
made of various materials have a long
architectural
lineage
extending
into
prehistory. The domical roof is made up of
bricks cladding one above the other. The
mortar is mainly the lime surkhi, black View of dome from inside
pearls and chaku. There are timber struts and metal rods supporting the
wall from the central shaft. The timber struts are not in good condition.
However, the construction technology of the roof strucrtue is other than the
traditional method of Nepal.
BALCONY

ron railing protects the open-air terrace. There are little bulbs in the
railing, which are lighted during the different festive occasions. In
the dark night when the bulbs are lighted at the top of this tall minaret, it
looks amazingly beautiful. It creates a hypnotized effect to the viewers.
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This 250 ft tall Dharahara and its black painted iron railing has also
another surprising thing to tell. In the beginning of its installation, when the
means of communication were not developed, this terrace was used to
convey some important information or authoritative order. The elder citizens
of the valley say that during the old time, if there was any authoritative news
to break, trumpeting a bugle from this balcony so that people of the valley
should know the new policies of the government broke it. It is also said that
once Jung Bahadur had jumped with an umbrella from this open-air
balcony. However, he did not lose his life.
Central shaft
The central shaft is the only structural
member, which is supporting the whole
structure. It is made up of brick with lime
surkhi mortar along with black pearls and
chaku. It acts as a pendulum, which is
supported from the foundation. The white
enamel paint has been used on this central
shaft rather than using the original material
which is white lime paint so as to avoid the
inerasable written matters.

Central shaft

Wall
The wall has tapered to its extent in this floor, which is 71 cm thick. It is
made up of brick and mortar is of lime surkhi, black pearls and chaku. It
is enamel painted on the inner side which is not the painting material used
originally.
Window:
The windows here are circular and have
metal fence. These metal fences are not
properly placed which need to be fixed
soon. These windows have grooves to
protect from rainwater. However, there is
probability of rain to enter through the
windows and damage the steps and the
central shaft.

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Window

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Staircase
: The staircase runs spirally throughout the structure with 213. The central
shaft of the structure and the load-bearing wall supports the staircase. The
steps are cement plastered currently which is not the original material used
in the structure.
Stair case
Door:
The only door present
in this structure is the
main entry door which is made up of timber
shutter. The frame of the door at the external part
is of stone which is heavily carved with floral
pattern, geometric shapes and human figures. The
timber shutter is grooved into the timber frame.
This grooving in between the timber frame and
shutter is uneven and should be repaired as soon
as possible. The stone door needs to be protected
from the termites and white ants.

or
Boundary wall
The monument Dharahara has a circular boundary wall made up of brick
with lime surkhi and mud mortar. The wall built in European style has
tower like structures in between the sloped form just like miniature form of
the wall of European castles. There are many geometric shapes and forms
made on this boundary wall. There are punctures of different shapes on the
main entry portion of the wall. It is in perfect symmetry which complements
the monument from every part. The main entry portion is comparatively
larger and more decorative than the other parts of the boundary wall.
However, the boundary wall has been neglected and is in very worst.

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Thematic Park
The former garden was developed into a thematic park as an intercepting
rest space for visitors whenever they come or
leave the Dharahara premise after their ascent
to the tower. Amidst the surrounding area
lacking in greenery, the soft landscape of the
park will enhance the quality of the
environment in the area.
Parallel to all the development works, the
cultural vestiges in the area have been
Theamtic park
respected by all means. The existing cultural
route, passing midway between the tower and the garden, was kept intact
and neatly maintained because of its surviving significance during cultural
occasions.

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COMPARISON OF DHARAHARA WITH OTHER TOWERS

Dharahara
Dharahara, structure having circular plan of Kathmandu Valley is a nine
storey tall tower situated at the center of Kathmandu. It is the only tower
like building, which is visible from almost every part of the Kathmandu
Valley Dharahara, the iconic structure of Kathmandu Valley is a nine storey
tall tower situated at the center of Kathmandu. It is the first non-religious
monument built in Nepal with a unique architectural style. It is the only
tower like building, which is visible from almost every part of the
Kathmandu Valley
The Dharahara, unlike most modern day buildings in the valley, almost
certainly did not use cement, iron rods and other modern building materials
that are in common use today. Yet it is almost certainly the tallest manmade
structure in Nepal. And its location was well planned and central. When the
tower was built, there were no other buildings near the tower so that the
threat to the surrounding areas was minimal should the tower break and
fall.
Ghantaghar
Ghantaghar, the clock tower was an
integral part of the common peoples life in
Kathmandu valley as possessing personal
watches was a luxury very few outside the
ruling elite could afford

114 years after its construction by the then Rana Prime Minister Bir
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Shumsher, Ghantaghar stands neglected by common people and authorities

alike.
Ghantaghars time was accurate on account of its sundial, whose parts have
sadly been stolen now. Prominent cultural expert Satya Mohan Joshi even
remembers studying around the Ghantaghar premises after the great
earthquake of 1990 BS (1934) completely demolished his school. Even the
great Ghantaghar bore the brunt of the tremors, and only one of its original
five
stories
remain
standing.
Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher then rebuilt the Ghantaghar in its present
form. The original Ghantaghar was built in Moghul style with four small
towers for the clocks operation
Qutb Minar
In our part of the world, the Qutb Minar with a height of over 72 meters must
have been one of the tallest man-made structures in this part of the world for
centuries. The Minar was built in the 13th century and has been an attraction
for many who visited Delhi .The Minar was open to the public, and all through
the 1950s one could climb all the way to the top to get a panoramic view of the
surrounding areas. We are told that a climb to the top is no longer possible as
a climb to the top had been banned for years because it was used to commit
suicide.
In our own country, the Dharahara built in the 19th century is just over 50
meters tall; tall enough to give every visitor a magnificent view of the three
cities of the Kathmandu Valley along with, if one is lucky enough, a view of the
Himalaya. The Dharahara was broken into pieces by the great quake of 1934,
but
it
was
soon
rebuilt
to
its
present
form.

Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower (French: Tour Eiffel, is an 1889 iron lattice tower located on
the Champ de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France
and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower,
which is the tallest building in Paris,[10] is the single most visited paid
monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named after
its designer, engineer Gustavo Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance
arch for the 1889 World's Fair.The tower stands 324 m (1,063 ft) tall, about
the same height as an 81-story building. It was the tallest man-made
structure in the world from its completion until the Chrysler Building in New
York City was built in 1930. Not including broadcast antennas, it is the
second-tallest structure in France after the 2004 Millau Viaduct.

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The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend
by stairs or lift to the first and second levels. The walk to the first level is
over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third
and highest level is accessible only by lift. Both the first and second levels
feature restaurants.
The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France,
often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.

HISTORY
The structure was built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch
for the Exposition Universal, a World's Fair marking the centennial
celebration of the French Revolution. Three hundred workers joined together
18,038 pieces of puddle iron (a very pure form of structural iron), using two
and a half million rivets, in a structural design The tower was inaugurated
on 31 March 1889, and opened on 6 May.
Eiffel had a permit for the tower to stand for 20 years; it was to be
dismantled in 1909, when its ownership would revert to the City of Paris.
The City had planned to tear it down (part of the original contest rules for
designing a tower was that it could be easily demolished) but as the tower
proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after
the expiry of the permit. The military used it to dispatch Parisian taxis to the
front line during the First Battle of the Marne.
Design of the tower
Material
The metal structure of the Eiffel Tower weighs 7,300 tones while the entire
structure, including non-metal components, is approximately 10,000 tones.
As a demonstration of the economy of design, if the 7,300 tones of the metal
structure were melted down it would fill the 125-meter square base to a
depth of only 6 cm (2.36 in), assuming the density of the metal to be 7.8
tones per cubic meter
Maintenance
Maintenance of the tower includes applying 50 to 60 tonnes of paint every
seven years to protect it from rust.
Aesthetic considerations

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In order to maintain a uniform appearance to an observer on the ground,

three separate colors of paint are used on the tower, with the darkest on the
bottom and the lightest at the top. On occasion the color of the paint is
changed; the tower is currently painted a shade of brownish-grey.[26] On
the first floor there are interactive consoles hosting a poll for the color to use
for a future session of painting.
Popularity
More than 200,000,000 people have visited the tower since its construction
in 1889,[30] including 6,719,200 in 2006.[25] The tower is the most-visited
paid monument in the world.[31][32]

Burj Khalifa
Built at a cost of about US$ 1.5 billion (about Rs. 111 billion, almost
half of the latest annual budget of this country) and soaring over 825 meters
above ground, the Burj Khalifa building was formally opened in Dubai
earlier this month. It took over five years to build, and finally claimed the
title of the worlds highest building. The Burj was opened at a time when
Dubai is facing a financial crisis. This compares with the opening of the
Empire State building in New York in 1931 just after the worst U.S.
economic and financial crash of 1929. The Empire State building stood tall
for years before other buildings and structures overshadowed it. Some are
very meticulous about the category of manmade structures whether they
are buildings to house offices or apartments, hotels or all there put together
or whether they are non-residential structures like towers for radio and
television antennas like the Tokyo Tower (the higher the antennas are placed
the greater the reach of the radio and television signals).

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RENOVATION HISTORY

harahara and sundhara are two of the most significant landmark

located in Kathmandu. P.M. General Bhimsen Thapa built it in 1825
AD in the name of shah queen Lalit Tripura Sundari. The tower is not
exactly a product of local architecture but rather an important idea most
likely from the minas of Mughal India.
The monument renovated in 1936 AD, Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher
carried out the renovation of Dharahara after the tower had collapsed to its
second floor in the 1934 earthquake. During its renovation, the tower was
proportionately shortened from its original height but the vertical division of
the tower was maintained. A projecting balcony was added on its seventh
cornice level. The design of the tower is remarkably simple a hollow pipe
vertical shaft on the inside and tapering on the outside. The central spiral
staircase, with 213 steps goes all the way up with no landings except at the
188th step for the projecting balcony. The baked brick walls with surkhi
mortar decrease in thickness with height, from 72 inches at the bottom to
29 inches at the top. I-section steel beams are used heavily in the balcony
spirals across the core and at the outer wall to hold the spiral stair.

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CONCLUSION

harahara is the unique piece of architecture, which needs to be

conserved. It can serve as the good place of attraction for public
and tourists. For that, the damaged areas in the building and the wall need
to be renovated so as to maintain the condition of the building. Hence, some
of the preservation works are required so as to preserve the monument for
longer period of time
This has been a great work of study during this project. It is very important
for the students of architecture to have good knowledge about the
CONSERVATION of the important monuments. Through this project we
could learn about the importance of the conservation of historically
important structures. It also taught that the timely maintenance and
preservation of the structures leads to the long life of the building. Hence,
the INVENTORY report of DHARAHARA has resulted to the source of great
knowledge and work of proud for us as the students.

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RECOMMENDATIONS:

esides, the surrounding environment also needs to be improved

and maintained pollution free for long-term conservation of the
structure. The park around Dharahara needs to be improved so that it
serves as the good sitting place for the people. Therefore, some of the
conservation works need to be done for the long life of the monument. Some
of the recommendations that are to be done are mentioned below.

1. Prevention of deterioration:

The wall of the structure should be painted with lime surkhi

regularly for the strength and durability

The metal mesh used in the windows should be cleaned and

painted on the regular basis to avoid the rust and degradation

The windows should be cleaned timely

The I-sections and channels of the balcony should be painted

regularly

2. Preservation:
The heavy mass flow should be allowed only up to limited
number which should be calculated scientifically
The vegetation growth should be stopped on the wall and
premises of the Dharahara
The strength and durability of the structure should be checked
structurally and scientifically
The balcony of the structure should be strengthened
The strength of the metal sections of the balcony should be
checked timely and strengthened if necessary

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Himalayan times
2. Kathmandu post
3. Archeological department
4. Staffs of Dharahara
Website referred
www.spacenepal.com
www.wekipedia.com

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