Kathmandu - Vilar Mandir

Between the Lalitpur and Basantpur Towers can be seen the magnificently carved façade of the three-storied Vilas Mandir, of a richness truly befitting a Temple of Luxury. The beauty of the temple today is owed as much to restorers as to its original builders. In the 1970s it was on the verge of collapse and was only saved by a UNESCO-backed program. In the course of the painstakingly detailed restoration more than 20,000 pieces of wood were dismantled, numbered, cleaned of several layers of paint and dirt, and reassembled. The results show the timber in its original unpainted state, its loveliness more than justifying the effort and expense.