Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Minister for Urban Development Dhan Bahadur Budha and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava jointly inaugurated the new building of Shree Jestha Varna Mahavihar in Lalitpur, which was constructed under the post-earthquake reconstruction grant provided by the Indian government.
In a statement released on Friday, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu stated that the project was undertaken as part of the post-earthquake reconstruction grant in Nepal’s cultural heritage sector. “The Jestha Varna Mahavihar, which was damaged during the 2015 earthquakes, has now been reconstructed with grant assistance at a cost of Rs 137.8 million,” the embassy said.
The project was executed by the Central Level Project Implementation Unit (CLPIU–Building & Housing) of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction.
During the ceremony, Minister Budha praised the Government of India for its support in post-earthquake reconstruction and its efforts toward Nepal’s economic development. Similarly, Ambassador Srivastava highlighted various aspects of the ongoing development cooperation between the two countries.
Buddhiraj Bajracharya, president of the Lalitpur Development Society, representatives of the local community, representatives of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), as well as officials from the Government of Nepal and the Embassy of India, were present at the event.
According to the statement, the Indian government has committed to the conservation of 28 cultural heritage sites across seven districts of Nepal.
