Nyatapola Temple (L) and Bhairavnath Temple (R) behind a pile of rubble in the historical Durbar Square.
Nepal saw much of its precious cultural heritage destroyed when the 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated the country on April 25, killing more than 7,000 people.
Bhaktapur, an ancient city about eight miles outside of Kathmandu, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to dozens of temples and many other historically significant monuments.
The city lost 267 residents in the earthquake, along with as much as a quarter of its fragile buildings. It will take years for Bhaktapur to rebuild the centuries of history gone in mere seconds.
The Fasidega Temple was a white temple dedicated to Shiva. It stood on top of a six-stage plinth.
A section of the Palace of 55 Windows, built in the 15th century, completely collapsed.
The residents of Bhaktapur continued with their lives. Here, people enjoy some ice cream on a scorching hot day.
A man feeds his ducks in the remnants of his house.
A woman takes a moment to survey the damage to a building.
The Fasidega Temple is only a shadow of what it once was.
Entire blocks of the city were flattened.
Nepalis have been trying to return to their normal lives as much as they can.
Rubble fills the many narrow alleys of Bhaktapur.
Some did not seem concerned with cracked walls and slanting door frames.
Motorcycles are still able to travel through the narrowed streets.
A polite sign reminds people to not take anything from the destroyed temples.
Temporary tents for those made homeless by the quake can be found in almost all of the city’s open spaces.
Photos/Words: Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media
Watch Laurel Chor’s video coverage of the Nepal Earthquake for Coconuts TV below.
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