By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 27: The Department of Archaeology (DoA) and the Kasthamandap Reconstruction Committee have expressed their readiness to abide by the latest Supreme Court order regarding the idols of Gorakhnath and four Ganesh at Kasthamandap.

The Supreme Court issued an interim order on January 17 forbidding the replacement of the old idols of the deities with new ones. A single bench of Justice Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada issued the interim order prohibiting the installation of the new statues in the newly reconstructed monument.

Spokesperson of DoA Ram Bahadur Kunwar said that the Department would take steps to respect the apex court’s order. Gautam Dongol, secretary of the Kasthamandap Reconstruction Committee, also said that they would place the old idols back in their original places. The Committee had already installed new statues after the old ones got damaged in the 2015 earthquake.
"We will follow the instruction of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on the issue after receiving the letter of the Supreme Court," he said.

The old statues of Lord Gorkhanath and four Ganeshes were broken in the 2015 earthquake.
Advocate Adhikari in his writ had argued that the act of replacing old idols was against the archaeological principle and the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 1956.
Earlier, dozens of other heritage activists had submitted memorandum to the Office of the President and the Office of the Prime Minister seeking their attention to the issue.