KATHMANDU, Nepal — A year and a half after a colossal earthquake destroyed hundreds of treasured historic sites across this mountain nation, Nepal on Tuesday celebrated the restoration of the first major one to be rebuilt — an iconic Buddhist monument topped in gold that towers above Kathmandu.
The government has been harshly criticized for its slow pace of reconstruction and its failure to repair the vast majority of the country’s heritage zones.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal praised the private restoration effort in a speech at the monument, and said it should serve as an example for the rest of the nation.
