KATHMANDU - Nepal's newly restored Boudhanath stupa reopened to the public Tuesday after it was damaged in the deadly 2015 earthquake that left much of the country's cultural heritage in ruins. To mark the opening, which took place after a three-day purification ritual, colourful prayer flags and flowers covered the stupa and monks chanted prayers. Thangka artist Hom Bahadur Tamang, who has sold his Buddhist paintings in the stupa grounds for 21 years, said business had been slow. "The reconstruction of the stupa has given us new hopes that we will rise again," Tamang said. While work has begun to repair quake-damaged temples and monuments, only a handful have been completed, with experts saying it will be years before Nepal's architectural heritage is fully restored.

Source: Bangkok Post November 22, 2016 10:48 UTC