Gorkha, 25 April (12 Baisakh): 62-year-old Dhanmaya Gurung of Barpak, Gorkha, wishes that the 12th of Baisakh never comes again. Ever since the devastating earthquake struck on Baisakh 12, 2072, with Barpak as its epicenter, she has been haunted by the loss of her seven-year-old granddaughter. With tears welling up in her eyes, Dhanmaya says, “I missed her so much that I had brought her home from her maternal house. That very day, the earthquake struck. She was playing in the yard when the house collapsed on her. Sometimes, I feel like it was my fault that she died in the earthquake.”
Like Dhanmaya, many residents of Barpak who lost loved ones in the earthquake share the same pain. Some lost family members, while others were injured and left disabled for life. Thirty-four-year-old Dolmaya Ghale still cannot forget that day. “Even now, I get scared when the sky rumbles. When large vehicles come through the village, it feels like another earthquake is happening. It sends a chill through my heart,” she says.
“The earthquake had a deep psychological impact on the people of Barpak. Aftershocks that followed Baisakh 12, and recent earthquakes in different parts of the country, constantly trouble 77-year-old Pyali Ghale with the fear that another big one might strike again,” she shared. “It has already been ten years since that devastating earthquake on Baisakh 12 that caused such massive loss of life and property.”
Local resident Kamala Gurung, 55, recalls the day of Baisakh 12, 2072, saying, “We were working in the fields when the ground suddenly started shaking. In an instant, houses began to collapse. The entire village was covered in a cloud of dust.” Gurung says the earthquake left a deep scar on their mental well-being. “We’ve built new houses now,” she adds, “but back then, I never imagined we’d make it this far when I think of that day.”
The earthquake of Baisakh 12 caused massive loss of life and property in Gorkha and several other districts. The devastating quake struck at 11:56 AM on Baisakh 12, 2072, with its epicenter in Barpak. In Barpak alone, 72 people lost their lives, and nearly 1,500 private homes were damaged.
Barpak, the epicenter of the earthquake, has now been developed as a tourist destination. Local resident Jeet Bahadur Ghale says the earthquake completely changed the face of Barpak. “The earthquake brought destruction, yes—but it also led to many positive changes,” he said. “Because Barpak was the epicenter, it drew national and international attention. That gave us a strong basis to demand development projects.”
According to him, since the earthquake, infrastructure such as roads, drinking water systems, and electricity have rapidly developed in Barpak.
Over the past decade, the reconstruction of private homes in Barpak has reached its final stages. In memory of those who lost their lives in the devastating earthquake, a memorial pillar has been built, inscribed with the date and time of the disaster. Unlike the past, when traditional homes had stone roofs and were made of mud, the rebuilt houses are now modern, permanent structures made of bricks and cement.
