TY - JOUR AU - Rajopadhyaya, Abhas Dharananda PY - 2019/12/31 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Debating Identity: Reflections on Coverage of Dharaharā and Kāṣṭhmaṇḍap Post Gorkha-Earthquake 2015 JF - Bodhi: An Interdisciplinary Journal JA - Bodhi: Interdisciplinary J VL - 7 IS - SE - Articles DO - 10.3126/bodhi.v7i0.27905 UR - https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/BOHDI/article/view/27905 SP - 67-104 AB - <p>The 7.8 M<sub>w</sub> <em>Gorkhā</em>-earthquake in April 2015, took 8,857 lives, injured 21,952, destroyed 755,549 buildings, 581 heritages and cost an estimated approximate $513.38 billion. Many heritage sites, including those enlisted in the World Heritage Site, were damaged due to this disaster. The fall of <em>Dharaharā</em>, among all cultural-historical sites, was given (un- ) due attention by many national media, owing to high number of deaths and as a popular landmark of the city. This modern elite tower structure was presented as symbol of national unity and of 'rising back'. But there are other important public heritages too - many centuries older than <em>Dharaharā </em>and they too had stories of deaths, of injuries and of survivals, but received a very small space or almost none in the national media. I take an example of <em>Kāṣṭhamaṇḍap </em>that hosted over 54 people during the earthquake. I have used the method of qualitative content analysis to discuss the construction of identity by national media. &nbsp;</p> ER -