Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. Exodus 20:3 DRB
Dies Irae – Lacrimosa dies illa!
“Woe to the world should it lack monasteries and convents!
Men do not comprehend their importance, for, if they understood, they would do all in their power to multiply them, because in them can be found the remedy for all physical and moral evils… No one on the face of the earth is aware whence comes the salvation of souls, the conversion of great sinners, the end of great scourges, the fertility of the land, the end of pestilence and wars, and the harmony between nations. All this is due to the prayers that rise up from monasteries and convents.
“Know, moreover, that Divine Justice releases terrible chastisements on entire nations, not only for the sins of the people, but for those of priests and religious persons. For the latter are called, by the perfection of their state, to be the salt of the earth, the masters of truth, and the deflectors of Divine Wrath. Straying from their divine mission, they degrade themselves in such a way that, before the eyes of God they quicken the rigor of the punishments…” - Our Lady of Success ora pro nobis!
Centuries of history turned to rubble in minutes: How Nepal earthquake destroyed many of the country's iconic landmarks
- The Dharahara Tower in Kathmandu was brought down by the force of yesterday's 7.8 magnitude earthquake
- Durbar Square in the center of the Nepalese capital is filled with rubble after historic temple collapse!
- Complex above the city which is considered one of the holiest sites in Buddhism was also hit by the disaster
- More than 2,500 people are believed to have died in the devastating earthquake in Nepal and neighboring countries.
These shocking photographs reveal the terrible toll the Nepal earthquake has had on some of the country's most beautiful and historic landmarks.
The monuments of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of their unique architecture.
But several of the most recognizable buildings in the city, including towers and temples, now lie in rubble after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country yesterday morning.
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Destruction: The Dharahara Tower, which was first built in 1832, has been almost completely obliterated by Nepal's earthquake
Historic: The now-destroyed tower was a UNESCO World Heritage Site until its destruction this weekend
Before: The Kathmandu Durbar Square, at the heart of Nepal's capital, is full of temples and historic houses with their distinctive roofs
After: The square is now piled with rubble after tall temples were brought down by the force of the earthquake
More than 2,500 people died in the quake as buildings collapsed raining down debris on the streets below, while enormous avalanches on Mount Everest left climbers dead.
One of the most prominent landmarks to be destroyed by the earthquake was the Dharahara Tower, also known at the Bhimsen Tower, which has almost totally collapsed after more than 180 years of standing in Kathmandu.
The 200ft tower was built in 1832 by prime minister Bhimsen Thapa as a gift to the queen, who was also his niece.
It had to be rebuilt after a previous earthquake in 1934, but the latest disaster has left the tower as nothing more than a stump, killing scores of people who were trapped inside at the time.
Destination: Another view of the Kathmandu Durbar Square shows how it was a thriving hub for the city
Reconstruction: Policemen were sent in to the square after it was badly affected by the quake
Venerable: The Durbar High School in the square is a neo-classical building which was shabby but grand before the earthquake
Debris: The school is now surrounded by bricks shaken from the building in the quake
Heritage: The Bhaktapur Durbar Square, pictured before the quake, is another one of the three main public spaces in the Kathmandu area
Kathmandu's three 'Durbar Squares', the courtyards outside the city's old royal palaces, were devastated by the earthquake, with historic temples razed to the ground by the shocks.
In the largest, known as the Kathmandu Durbar Square, rubble was piled up today after a large stepped temple was obliterated in the quake.
Images of the Durbar Squares in Patan and Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, were also devastated by the shocks.
The streets of Bhaktapur were impassable because of the rubble which lay several feet deep, with fragments of religious sculptures among the stonework on the ground.
In Patan, a temple had its tower broken in half, while the square was strewn with bricks.
Centre: The Patan Durbar Square, pictured before the disaster, is the third major hub of the historic royal family which has been devastated
Shock: Religious sculptures were lying on the ground in Patan after the temples they were once part of collapsed
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will destroy the names of idols out of the earth, and they shall be remembered no more: and I will take away the false prophets, and the unclean spirit out of the earth. Zacharias (Zachariah) 13:2
Decapitated: A statue of the Hindu deity Garud was knocked off its pedestal at Patan Durbar Square
Crooked: The stupa of a temple was almost completely ripped off by the force of the quake
Thou shalt not adore their gods, nor serve them. Thou shalt not do their works, but shalt destroy them, and break their statues. Exodus 23:24 DRB
Holy: The Syambhunaath Stupa, known as the monkey temple, is pictured before and after the quake
Witness: A monk surveys the aftermath of the quake, which left the main building untouched
The Syambhunaath Stupa, known as the 'monkey temple' which stands on a hill above the capital, also suffered severe damage.
While the complex's main golden tower was thankfully untouched, many other temple buildings were totally destroyed.
The Buddhist site dates back 1,500 years, and is considered one of the holiest places in the world for residents of neighbouring Tibet.
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck just before midday yesterday, sending tremors through the Kathmandu Valley and the nearby city of Pokhara.
Busy: The packed streets of Kathmandu pictured as they were before the disaster
Damage: A huge crack opened in the middle of the highway after the earthquake
The majority of fatalities were reported in Nepal, with deaths also being confirmed in India, Tibet, Bangladesh and the Nepal-China border.
About an hour after the initial quake, a magnitude 6.6 aftershock hit and smaller aftershocks could be felt through the region for hours.
Rescuers are still battling to save the lives of those trapped in the rubble, while climbers on Everest are waiting to be rescued by helicopter.
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