If you have heard or read the news, an earthquake with the magnitude of 7.8~8.1 occurred near Kathmandu, Nepal at 05:54 UTC(Universal Time Coordinated) or GMT(Greenwich Mean Time)+0, 11:56 NST or GMT+5.45, and 00:54 EST or GMT-5 on Apr 25, 2015.  Its epicenter was approximately 34 km (21 mi) east-southeast of Lamjung, Nepal, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 15 km (9.3 mi).

    Many of Nepal's most renowned pagodas in and around Kathmandu crumbled into rubble-covered stumps when the earthquake hit, the worst architectural losses have included the majestic Shiva temple pagoda and its twin, the Narayan temple pagoda, which dominated Kathmandu's main Durbar Square.  People were smothered under splintered hand-carved wooden beams or multi-level rooftops.  Good thing that the Kathmandu Valley's other pagodas, stupas and shrines (also built mostly of red brick hundreds of years ago) suffered surprisingly little damage and remained standing next to structures which disappeared.  

    Since the late 1960’s, the Western hippy backpackers who traveled the legendary overland route to Kathmandu and climb to Shiva pagodas’ wide, nine-step plinth, sit in the shade under the triple layered roofs, smoke hashish and enjoy the view.  But after the earthquake hit, the two pagodas have been obliterated and looks like a ruin, with piles of rubble.  Bulldozer shoveling a path for vehicles, shocked and miserable witnesses and a sense of irreplaceable visual and spiritual loss.

    The 2 public platform pagodas: Shiva temple pagoda, and Narayan pagoda, attracts crowds of Nepalis and foreigners because the plinths' height above street level, which gives excellent views of major Hindu processions and other events. Shiva temple pagoda may have been hundreds of years old, but coolies and others would publicly urinate into the gutter surrounding it while waiting for passengers or heavy loads to transport.  And the slightly shorter, triple-roofed Narayan pagoda allows the vegetable sellers to display their foods on the temple’s broad.  Those two landmarks fronted the enclosed dwelling place of Nepal's Hindu virgin goddess, or Kumari, whose ornate front of bricks, statues and carved wood seem to have survived the initial quakes, but it’s not known yet if the inner courtyard and rooms are safe.

On the other side of Durbar Square, the brick-and-wood Shiva-Parvati temple house (where the Hindu gods Shiva and his consort Parvati shelter), the Sundari Chowk temple, and a surviving lucky trio of holy structures: the gray stone, Mogul-influenced Krishna Mandir, the 17th-century Bishwa Nath Mandir with its large stone elephants at the entrance, and the nearby smaller 17th-century Bimsen Mandi "god of the traders" pagoda had also survived.  Elsewhere in the Kathmandu Valley, the white-topped dome of the Boudhanath Stupa remains standing, but its smaller neighboring stupa has shown some damage from the quake.

There are also no news about the damage caused to other structures such as famous places in Hindu and Buddhist worship, including the hilltop Swayambhunath temple on the outskirts of Kathmandu.  The Swayambhunath temple is popularly known as the "Monkey Temple" because its often vicious wild monkeys that scampers among the trees on the temple's hill, terrifying visitors who have to hike up a lengthy stairway to reach the temples, shrines, shops and monks' residences.  And the Pashupatinath Temple complex near Kathmandu's international airport is also unknown.
 

For more information, visit:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/26/travel/nepal-earthquake-landmarks/index.html