Kasthamandap

thumb|right|Gorakshanath shrine inside the Kasthamandap Kasthamandap (Sanskrit: काष्ठमण्डप, Nepal Bhasa:मरु सत: Maru Satta:; literally "Wood-Covered Shelter") is a reconstructed three-storied public shelter which was built by Lila Vajra. There is also a shrine consecrated to Gorakshanath situated at Maru, Kathmandu, Nepal. Several myths and stories about the date of the construction of the Kasthamandap have been resolved with the recent archeological findings: newly discovered objects during the excavation in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake have suggested that the older Kasthamandap may have been built in the 7th century during the Lichhavi era.

== 2015 Nepal earthquake and subsequent excavations== A team of international and national experts from the Department of Archaeology (DoA), Government of Nepal and Durham University had excavated beneath the Kasthamandap and found coal and sand in the foundations. The foundation soil, coal, and sand were taken to the University of Stirling, Scotland for carbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) tests. Nearly seven months of lab tests showed that the Kasthamandap was built in the 7th century, said Ram Kunwar, spokesperson at the Department of Archeology (DoA).