Handicraft expo kicks off

Kathmandu, Dec. 3

A handicraft exhibition, aimed at promoting Nepali art and culture, has kicked off at Patan Durbar Square and the Patan Museum premises in Lalitpur on Wednesday as part of the Art and Cultural Festival 2082.

The event is organised by the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN) with support from Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC).

The exhibition, coordinated jointly by the FHAN, Handicraft and Tourism Development Committee of LMC Ward No. 16, and Patan Museum, features around 21 pavilion stalls and 10 table stalls displaying a diverse range of Nepali handicraft products.

The event also includes a special display of Buddhist ritual adornments presented by the Ward No. 16 Handicraft Promotion Committee, along with an exhibition of traditional ethnic attire.

Cultural performances have been scheduled throughout the exhibition, including classical music, Charya dance, Ashtamatrika and Kartik dances, various folk dances, and traditional musical segments such as Dha: Baja, Damokhin Baja and Nepal Bhasa folk songs.

Likewise, the FHAN, in collaboration with a Korean organisation IMACO, is hosting an international mask exhibition showcasing 60 masks from Nepal and 40 from South Korea. Three stalls serving traditional Newari cuisine have been set up to cater to visitors and exhibitors.

Bindu Shrestha, Bagmati Province Minister for Industry, Commerce, Land and Administration inaugurated the event that will run until Sunday. It will remain open daily from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The organisers have announced free entry for the general public.

Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur, recognised by the World Art Council as the Art City’s cultural centre, provides a symbolic and historic setting for the exhibition, said Rabindra Shakya, President of the FHAN.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 4 December 2025.