Expo on stolen heritage to begin today

Kathmandu, Aug. 22

An exhibition presenting the displacement of sacred objects and cultural heritage during colonial rule and its continuing consequences across South Asia, is kicking off at Taragaon Next, Boudha in Kathmandu, on Sunday.

The two-month-long exhibition will run till October 31.

Supported by the Saraf Foundation and curated by Dr. Arshiya Mansoor Lokhandwala, the exhibition – ‘What Empire Took, What Empire Left: Museums, Borders and the Politics of Return in South Asia’ – brings together artists from across South Asia to explore questions of cultural loss, ownership, restitution, memory and the politics surrounding displaced heritage.

The exhibition will showcase how deities, manuscripts, sculptures and ritual objects were removed from living cultural and religious contexts and subsequently reclassified within Western museums and collections. “In these institutional settings, objects once embedded in ritual, community and belief systems often came to be viewed primarily as archaeological, historical or aesthetic artefacts,” the organiser said in a statement.

Participating artists include Temsüyanger Longkumer, Reetu Sattar, Shaurya Kumar, Raqs Media Collective, Mithu Sen, Divya Mehra, Marium Ghani, L.N. Tallur, Roshan Mishra, Bishal Manandhar and Jagath Weerasinghe.

“This exhibition brings South Asia into that urgent discourse, asking not simply what should return, but who holds the power to own, interpret and determine the afterlives of displaced heritage,” Dr. Lokhandwala said.

According to the organiser, rather than presenting cultural loss simply as a historical event, the exhibition will portray the structures that enabled such displacement, including colonial systems of knowledge, illicit markets, institutional complicity and museum practices that historically privileged possession and classification over the cultural and spiritual relationships surrounding an object.

The exhibition draws connections across the region, from sacred objects removed from Nepal's temples to the dispersal of Indian bronzes, Gandharan sculptures originating from present-day Pakistan, and the erosion and displacement of Bangladesh's terracotta heritage.

“It carries particular resonance in Nepal, where the theft and removal of religious sculptures and sacred objects from temples, shrines and public spaces have long raised questions about heritage protection, repatriation and the relationship between communities and their cultural inheritance,” read the statement.

Saraf said that for Nepal, where questions of heritage, loss and return are deeply felt, this exhibition creates an important space for reflection. The programme will also feature discussions on the broader historical, political and ethical questions that inform their artistic practices.

Published in The Rising Nepal on 23 August 2026.   

US returns two recovered antiquities to Nepal

Kathmandu, June 24

The Consulate General of Nepal in New York has received two antique Nepali statues, Padma Pani and Nrityadevi, from the New York County District Attorney's Office.

The formal transfer of ownership to the Government of Nepal took place during a handover ceremony at the consulate, where Dadhiram Bhandari, Consul General of Nepal, and Matthew Bogdanos, Chief of the Antiques Trafficking Unit at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, signed Minutes of Concurrence.

The first artefact, a 13th-century bronze figure of Padma Pani, originally belonged to Tham-Bahil (Vikramashila Mahavihara, Bhagwan Bahal) in Kathmandu. The last known photograph of the statue at its original temple site was taken in 1971, and it is believed to have been smuggled into the United States between 1971 and 1977, the Consulate informed in a statement on Wednesday.

The second artefact is a 16th-century wooden statue of the Nrityadevi (Goddess of Dance), which originated from I-Baha Bahi in Patan. Believed to have been smuggled into the USA between 1969 and 1983, the statue was seized from the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

“The recovery of these sculptures was the result of a joint effort by the New York County District Attorney’s Office, US Homeland Security Investigations, and various partner institutions,” read the statement.  

Speaking on the occasion, Bhandari noted that the cooperation between Nepal and the United States in addressing the illicit trafficking of cultural property demonstrated an international partnership committed to protecting shared heritage. Acknowledgement was also given to the Nepali diaspora and community organisations, including Newa Guthi, New York, for their ongoing support in protecting Nepal's cultural assets.

The two antiquities are scheduled to be packed and flown to Nepal on Thursday, June 25. The transport and logistics are being coordinated by the consulate and Newa Guthi, New York, with representatives from the organisation accompanying the shipment.

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, the statues will be handed over to the Department of Archaeology and other authorities for conservation and eventual restoration to their original locations. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 June 2026.   

Lomus provides sanitiser to PADT

Kathmandu, Jan. 1

Lomus Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. has provided sanitiser to the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) on Friday.

The company has supported the PADT with its own saintiser products. Director of the company Pranab Jung Pandey handed over the products to Trust’s member secretary Dr. Pradeep Dhakal and Executive Director Dr. Ghanashyam Khatiwada.

Pandey said that the support was provided as the fear of coronavirus still remains and Pashupati area attracted a large number of devotees.

The company has also supported other organisations with health materials in the past and pledged further support to the PADT in the days to come.

Dr. Dhakal expressed gratitude to the company for the support, said Lomus in a statement.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 2 January 2021. 

President inaugurates reconstructed Ranipokhari, Durbar High School

 Kathmandu, Oct. 21

Newly reconstructed Ranipokhari and Durbar High School, the two iconic historic monuments facing each other at the heart of the capital city, were inaugurated on Wednesday.

Both the heritages were badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake. They are among the first major monuments – among 800 damaged in the quake - to be reconstructed.  

President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the reconstructed structures and handed them over to the concerned authorities in separate functions held today.

On the occasion, President Bhandari prayed at the puja marking the installation of the newly reconstructed Balgopaleswar Temple in the middle of the Ranipokhari and offered sacred water to the pond.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokhrel, Ministers and other dignitaries also offered holy water brought from various sacred rivers from different parts of the country, said the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA).

Ranipokhari has been rebuilt in its original style, look and technology, despite facing various hurdles and challenges.

Addressing the function, President Bhandari expressed her satisfaction over the NRA’s integrated master plan to develop the Ranipokhari area, including Ratna Park, Khula Manch, Tundikhel, Bhrikuti Mandap and Dasharath Stadium. “This master plan, along with under-construction Dharahara area, will provide people in Kathmandu with an extensive open area,” she said.

In his welcome address, Chief Executive Officer of the NRA Sushil Gyewali updated about various aspects of the post-earthquake reconstruction, including rebuilding of private houses and heritage sites.

“We are working to complete the retrofitting of the main façade of the Singh Durbar. We plan to complete to shift the Prime Minister’s Office to this new site by mid-December.” He also said that the main structure of 22-storey Dharahara would be completed by early next year.

The reconstruction of Ranipokhari was carried out under the aegis of the local users’ committee while the construction of Balgopaleswar Temple, the bridge and the beautification works have been done through a contracting company.

Besides involving the local community and cultural experts, the traditional artisans from Bhaktapur contributed significantly in rebuilding the basement of the pond.

Rs. 280 million was spent for the reconstruction of Ranipokhari and Balgopaleswar Temple.

 

 

 

Ranipokhari in Malla era style

Originally known as Nhu Pukhu (New Pond in Newari), Ranipokhari now wears a new look with the Balgopaleswar Temple in the middle of the pond built in Malla-era style called Granthakut or Shikhar more than 350 years ago.

Although many people see the temple as completely new, this has been reconstructed in the original style built during the reign of King of Kantipur Pratap Malla in 1669. Later, Rana Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana rebuilt the temple in Gumbaz style in 1803. After the devastating earthquake in 1933, Juddha Shumsher Rana again rebuilt the temple in Gumbaz style.

The earthquake had damaged the temple beyond repair. President Bhandari had laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of Ranipokhari on January 16, 2016.

Almost two years after the foundation stone was laid, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) formed an 11-member expert group under the leadership of Bishnuraj Karki, former Director General of the Department of Archeology (DoA). This group suggested rebuilding the Balgopaleswar Temple in Malla-era style.

The group meeting chaired by the then Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation late Rabindra Adhikari decided to rebuild the temple in Shikhar or Granthakut style.

As the reconstruction got delayed due to various issues and concerns raised by the local community and culture experts, the government handed over the responsibility of rebuilding Ranipokhari to the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) on January 28, 2019. Soon after, the NRA formed a five-member users’ committee under the leadership of Ajay Ratna Sthapit to construct the basement and the inner wall to hold water on March 2. 2019.

The NRA had signed an agreement with CA/Tulsi Construction JV on July 9, 2019 to construct the Balgopaleswar temple and the bridge. The Gajur, pinnacle or spire, was installed on the temple on October 1, 2020.

 

Country’s first school gets a facelift

Durbar High School, the country’s first school, has received a major facelift after the workers from Nepal and China worked hard to rebuild the school facilities under the financial assistance of the Chinese government.

The old school which was established by the Rana regime in 1854 was already in a dilapidated condition and could not withstand the quake in April 2015.

Though the Rana regime built the school to provide quality education to their children only, the Rana Prime Minister Dev Shumsher Rana opened the school for general public in 1901.

The historic school has now been rebuilt with all the necessary modern facilities and the government hopes to improve the education standard in the school.

The Chinese government has spent around Rs. 900 million to rebuild the school in which 1,000 students can be accommodated now.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 October 2020. 

Numerous quake damaged health facilities lie in abandon even as NRA’s term nears end

Kathmandu, Sept. 5

Reconstruction and retrofitting of more than half of the health institutions damaged in the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake has not begun even more than five years after the disaster.

Likewise, reconstruction of one-third archaeological monuments is pending while the post-quake reconstruction body National Reconstruction Authority’s term is going to expire after four months, in January 2021.

Although private house rebuilding has achieved a significant success, the development of public sector structures is rather slow.

However, the progress in government building reconstruction has been almost complete with just nine structures remaining out of 162. But the same progress is not replicated in terms of the buildings of the security agencies as more than half of such structures have remained the same after their damage in the quake.

According to the NRA statistics, reconstruction of 167 buildings of security agencies out of 216 damaged in the quake has not begun yet. Rebuilding of the damaged offices even in the Kathmandu Valley like the Hanumandhoka Police Office is yet to be done.

However, there has been a significant progress in terms of school reconstruction with just 170 buildings remaining out of the total 7,553 damaged in the tremors.

The NRA said that the delay in heritage reconstruction was due to the conflict with the local stakeholders at multiple locations, and absence of proper policy to reconstruct the historical cultural monuments like monasteries. The monastery reconstruction guidelines were prepared more than two years after the reconstruction body was formed.

Large and important heritage sites like the Nuwakot Durbar have lately witnessed the commencement of reconstruction work while the structures like Kasthamandap in the Basantapur Durbar Square and Ranipokhari are still under construction.

Public sector reconstruction

Status	Number
Target	51,099
Completed	38,398
Under-construction	12,965
Remaining	1,079

Source: NRA

Meanwhile, the housing sector reconstruction has achieved a significant success with the completion of the reconstruction of 507,623 houses of the total 790,260 families that signed the housing grant agreement with the government.

About 603,550 families have obtained the last instalment of the grant of Rs. 300,000. It means these houses will be completed very soon.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 6 September 2020. 

Ranipokhari reconstruction nears completion

Kathmandu, Aug 28

The Ranipokhari Reconstruction Users' Committee (RRUC) said on Friday that the reconstruction of the historic pond was at the final stage.

Briefing the Minister of State of the Ministry of Urban Development Rambir Manandhar and Mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Bidya Sundar Shakya, chairperson of the RRUC Ajay Sthapit said that about 85 per cent reconstruction work on the pond had completed.

"The pond construction has been completed while temple rebuilding and beautification work have achieved 85 per cent progress. We are continuing the work even during the lockdown and aim to complete it at the earliest," he said.

The minister and the mayor on Friday made a field inspection of the reconstruction of the historic pond, constructed by Pratap Malla four centuries ago, at the centre of the Capital.

The RRUC is preparing to inaugurate the heritage immediately after the coronavirus pandemic is contained.

Sthapit thanked the metropolis for its support in forming the RRUC and other necessary supports during the rebuilding process. A committee represented by chairmen of KMC ward no. 1, 27 and 28 is monitoring the reconstruction works.

Minister of State Manandhar said that the completion of the pond would be a moment of pride since it was not only the historical heritage but also the monument of culture and symbol of love.

"It gives me immense pleasure to see the work nearing the completion of the restoration of the heritage. This pond is an example of love to the world," he said.

Mayor Shakya expressed that the restoration work had moved ahead without any dispute after the formation of the RRUC.

The restoration work was started about one and a half years ago. Although it should have been completed within eight months from the commencement of the work, attention to the details like the arts and black mud created obstacles to the smooth progress.

Secretary of the RRUC Roshan Tuladhar said that the efforts were made to maintain the originality of the Kathmandu city at the Ranipokhari. The pond is restored at the cost of Rs. 95.4 million while Rs. 150 million has been allotted for Balgopaleshwor Temple reconstruction and beautification work.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 29 August 2020. 

 

Minister directs PADT to arrange opening of Pashupatinath

Kathmandu, Jul 12

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai has directed the office bearers and staff of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) to work in the interest of the heritage site not for the middlemen.

Addressing a review meeting of the PADT on Sunday, he directed the organisation to launch the development initiative at the World Heritage Site after conducting public hearing from the representatives of federal, provincial and local parliament, political parties and local leaders.

“I have received compliant that the PADT was working in the interest of middlemen. Whoever is involved in it, it is not good and must be stopped immediately. Consider the interest of the religious site before acting on any plan,” he said.

Minister Bhattarai had conducted an 8-hour long field observation of the Pashupati Area in January this year and issued a 48-point directive, including the immediate and long-term activities.

He had called the review meeting to know the progress and implementation status of the directives issued a half-year ago.

The Minister directed to make preparations to open the Pashupatinath Temple by adopting the health and safety measures for a certain time on a day.

He asked the PADT officials to control every activity that intends to harm the properties and reputation of Pashupatinath for the individual interest. “Various individuals and groups are eying the properties of the PADT, therefore, you must be vigilant to control such activities,” he said.

He drew the attention of the Trust to the encroachment of the land in Gothatar that belonged to Pashupati.

“Immediately fix the boundary of the land and create a fence. If there are any structures created in the land, remove them,” Minister Bhattarai directed.

The country has accorded high priority to Pashupati Area Development by including it in the national pride projects. The UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts millions of tourists and pilgrims each year from Nepal, India and elsewhere.

The minister said that it was important to screen the private investors that intend to make investment at the heritage site since the crooked businessmen could ruin the image of the religious site.

He directed the Trust to announce the budget for the next fiscal within the second week of the new fiscal year. Last year, the PADT had announced its annual budget after three months of the fiscal year.

Member Secretary of the PADT Dr. Pradeep Dhakal and Executive Director Dr. Ghanashyam Khatiwada had updated the minister about the activities of the trust.

The Trust has also prepared a detailed project report of deck parking, Veda school, Deer Park, Bhandarkhal Park and multi-purpose meeting hall.

Published in The Rising  Nepal daily on 13 July 2020. 

Master plan for Narayanhiti area in offing

 Kathmandu, Mar 10

The government is preparing a masterplan for the integrated development of Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Kaiser Mahal and Republic Monument in and around the palace.

A high-level interaction at the Republic Monument on Tuesday had created consensus about the same.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai, Chief Executive Officer of National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Sushil Gyawali,  Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s Chief Political Advisor Bishnu Rimal led the interaction that discussed the situation of the national monuments and need of the masterplan.

The NRA will lead the masterplan creation project. Currently the Kaiser Mahal is being retrofitted while some of the structures at the Narayanhiti damaged in the 2015 earthquake are being reconstructed.

Secretary of the NRA Shiva Hari Sharma, Secretary of the MoCTCA Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, Culture Division Chief of the ministry Suresh Acharya, Director General of the Department of Archaeology Damodar Gautam and Executive Director of the Durbar Museum Bhesh Narayan Dahal also participated in the interaction.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 11 March 2020. 

ZCGI-Khani gets contract to retrofit Kaiser Mahal

Kathmandu, Nov. 29

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) had signed a contract with the ZCGI-Khani JV for the retrofitting of Kaiser Mahal, a Rana era palace in the Capital. 


Central Project Implementation Unit (Building) of the NRA signed the contract with the contractor on Friday. 


CPIU’s Project Director Navaraj Pyakurel and JV’s Ratna Gautam signed the contract.

The retrofitting would be completed at Rs. 672.4 million. The contractor will complete the works within two years. 


Pyakurel said that the palace would be retrofitted in a way the building would not lose its original design and be quake-resilient. 


Gautam said that the company would start the work within a week. 


Likewise, a JV of John Sandy Associates Pvt. Ltd. SW Nepal Pvt. Ltd. and Pyramid Design Associates Pvt. Ltd are selected as the consultants for the project. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 30 November 2019. 

UNSCO hails heritage reconstruction

Kathmandu, Oct. 22

UNESCO has appreciated the pace of post-quake heritage reconstruction.

The Reactive Monitoring Mission of the United Nations body that concluded its study of the monuments listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and returned on Monday, appreciated the country’s efforts to complete the reconstruction of about 300 historic and cultural monuments damaged in the 2015 earthquake.

It also praised the government and the Department of Archaeology (DoA) for maintaining originality in heritage reconstruction, said Damodar Gautam, Acting Director General of the DoA.

“They expressed their happiness on the pace of heritage reconstruction and fulfilment of liability by the state,” he said.

However, the expert team expressed dissatisfaction over slow and complex bidding process and coordination between the central and local governments.

“They wanted an effective coordination among the government, trustee, local government and other local stakeholders,” said Gautam.

The UNESCO Mission led by Gamini Wijesuriya, International Export at the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties, has suggested maintaining the records of the heritage reconstruction as well.

The mission had also met the Chief Executive Officer of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Sushil Gywali.

In the meeting, Gyawali had informed the visiting delegation that the NRA had given special attention to heritage reconstruction. He said that while the reconstruction of the cultural monuments was going on, the government was also developing a detailed Master Plan to develop them.

He also informed that the work had been expedited to develop three heritage settlements each in the Kathmandu Valley and outside.

Expressing satisfaction over the progress, Catherine Forbes of International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMAS), suggested including the progress in the DoA’s report to be sent to the World Heritage Centre in February 2020.

The mission had also recommended strengthening the capacity of the DoA in policy formulation and give more attention to the quality than the speed in heritage reconstruction.

Of the quake-damaged 140 heritages in the valley, 90 have so far been restored.

Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, Hanumandhoka Durbar, Patan Durbar, Bhaktapur Durbar, Changunarayan Temple and Bauddhanath Stupa are the Unesco World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 October 2019. 

Get 2nd tranche of grant in time, Gyawali urges beneficiaries

Kathmandu, Oct. 18

Chief Executive Officer of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Sushil Gyawali on Friday urged the beneficiaries of the post-quake reconstruction to obtain the second tranche of the housing grant before mid-November this year.

Speaking at a programme in Lalitpur, he requested them to get the grant money in due time. The NRA has set the mid-November 2019 as the deadline to obtain the second instalment of the grant.

The beneficiaries are entitled of Rs. 300,000 for the reconstruction of their houses damaged in the devastating earthquake in 2015 which is being distributed in three tranches of Rs. 50,000, Rs. 150,000 and Rs. 100,000.

The reconstruction body has signed grant agreement with 776,910 families, of which 768,549 have obtained the first tranche, 612,105 second and 507,048 the third tranche.

About 469,259 houses have been reconstructed while 194,456 houses are under construction.

But, only 32 per cent beneficiaries in Lalitpur district have obtained the third instalment of the grant.

Gyawali said that it was necessary to understand the reasons behind the delay in house reconstruction in urban area, and directed the staff to be mobilised as per 'one house, one project' plan.

Deputy-Director of the Central Project Implementation Unit (Grant Management and Local Infrastructure) Narayan Prasad Shrestha said that support from one and all was needed to expedite the reconstruction in the urban areas otherwise the beneficiaries would be deprived of the government grant.

According to District Project Implementation Unit (Grant Management and Local Infrastructure Lalitpur) Shiva Ram Gelal, the beneficiaries had the problems like landlessness, small piece of land, dispute in land ownership and unwillingness in house reconstruction.

Meanwhile, the Reactive Monitoring Mission of the Unesco, which is in Nepal to study the recent status of the Unesco World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley, has met CEO Gyawali on Thursday.

He informed the visiting delegation that the NRA had given special attention to heritage reconstruction. He said that while the reconstruction of the cultural monuments was going on, the government was also developing a detailed Master Plan to develop them.

 He also informed that the work had been expedited to develop three heritage settlements each in the Valley and outside.

The Unesco Mission is led by Gamini Wijesuriya, International Export at the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties. He suggested maintaining the records of the heritage reconstruction.

Of the quake-damaged 140 heritages in the Valley, 90 have so far been restored.

Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, Hanumandhoka Durbar, Patan Durbar, Bhaktapur Durbar, Changunarayan Temple and Bauddhanath Stupa are the Unesco World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 October 2019. 

Aagam Chhen and Degu Taljeu to be built by Consumer Committees

Kathmandu, Sept. 29

Aagam Chhen Temple in Basantapur Durbar Square and Degu Taleju Temple in Patan Durbar Square will be built by the consumer committees. 

A meeting of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) on Sunday decided to handover the rebuilding responsibility of the two historic monuments to the local consumer committees. 

Although the government had invited Japan to reconstruct the two temples, which were completely destroyed in the devastating 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, the reconstruction body had revised the decision. 

However, the representatives, local community and Japan government had agreed to rebuild the Aagam Chhen by consumer committees. 

The confusion about the reconstruction entity had halted the restoration of the cultural heritage. Chief Executive Officer of the NRA Sushil Gyawali said that it was more important to rebuild the temple safely so it should not be delayed for any technical aspects. 

Lalitpur Metropolitan City had also demanded that the Degu Taleju should be rebuilt by the consumer committee. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 30 September 2019. 

Indrajatra spirituality, energy leave foreigners enthralled

Kathmandu, Sept. 15

‘It’s spiritual. Nepal has all of it that Japan and other developed countries don’t have.’

Akemi Takano, Assistant Manger of Public Information and International Affairs Division at the Matsumoto City in Japan, said after observing the Indrajatra festival on Friday. 


Her colleague Makoto Sonehara, an officer from the same office, exclaimed, ‘It’s pure! I have nowhere seen like this.” 


This is the representative feeling of the foreign delegates who were invited to observe the Indrajatra festival, the first ever endeavour of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, organised to promote the religious, historical and cultural heritages in the valley. 


“People have turned into machines in the developed world and they have forgotten their laugh and spirituality. This visit reminded me that we are here to love the humanity,” said Sonehara. 


“I could feel the power of spirituality. People were dancing and everyone was involved in the programme,” he said while observing the Krishna Temple in Patan Durbar Square. Matsumoto has sister-city relations with the KMC for the last three decades. 


A young American student Haley Rose D’jay was immersed in the miniature statues at the Hiranyaverna Mahabihar, also known as the Golden Temple nearby the Patan Durbar Square, said it was a great feeling to witness people celebrating the colourful festival with so much faith. “It’s beautiful and at the same time, very inspiring,” she said. 


“I am surprised, where the people got so much energy from,” said Guo Chunjie, a representative from the Lanzhou City China. He appreciated the festival, living Goddess and arrangements. “I will recommend my friends to visit Nepal as soon as possible. I have collected contacts of local agencies and guides as well,” he said. 


Karma Dorji, Planning Officer of Thimpu city in Bhutan, said that he had heavenly feeling when observing the Goddess Kumari coming out from the temple for the procession. 


Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation Sardar Avtar Singh appreciated the spiritual representation both in the heritages and people of the Kathmandu Valley. “I feel like observing more. I will come again soon with more leisure time to visit these amazing cities.”


The foreign guests visited Chandragiri Hills, Shwoyambhu stupa, Durbar Squares in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.  


According to Mayor of the Capital city Bidya Sundar Shakya, the observation programme was organised to promote the heritages in the valley, and support the Visit Nepal Year 2020 and private sector tourism entrepreneurs in the country. 


“Live culture has vanished from many parts of the world, especially the developed countries. We wanted the guests to observe the Living Goddess Kumari and the chariot procession,” he said. “The programme also aimed at exhibiting our efforts in the post-quake reconstruction.”


Many foreigners still feel that Nepal was massively damaged in the devastating earthquake in 2015 and it is unsafe to travel to this country. The visiting delegates also said that before coming to Kathmandu, they had the same feeling and most of them doubted whether it was safe to travel to Nepal. 


Dorji said that when he visited the cities in the valley earlier, there was much devastation but most of it was managed this time. “It is amazing that Nepal has preserved historical palaces, temples and other heritages over the millennia,” he said. 


The KMC has established sister city relations with 15 cities around the world, and Indrajatra Observation Programme included representatives from 11 cities. 


Mayor of the Lalitpur Metropolis said that the city was seriously in heritage preservation as they were the live history of Nepali people, culture and traditions. The Kathmandu Valley has seven Unesco World Heritage Sites – Basantapur, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Changu Narayan, Swayambhunath and Bouddhanath stupas, and Pashupatinath. 


“Do visit Nepal next year, during the Visit Nepal Year 2020, because once is not enough,” Maharjan urged the foreign delegates.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 September 2019. 

LCCI to organise walkathon to raise funds for heritage restoration

Lalitpur, Aug. 19

Lalitpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is organising a walkathon to generate awareness about the heritage reconstruction and preservation and raise funds for their restoration. 


The 19-km long walkathon will be organised on September 21, 2019. 


It will start from Patan, Mangal Bazaar and conclude in Khokana. There will be eight points from where the participants can start their walk – Mangal Bazaar, Sana Gaun, Lubhoo, Harisiddhi, Dhapakhel, Sunakothi, Thecho and Bungmati. 


The participants can join or leave the walkathon from any stop as per their convenience. “Medical teams will be ready in each stop and ambulances will be ready in case of emergency,” said Krishna Lal Maharjan, President of LCCI. 


LCCI also wants to contribute to the Visit Nepal Year 2020 through the walkathon. 


Maharjan said that Rs. 500 would be raised from each participant as the registration fee while Kumari Bank has supported with t-shirts and lunch. 


LCCI has aimed to attract more than 2,000 people in the event and hoped that it would be a milestone in the development of tourism attractions and heritages in Lalitpur district. 


Local entrepreneurs urged the government to spend a certain per cent of the income earned from the tourist fee in developing tourist facilities.



 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 August 2019. 

Balgopaleshwor reconstruction starts

Kathmandu, Aug. 18

Reconstruction of the Balgopaleshwar Temple at the historic Ranipokhari has started. CA-Tulasi Construction JV has started the temple rebuilding following the signing of contract agreement with the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) about a month ago.

The contractor has started to break the concrete tie-beam around the temple, constructed for the restoration of the temple after the devastating Gorkha Earthquake 2015.

The temple was built by King Pratap Malla about 350 years ago.

Passage around the temple will be rebuilt with limestone and surki mortar. Surki is being produced at the northern door of the historic pond.

Sanam Shrestha of the contractor company said that 30 to 35 workers are involved in the reconstruction of the temple daily. According to him, the reconstruction of the temple would be started after the ‘Kshama Pooja’.

He also said that the reconstruction of the temple and the bridge over the pond connecting the temple would move ahead in a parallel manner.

Shiva Hari Sharma, Joint-Secretary and Chief of Heritage Preservation, Public Building and Infrastructure Division at the NRA, expressed satisfaction over the progress at the site.

The CA-Tulasi will reconstruct the temple, bridge and garden around the pond, and the consumer committee will rebuild the bed of the pond and a wall around it.

The committee has completed the wall construction at the western side and is building wall at southern and northern parts.

Expert artists are building the bed with black soil to make it able to hold water.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 August 2019. 

380 cultural heritages rebuilt

Kathmandu, Aug 7

About 380 cultural heritages damaged in the devastating 2015 Gorkha Earthquake have been rebuilt.

Of them, 96 are on the premises of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites while 284 are from other locations, said the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA).

Gaddi Baithak, Natyeshwar Temple, Krishna Temple, Nagara Ghar, Statue of Pratam Malla and Taleju Temple at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square are the major cultural and historical heritages reconstructed.

Similarly, reconstruction of Khauma Gate, Siddhi Laxmi Temple, Narayan Temple, Shankar Narayan Temple of Bhaktapur Durbar Square has also completed.

Monuments at Changu Heritage Area – Changunarayan Temple and Kileshwar Temple, and Swayambhunath Area – Pratappur Temple, Annatpur Temple and Anandakuti Mahavihar have also been rebuilt.

Likewise, statue of Yoga Narendra at the Patan Durbar Square is restored and Mani Mandap and Eastern Long of Sundari Chowk are reconstructed.

Historical Krishna Temple’s preservation has also been accomplished.

Junga Hiranya Hemnarayan Temple in Thapathali and Baudha Nath Stupa have also been rebuilt in their previous original shape.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NRA Sushil Gyawali said that the reconstruction body had accorded high priority to the restoration of the historical and cultural monuments.

“We will expedite the monitoring activities to speed up the reconstruction,” he said.

Director General of the Department of Archaeology (DoA) Damodar Gautam said that the agency had planned to reconstruct about 150 heritages in the next one and a half years.

Countries like China, India, the United States of America, Switzerland, Sri Lanka and Japan, and organisations like the UNESCO office in Kathmandu, Henkel Foundation Vienna and University of Applied Arts are supporting the country in heritage reconstruction.

The 2015 quake had damaged 891 heritages.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 August 2019. 

Job of nobody!

Kathmandu, Apr. 24:

The southern part of the Kathmandu Durbar Square has a tall, scary structure that menacingly stands among the locals and visitors.

That is the liaison office of the Nepal Sanskrit University (NSU), which boasts artistic Nepali windows and doors.

The four and a half-storey building has been there with multiple cracks, on the support of a dozen props, since the devastating Gorkha Earthquake.

"I have seen the building since I was a child," said Pushpalal Shrestha, 69, a local resident, who lives nearby.  “We are living in a constant fear that even a mild tremor can cause the building collapse which can be dangerous as there are many people hanging around the area."

Pushkar Karki, a curio trader at the Basantapur Dabali, also said that the cracks in the building are threatening. “But, there is nowhere we can go. We have to do our business in order to make our both ends meet,” he said.

While reconstruction of more than a dozen monuments within the Basantapur Durbar Square is going on in a full swing, the age-old building of NSU there remains as it is after the quake hit it on 25 April 2015.

It is due to the total negligence of the authorities and concerned stakeholders that the building facing the ‘Dabali’ or the space in the square got neither the attention nor the budget for its reconstruction.

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), Kathmandu Valley Development Trust, China, Japan International Cooperation Agency, United State of America, Kasthamandap Reconstruction Committee and Museum Reconstruction Committee are active in the restoration of one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country but none has taken the responsibility of the architectural piece that once was a part of the Kumari Bahaal.

None of the concerned authorities including NRA, Department of Archaeology (DoA), Central Project Implementation Unit (CPIU) at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), University Grant Commission (UGC) and the NSU know about the rebuilding of the heritage.

The NRA said that the reconstruction of education building was the responsibility of the CIPU at the MoEST while its Chief Imanarayan Shrestha stated that the reconstruction of such structure would be managed by the UGC.

However, the UGC officials reiterated that it was the CPIU’s responsibility. An officer said that the UGC had recommended the MoEST for the reconstruction of the building.

“Some of the educational structures are neglected so far, therefore we are working to bring them under our supervision. These buildings are likely to be reconstructed with the money from the Indian support through the Exim Bank,” said Shrestha.

DoA’s Acting Director General Damodar Gautam said that his agency was responsible for the reconstruction of more than century old heritages so the building would be rebuilt by other concerned agencies.

NRA Chief Executive Officer Sushil Gyawali also made similar comments while talking to the press on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, MSU, the main stakeholder, seems not caring the building of its liaison office at all.

A source at the University’s main office said that there was neither any discussion about the reconstruction of the building nor initiatives to manage funds for the same. 

The university has been padlocked by the students for the last six months and there were no activities from its authorities.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 April 2019.