Just about everyone seems to want to go to Pokhara these days, but for an authentic cultural experience, head further west. A 4-hour drive away is Baglung that offers genuine Magar hospitality amidst splendid scenery.&nbsp; Along the Mid Hill Highway, on the fringes of lush green forests at the height of 1,600m is Torikhola Community Homestay in Ward 2 of Galkot Municipality. Sita Pun, 42, has been hosting guests at her home for the past six years — one of 12 families in the village of 65 households that run homestays.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230703130720_95963f62cf71a7f8e665212b8f0895f4573d5566f5f36adf5de168868d5483c4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20230703130720_95963f62cf71a7f8e665212b8f0895f4573d5566f5f36adf5de168868d5483c4" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1222" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  Clad in a sarong, cholo and ghalek, she welcomes guests with flowers, before serving them auspicious kodoko sel, makai and gundruk. Lunch and dinner are variations of the organically grown vegetables, with local rice or dhido, dal and chicken curry cooked over firewood.&nbsp; Guests here come from all over Nepal, and word has spread about the warm traditional hospitality and tranquility of the place. Besides hosting guests, Sita tends to her organic vegetables, milks the buffalos, making curd, takes care of the chicken and distils a powerful home-made liquor. And all of this is offered to guests.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040728_5591d6a72933053f1069137789a90ca184e5c77de66dde4c6e72b5131fa60d90.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230701040728_5591d6a72933053f1069137789a90ca184e5c77de66dde4c6e72b5131fa60d90" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  “This homestay has made me financially independent,” says Sita, who says she was earlier just doing household chores, gathering firewood and fodder. “I was not happy. But now I have the confidence to step out of the house and achieve anything.” Sita was 20 years old when she got married to Rom Prasad Pun who left for Malaysia to work soon after. He hardly wrote, and money was tight.&nbsp; She had suffered a miscarriage just before her husband left, and taking care of the large family was not easy. But she silently fulfilled her duty, waiting for her husband to return. When he sent money, it all went to the in-laws.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/milking-every-opportunity">Milking every opportunity</a>, Sahina Shrestha Without mobile phones and the internet, communication was difficult. She had to walk down to the bazar to make long-distance landline calls to Malaysia. It was expensive, and her husband rarely came to the phone.&nbsp; “I desperately wanted to see his face and hear his voice,” Sita recalls, adding she had to borrow money to make those calls. In all of the 10 years her husband stayed in Malaysia, he wrote home only once. Even then, there was no mention of her. Still, she read the letter over and over every night after a hard day of farm work.&nbsp; Rom soon stopped communicating altogether, and Sita was alone and did not have enough money for food and clothes.&nbsp; “I spent my days in a daze. I very much wanted to do something on my own, but I did not know how,” says Sita. “I had no skills and I did not know anyone.” Finally seven years ago, when Galkot Municipality and the ward office approached residents with the idea of starting homestays, she grabbed the chance. Baglung district has one of the highest out-migration rates in Nepal, and Galkot town even has a hill named Japan Danda because every household in the village has at least one or more members in Japan.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040740_f5c53785e8a8d9a7f5376b702008eeeb575d57ced4e2c2510ff2dc0f6c2b6a39.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230701040740_f5c53785e8a8d9a7f5376b702008eeeb575d57ced4e2c2510ff2dc0f6c2b6a39" data-rendition-name="original" width="1021" height="628" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  There are locked up houses and fallow fields all around Galkot, and at night only a few houses have lights. More youngsters now are migrating to Croatia and Poland. Their elderly parents then move to Kathmandu, Pokhara or Chitwan, living off the money they send home.&nbsp; The reasoning behind Galkot Municipality’s decision to promote community homestays in Torikhola was to retain young residents by creating jobs, and preserve the culture of the Magar people. “Torikhola is rich in nature as well as culture. It is also easily accessible and has much to offer, which makes it a good spot for homestays,” says Galkot Mayor Bharat Sharma.&nbsp; Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pigs-fly-and-fish-climb-trees">Pigs fly and fish climb trees</a>, Sahina Shrestha The municipality started with a study tour to observe how other places were running homestays, and Sita signed up. There was only one problem: she would be leaving a day after her husband was set to return to Nepal. Her husband tried to convince her not to go, saying he would now support the family. But Sita had no intention of depending solely on her husband anymore. “I told him it wasn't about him coming back, that I had to learn a skill to support myself,” she says. “And he would not have to go to Malaysia again. So I left my husband at home and went on the trip.” Looking back, Sita has no regrets. She learned a lot on the trip and a year later, Torikhola Community Homestay was opened for business. Today, her husband is her biggest supporter.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230701040732_9e306006064770d1f3a8dcce9a18ed2f03d936ce64563fcdd151f4d2e4085248.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230701040732_9e306006064770d1f3a8dcce9a18ed2f03d936ce64563fcdd151f4d2e4085248" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Homestays in Nepal"> </figure>  “Homestay tourism is the best way to dissuade our young from leaving by providing them jobs at home,” explains Kumar Pun Gharti, Chairman of the Torikhola Community Homestay Committee. Sita was one of the first five operators, and today there are 12 members. Business took a hit during the pandemic lockdown, but it is starting to pick up again. Before Covid, the committee earned up to Rs150,000 a month from guests which was distributed equally among members. A night’s stay at Torikhola costs from Rs1,200-1,500, food included. “The biggest difference between a homestay and a hotel is that at a hotel you serve customers, at a homestay you welcome guests,” says Sita, who is happy she no longer has to rely on just her husband for money. They now sends their two children to a boarding school nearby. “I want them to study as much as possible so that they don’t end up like me,” says Sita, who studied up to Grade 6 and wants to resume studying. “I really want to learn English but I am not sure I can.”&nbsp; Sita Pun is an inspiration to many, says former ward member and homestay operator Bhakta Bahadur Gharti Magar.&nbsp; “Whatever difficulties and challenges life threw at her, she did not give up and has reached here,” he adds.&nbsp; Three months ago, Rom once again left the country, this time to the UK. Her father-in-law who was in the British Army had resettled there and after he died her mother-in-law asked her son to come to stay with her. But this time, unlike so many years ago, Sita is not worried or scared. She speaks with her husband regularly on video, and keeps herself busy with her homestay business and other social work.&nbsp; “There is a huge difference between the Sita of then and now,” she says about herself. “Back then I knew nothing, now I am confident I can look after myself, my family and my community.” Sita’s goal now is to empower more women financially and socially, just like she did. She says: “In the coming days, I want all the women to become entrepreneurs who don’t have to rely on their husbands. Maybe they can be involved in homestays just like me.”&nbsp; This is the eighth in the series Striking Roots, where we feature the stories of entrepreneurs from across the country. If you know someone whose story needs to be shared, email us at <a href="mailto:editors@nepalitimes.com">editors@nepalitimes.com</a>&nbsp;

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Staying home to create jobs

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140220/63e3a18d9c7e80680e0d7088jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1250" height="667"/><figcaption>All photos: KHIM GHALE</figcaption></figure>When Satya Ghale left his village in Lamjung for Hong Kong for work, there was no one left in his ancestral home, and it began to fall apart. He could not return to renovate the house in the scenic village of Khasur, nor could he entrust the upkeep to someone else.His neighbour Chandra Kumari Ghale was in a similar dilemma 12 years ago. Her sons moved out, and since she could not bear to be alone, she joined her elder son in Besisahar.Once, during a visit she was sad to see that her home in Khasur was derelict, so Chandra Kumari decided to let the local women’s group in the village turn it into a restaurant (pictured above).Most of the women in the group were single women, whose children or husbands had moved out for work. Many had gone to Kathmandu, while others had <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/migration-not-a-wish-but-necessity-for-nepalis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">migrated overseas</a>.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140220/63e3a18f9c7e80680e0d7089jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1411" height="893"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/trails-less-travelled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trails less travelled</a>, Joy StephensLike many Himalayan districts of Nepal, Lamjung’s population has been decreasing, and is now 20% less than what it was 20 years ago. Many village schools have closed, farm terraces are fallow, and only the elderly, women and young children remain. Many of the quaint stone houses with slate tile roofs have fallen into disrepair.Khasur is across Marsyangdi River from the nearest town, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6916#.Y9irdexBzt0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Besisahar</a>. The surrounding mountains are all draped in thick forests, there is a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tang-tings-winter-wonderland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spectacular view of Lamjung Himal</a>, and folds of ridges to the south.The village’s cobblestone paths wind past stone houses built in the traditional architectural style of the Gurung people. But of the 64 households, 20 or so are vacant. With few of the families returning, residents are worried that <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/ghatu-dance-of-lamjung/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">their culture and way of life</a> will also soon disappear.Which is why Rupa Ghale has brought together other women in the village and formed the Pragati Nari Samaj (Progressive Women’s Group) to convert abandoned homes into homestays, so that the houses can be maintained with the income.One of those houses is Satya Ghale’s ancestral home. Inspired by Chandra Kumari, he too renovated the building at his own expense and gave it to the women for free to run a homestay for tourists.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140220/63e3a1929c7e80680e0d708ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1800" height="1200"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Village elder Prithvi Man Ghale, teachers, government officials and entrepreneurs have promised support and cooperation for this women-led initiative for sustainable tourism. In return, those who have left Khasur have their family property taken care of, and they also have a place to stay when they return for holidays at festival time.“When people began to leave, the houses started falling apart and there was no money to fix them,” Prithvi Man Ghale says. “And we thought <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepalis-open-doors-to-a-better-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">homestay tourism</a> was the perfect way to generate income for the upkeep of the houses and for the families taking care of them.”The women of Pragati Nari Samaj currently run three homestays and have coordinated operations for 10 more. Another 17 houses are in process of getting permits, and there are more unused houses that need to be looked after.“When guests arrive, the first priority is always to place them in a home where we operate a homestay," says Rupa Ghale. “If there is no space here, we arrange to host guests in other houses in the village.”It is now the single women of Khasur who have turned their village into a model for the preservation of Gurung culture and architecture. The income for the homesteads are divided among the 16 members of the group, and a part of it is budgeted for upkeep of the facilities.All hands are on deck to turn Khasur into a prominent tourist destination to rival nearby Ghalegaun. The community has approached the state and local governments for assistance with infrastructure development, training and publicity.For road improvement, Gandaki Province has allocated Rs1 million, Besisahar Municipality Rs500,000 and the ward office Rs200,000.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/homestay-brings-locals-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Homestay brings locals home</a>, Reeti K.C.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/hiking-up-the-benefits-of-tourism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hiking up the benefits of tourism</a>, Sangmin Kim<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140220/63e3a1959c7e80680e0d708bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1800" height="1200"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>While the Khasur Homestay Committee has been formed to arrange homestay options for visitors, the three houses run by Pragati Nari Samaj has become a secretariat. The welcome and farewell programs for the guests are at Chandra Kumari Ghale’s restaurant which has also become a venue for planning.The women have also made familiarisation visits to Sirubari, Ghalegaun, Manang and Mustang, where homestay tourism has taken off in recent years. For the Gurung people of Khasur, all this is just an extension of their traditional culture of hospitality.The initiative is also a perfect antidote to the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/no-country-for-young-men/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">depopulation of these villages</a> because of the out-migration, mainly of young men. It helps preserve the festivals which revolve around the farming seasons, and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/homestays-keep-former-migrants-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">restores the economy and vibrancy</a> of the community.“While many of our guests right now come from Beshisahar for lunch and return, we hope to attract people from Kathmandu and even abroad,” says Rupa Ghale, who adds this has restored Khasur’s traditional hubbub.Translated from the Himal Khabar <a href="https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/134148" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">original </a>by Ashish Dhakal.Read also:<a style="outline: 0px;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/migrant-worker-finds-farming-in-nepal-more-rewarding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Migrant worker finds farming in Nepal more rewarding</a>, Naresh Newar<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/no-need-to-migrate-for-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">No need to migrate for work</a>, Nepali Times

Vacant homes become homestays in Nepal

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141132/636bac9a9c7e80680e077f40jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"/><figcaption>Sonja Rusticus and Buddhi Darlami at their Bardia Homestay. They say live virtual tours have allowed them to keep staff employed during the COVID-19 lockdown tourism slump. Photos: MUKESH POKHREL</figcaption></figure>For travellers whose <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=011870630917993763279:opm7uqsat-4&amp;q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/lets-call-off-visit-nepal-year-2020/&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiw2vb117bqAhWR4HMBHXAXAtkQFjAAegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IrW3sKKab4066clFQv7AX" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?client%3Dinternal-element-cse%26cx%3D011870630917993763279:opm7uqsat-4%26q%3Dhttps://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/lets-call-off-visit-nepal-year-2020/%26sa%3DU%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiw2vb117bqAhWR4HMBHXAXAtkQFjAAegQIARAC%26usg%3DAOvVaw1IrW3sKKab4066clFQv7AX&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1594357294653000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFfQhWGlrY3Y7VIsShKWCOL6rhVxQ">Visit Nepal plans</a> in 2020 were scuppered by the pandemic, Bardia Homestay is bringing Nepal's Tarai plains into living rooms around the world through virtual tours.Co-owners Sonja Rusticus and Buddhi Darlami came up with the idea of virtual tours during the long hours under lockdown with no in-person tourists visiting the Bardia National Park to admire its abundant biodiversity and indigenous <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=3997" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D3997&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1594357294653000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFY_0l_xLB5Uwc9yGaAXRHfZT_azA">Tharu culture.</a>“This is the next best thing to being in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/So-far-so-good/bardiya-beginnings-Lisa-Choegyal,1085" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/So-far-so-good/bardiya-beginnings-Lisa-Choegyal,1085&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1594357294653000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFMx5C7VQ0Rp2hE23RcVbrmLhyvJA">Bardia</a> yourself, and it will also generate income at a time when there are no visitors so we do not have to lay off staff,” says Darlami who set up Bardia Homestay six years ago, combining his two-decade experience as a tour guide with Rusticus’ entrepreneurial expertise.The tours come with cooking lessons in local cuisine, farming tours, wildlife safaris and cultural tours. Bardia Homestay, together with Dutch tour operator Travel Nepal, created the tourism platform <a href="http://mynepal.online/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://Mynepal.online&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1594357294653000&amp;usg=AFQjCNExaSouPplBoU2MbqX1xp9RyMes7g">Mynepal.online</a>, of which the virtual tours are a part.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/survive-2020-revive-in-2021-and-thrive-in-2022/">“Survive 2020, revive in 2021 and thrive in 2022”</a>, Alisha SijapatiFor €8.5 euros per person, the 40-minute long farming tours involve rice planting, harvesting, de-seeding of seedbeds and ploughing of fields using oxen. Local Tharu guides take travellers on virtual walks through the lush Bardia countryside while explaining traditional farming methods.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141132/636bac9d9c7e80680e077f41jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1328" height="429">The jungle walks also cost the same, but online tourists will accompany guides as they stalk Bardia’s abundant wildlife, including swamp deer, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/gharial-found-breeding-in-nepal-after-37-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/gharial-found-breeding-in-nepal-after-37-years/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1594357294653000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEIYQBRwSOWa8M-2z-Nf4W6e4HCJQ">gharial crocodiles</a>, black bucks, the one-horned rhinoceros. And if it is your lucky day you get rare sightings of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/how-many-tigers-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/how-many-tigers-in-nepal/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1594357294653000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHtkl3oi7lNWkdiK5pDH0J1_c0H9Q">tiger</a> or the endangered Gangetic fresh-water dolphin.In the simulated safaris, guests will follow guides as they go deep into the jungle, peer through undergrowth into clearings, tip-toe along the Karnali’s ox-bow lakes, and wade through grasslands. The guides also explain the various vegetation zones of the National Park, as well as the conservation research efforts underway there with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/its-a-jungle-out-there/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/its-a-jungle-out-there/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1594357294653000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE7QP2qRuO2iUUxucpSDLzbpYP-Kw">Himalayan Tiger Foundation</a> based in The Netherlands.Slightly more expensive at €15 per person are cooking lessons for Nepali-style dal bhat, or Tharu specialities including fresh water mussels, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tharu-escargots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tharu-escargots/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1594357294653000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH5xwj2N_wZNr4Go08dRh6Yxntquw">snails</a> and tiny crabs, accompanied by sesame rice.<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/half-full/re-imagining-tourism-in%20nepal,1103" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Re-imagining tourism</a>, Anil Chitrakar"We try to make the live virtual tours as real as possible with two cameras," Darlami explains. One is a GoPro on the guide so guests see what he sees, while the other focuses on the guide as he describes the tour.  The online excursions use the Zoom application, and last 40 minutes each.Rusticus and Darlami were inspired by the success of virtual city tours and cooking classes in Europe. Says Rusticus: “Their methods and approach to guiding impressed us, so we wanted to bring such tours to our homestay.”Most of those have signed up so far are Dutch tourists among the 400 most recent visitors to the Bardia Homestay, and they have been happy to relive their experience in Nepal.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141132/636bac9f9c7e80680e077f42jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">As information spreads through word of mouth, more and more people are Zooming into Nepal and the Homestay plans to move into the second phase.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/guiding-nepals-tourism-industry/">Guiding Nepal’s tourism industry</a>, Anil Chitrakar“As this is a new experience for us, we are still in the developmental phase,” says Rusticus, “our target group so far has been Dutch nationals but we want to expand now to German, British and others in Europe."Virtual tours also allow Bardia Homestay to generate some revenue and retain employees at a time when most companies in the hospitality business in Nepal have been forced to close or retrench staff.Says Rusticus: “For the moment our virtual tours are just to manage costs during the lockdown so people do not lose jobs. It is not to earn profits.”The fact that people are signing in to the virtual tours may be a model for other crisis-ridden hotels and trekking agencies in Nepal. There can be virtual treks, virtual cultural tours of Kathmandu Valley towns and festivals like Saparu on 4 August this year.There could be virtual pilgrimages to Gosainkunda on Janai Purnima which this year falls on 3 August, or even online day-by-day sightseeing along trekking trails after the rains are over.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/homestay-brings-locals-home/">Homestay brings locals home</a>, Reeti K.C.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/homestays-keep-former-migrants-in-nepal/">Homestays keep former migrants in Nepal</a>, Mukesh Pokhrelinfo@mynepal.online

Visit Nepal (Virtually) 2020

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151116/636a64fd9c7e80680e059908jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="978"/><figcaption>A guest is welcomed at the Ayodhyapuri homestay cooperative located in the Chitwan National Park buffer zone. Photo : WWF</figcaption></figure>Hari Bahadur Pun from Madi Valley in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/how-chitwan-was-opened,4159" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chitwan</a> returned from Malaysia three years ago, and has been running his own homestay since then. He is thankful he made that decision, and spends his day welcoming guests into his home.“The rooms are never empty because guests keep coming and I spend my time taking care of them. This is great work for myself, and good income for the village."The boundary of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/More-trouble-in-Chitwan-National-Park,2956" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chitwan National Park</a> is 1km north of Ayodhyapuri village and the Indian border is to the south. An ongoing problem in the village is wild animals from the park raiding crops, which is why most young people here migrated overseas for employment.But today, homestays have given jobs  to villagers. The guests are visitors from Nepal and abroad attracted by the rustic lifestyle, and <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Conservation-and-tourism-Chitwan-National-Park,2957" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wildlife tourism</a> in Chitwan.Ward Chief Krishna Raj Adhikari says there is no shortage of guests, especially from October to May. Bookings need to be made by July, or visitors won’t find a room. Says homestay operator Om Bahadur Pun Magar, “Many times, we have had to send tourists to hotels after serving them meals but we don’t like it when we have to do that. It spoils the whole homestay experience.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151116/636a65009c7e80680e059909jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="392" height="500"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Many people from the area who had migrated abroad for work have returned to open their own homestays, attracted by the income that can be made in their own houses. Many earn about Rs35,000 per month. The benefits go beyond individual homes. Previously there was no electricity in area villages, and streets were filled with mud during the monsoon and dust in winter. Today, roads are paved, and in the evenings the villages light up because of new solar-powered street lamps.The locals are less dependent on Chitwan National Park as well. “Before the homestay was established, everyone owned cows and buffaloes, and when we went into the jungle for grass we used to have run-ins with army rangers guarding the park,” says Som Maya Pun. “Now, people have stopped raising livestock or stall-feed them, and are busy with running their homestays.”The homestays have also allowed locals to reconnect with their culture. Years ago,Dambar Bahadur Pun, who migrated here from his home in Myagdi in the mountains, joined the Indian Army like many of his forebears. He used to return home every year for 45 days of vacation, travelling from Raxaul through Sauraha. But that trip took at least a month. Tired of spending most of his holiday travelling, he moved to Ayodhyapuri, which is just three hours from his Indian Army base.“We didn’t know much about our culture because we had not seen much of it,” says Khil Bahadur Pun, also from Myagdi. “But after we started our homestay, everyone was interested in the Magar culture again. We reconnected with our roots, and discovered our songs, dances and festivals.”To perform for guests, locals learnt Maruni and Soreti, traditional Magar dances. Now a ‘cultural home’ has been set up so homestay visitors can gather for performances.Supporting homestays can be a way of helping not only local economies but also conservation. People who live near national parks like Chitwan are often poor and rely on farming and livestock. <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/more-rhinos-means-more-encounter,4045" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wild animals put livelihoods at risk</a>. But by providing income from tourism, national parks can ease the burdens on those living around them.Through the Tarai Arc Landscape program, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Nepal supported buffer zone communities to set up homestays, and the Madi cooperative is one of them. The 13 houses have hosted 11,000 visitors in the last three years, and the homestays are marketed by the adventure travel company Intrepid Travel.Tul Bahadur Pun Magar, the secretary of the cooperative and operator of one of the homestays, himself used to work as a driver and a construction supervisor in Bahrain, earning Rs70,000 a month. He is happy to be back near nature, and planning for the future.“Through the homestays, we have learned to live with wild animals. Our guests love to see them and we have realised that they are precious,” he says. With the 13 homestays fairly well-established, Pun Magar has plans to create a bird sanctuary near his village.Many operators of Ayodhyapuri’s homestays are women, who have been empowered by the income and exposure. “We never used to deal with people from outside the household,” says homestay operator Sharmila Rai. “Now we feel confident  engaging with anyone.”While only a few of Ayodhyapuri’s households host homestays, they generate income beyond lodging fees. All vegetables needed for feeding tourists is grown organically in the village, dairy products are made locally, and the fish and poultry are also raised by the village.The growth of economic disparities within the village is a problem faced by homestay programs, particularly in places where for reasons of caste, there is already a socio-economic gap. In Ayodhyapuri, at least, the distribution of income-generating activities as well as the limit of one homestay per operator, seems to be keeping these disparities in check.Read also:<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=37172&amp;preview_nonce=98944df42f&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepalis open doors to a better life,</a> Sanghamitra Subba<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/migrant-worker-finds-farming-in-nepal-more-rewarding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Migrant worker finds farming in Nepal more rewarding</a>, Naresh Newar<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/no-need-to-migrate-for-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No need to migrate for work</a>, Nepali Times

Homestays keep former migrants in Nepal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anNQhlC4690&amp;feature=youtu.beUntil recently it was not unusual for women in villages of Kavre to hide when they saw outsiders approaching. Today, they welcome tourists  to their homes and are even learning English, Italian or Japanese to better communicate with guests.Shila Amatya (below) was already running a beauty parlour in her house in Panauti when a group of women in her community asked if she could help them start homestays as well. She agreed, and they set up their homes.Then the women approached  Royal Mountain Travels (RMT) to ask if the company would help them find clients for their community of homestays. Seven years later, what started as a corporate social responsibility initiative in a town in Kavre has expanded into a full-fledged social enterprise called Community Homestay Network (CHN) with chapters in 22 locations nationwide.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151116/636a65019c7e80680e05990ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="500"/>Guests from around the world can book rooms in homes of Nepali families that belong to the network, from high mountain settlements to the Tarai plains. While the price, activities and accommodations depend on where the homestay  is located, the network ensures that local tourism is promoted and communities benefit.For a chapter to join the network, it must gather 10 homes, agree to follow guidelines and elect a leader. In turn, members are given access to English language classes, a crash course on cleanliness and hygiene, and are informed about the types of activities they should offer guests from various cultures.Families who wish to join a homestay program need to pay a yearly membership fee of Rs10,000 but are given loans from the network’sCommunity Development Fund (CDF) which also helps support member families facing an unexpected financial emergency.The chapters work like cooperatives: from every guest booking, 85% goes back to the community, with most of the revenue staying with the host family, and 20% to the CDF. The remaining 15% goes to the network office in Kathmandu.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151116/636a65039c7e80680e05990bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=37159&amp;preview_nonce=69be119969&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Homestays keep former migrants in Nepal, </a>Mukesh Pokhrel While other homestay programs in the network are slowly gaining traction, at the flagship chapter in Panauti, business is booming. Once unsure of how to act around visitors, women homestay managers now confidently greet tourists in trekking outfits, arriving from destinations as diverse as Denmark and Japan.The Panauti chapter has 17 families and Amatya is current community president. Demand is so great that they have to turn away new members.“As much as we want to let everyone be a part of the homestay network, we have to consider whether they would be a good fit to host guests,” she explains. “We have to be stricter with our standards, and to continue having guests leave satisfied, we have to limit membership.”Those high standards are not the only reason why the Panauti program is thriving. It is also the charm of this historical Newa town with its melange of lifestyles, people, cultures and festivals, located at the intersection of urban and rural life in Nepal.A well-kept museum with historical and cultural artefacts is walking distance from a river where ducks paddle away the day. Guests can take a five-hour hike through up-country Tamang villages led by a local guide, enjoy cultural dance performances, learn about the rich traditions of one of the oldest towns in Nepal and marvel at temples and stupas, while having access to wifi, western-style bathrooms, home cooked meals and cafes.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151116/636a65089c7e80680e05990cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1049"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Biju Sainju (below, left) was a single mother raising two daughters and caring for her in-laws with the little income she made in the shop on the ground floor of her home in Panauti. Things were difficult, but she made ends meet.After she joined the network, she had enough money to send her daughters to a good school.“At first I was scared because I didn’t know much about it. I had to attend the English classes and felt nervous,” says Sainju, recounting how she has learned Italian words like pepe nero and zenzero to make it easier for her guests from Italy to follow her cooking classes.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151116/636a650b9c7e80680e05990djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1022"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151116/636a650f9c7e80680e05990ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="492" height="500">“Joining the network has changed my life and my daughters’ lives,” Sainju says.Kumari Tamang (left) is equally thrilled to be a part of the Panauti chapter. “I really enjoy having conversations with the guests. They love hearing our life stories and are fascinated by how we live in a joint family,” she says.Poonam Gupta, impact manager at CHN, gets emotional just thinking about how people’s lives have changed because of the network, including that of her own family.A local of Panauti, Gupta became interested in tourism when she began helping her mother with homestay guests. She started acting as a translator and tour guide, and was then offered the job at CHN.“I have experienced firsthand the impact of homestay tourism on my community,” she tells us.The benefits spread beyond individual homes to the community. When homestay owners buy more produce from local vendors and guests shop from local stores, tourism income is injected directly into the grassroots.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151116/636a65139c7e80680e05990fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Says Shila Amatya: “I am happy knowing that other women in my community and in homestay networks all over Nepal have the chance to earn money, send children to good schools, improve their homes, get involved in the community and most importantly, do something themselves.”Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/homestay-brings-locals-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Homestay brings locals home</a>, Reeti K.C.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/hiking-up-the-benefits-of-tourism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hiking up the benefits of tourism</a>, Sangmin Kim

Nepalis open doors to a better life

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141148/636a5eff9c7e80680e056dfdjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="925"/><figcaption>Photo: DWARIKA'S HOTEL</figcaption></figure>With so many Nepalis living outside of the country, those of us who remain are often asked what keeps us here. The standard answer is: home food. Which is why it is sad to see many menus featuring the same momos, chowmein and fried rice, when we have so much culinary heritage on offer.We live a country where food is regarded as sustenance, and not a luxury. We eat to live. We eat when we arrive at a place where food is being served, not necessarily when we are hungry.Nepal is synonymous with the Himalaya, and more recently the world has woken up to the fact that we also have plains in the south and a plateau to the north. It is our unique location the gives Nepal its ethnic and culinary diversity. Which is why we must position our food as a product, service and a true lifetime experience.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=34079&amp;preview_nonce=2924ca6ef5&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Exploring Nepal’s culinary diversity,</a> Kedar Sharma and Kiran Sharma<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/tharu-escargots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tharu escargots</a>, Sewa BhattaraiWe have so much more than dal bhat -- why have we kept all those dishes hidden from the world? Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese food are now served all over the world why have we not  branded Nepali cuisine? Thakali and Newari restaurants are doing well, others should follow.At Lakeside in Pokhara, there is a restaurant called Fresh Elements that sources local ingredients to create world-class meals. At Dhakhwa House in Patan visitors prepare, cook and enjoy a great meal as part of the homestay package. Bhojan Griha in Dillibazar has been serving Nepali food with local music and folk dances for many years now.At the award-winning Dwarika's Hotel, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/review/food-review-Krishnarpan-Dwarikas,2542">the Krishnarpan 18-course dinner </a>(pictured above) is now a global brand and a lifetime experience. The yogurt of Bhaktapur, the sisno (nettle) soup on trek routes, millet, buckwheat and Tibetan bread, are all part of many menus now.We need to involve creative chefs who will help transform these and many more local ingredients into world-class dining experiences. We could develop our own Nepali version of Masterchef Australia.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=33917&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The superfoods of the Andes and the Himalaya,</a> Sonia Awale<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f039c7e80680e056dfejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="393" height="377">We want to see Nepal’s globally unique culinary heritage featured as a separate and stand-alone tourism offering. It can be done with a bit of creativity and entrepreneurial skills from tour operators, such as the growing trend of cooking classes for tourists.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-superfoods-of-the-andes-and-the-himalaya/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Exploring Nepal’s culinary diversity,</a> Kedar Sharma and Kiran Sharma<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/tharu-escargots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tharu escargots,</a> Sewa BhattaraiDal bhat is all well and good but Nepal can offer so much more. We have some of the most unique spices and ingredients found nowhere else in the world. In Humla, for example, you can walk a whole morning across a meadow where thyme grows as far as the eye can see. Jhimbu gives Nepali dal the aroma and taste that Indian lentil cannot match. Mustang potatoes and lapsi are now much sought after.Global and domestic visitors travel to experiment, learn, have new and unique experiences, take photos, show off to friends and family back home, and then tell stories for the rest of their lives. A few may even write articles, or even a book, depending on how the experiences impacts them. Let us make Nepali food one of their ‘unforgettables’.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/satisfying-trekker-appetite-for-adventure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Satisfying trekker appetite for adventure,</a> Sanghamitra Subba<a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/could-nepali-cuisine-go-global/">Could Nepali cuisine go global?</a>, Thomas HeatenBranding Nepal as a culinary destination will create new jobs, help our farmers grow high-value ingredients, keep tourists here longer longer and spend more. It will also give Chainpur and Palpa brass dishes a boost, along with dhaka napkins and tablecloth.Many local ingredients will find their way to the global marketplace along with the handcrafted serving plates and pans, ranging from clay to silverware. Everyone has to eat, why not make it a very unique truly Nepali experience?Anil Chitrakar is the President of Siddharthinc

Anil Chitrakar

Much more than dal bhat

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110814114/636a54819c7e80680e0523b2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"/><figcaption>Photos:REETI K.C</figcaption></figure>Beads of sweat roll down the forehead when the 30-minute hike up the steep path ends. Villagers in traditional Gurung attire welcome guests with marigold garlands in front of a big signboard that reads Kalabang Gharedi Community Homestay to the accompaniment of flutes and drums.After the ceremony, musicians and the locals of Kalabang guide guests further into the village. The steep pathway is surrounded by trees and the air is fresh.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/trails-less-travelled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trails less travelled</a>, Joy Stephens <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/hiking-up-the-benefits-of-tourism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hiking up the benefits of tourism</a>, Sangmin KimKalabang is a sanctuary from the city, yet explored by few in Pokhara. Lying at the edge of Pokhara Municipality, the village borders Phewa Lake to the east and the forested ridge that forms the border of Syangja district to the west.Pokhara is known for Phewa and Begnas boat rides, Sarangkot sunrise, World Peace Pagoda views and Lakeside nights but a little further afield, and visitors get a glimpse of what Pokhara Valley may have been like before tourists got there. Less than an hour away from Lakeside, Kalabang is a world away.Prakash Gurung who set up the homestay community calls the village ‘untouched’, and it is clear what he means by it. Even the mobile signal is erratic, and the houses are of the traditional round mud architecture and thatch roofs.The village offers 18 houses for homestay, 11 of those are from the Gurung community, six from Brahmin ones and a Dalit household. In total there are 32 rooms with 85 beds, and 6 houses have attached bathrooms and hot/cold showers. What makes Kalabang special is its authenticity: the traditional houses are set amidst a lush backdrop, the food served is organic and the smiles are more genuine.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Green-growth-of-local-for-local-buy-local,3558" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Of local, for local, buy local</a>, Smriti BasnetThe host families grow their own crops and serve them in dishes such as kodo ko selroti (millet), bhuteko makai (roasted corn), and fresh greens.Till 60 years ago, Kalabang had 280 families, but outmigration to the cities, young Gurung men left to join the British or Indian Armies, Singapore Police or the forces in Brunei. The depopulation led to Kalabang’s school to merge with another nearby.After 2010 there was a bit of a revival after the Bhagawati Basic School was established, this stopped the children leaving for schooling in Pokhara. "Since 2010, no one has left for the citiy," says Gurung, who is also the chair of the school management committee.The other solution to keeping villagers in the village was to start the homestay program, so there was employment and income. "This was an ideal solution. We started it but did not know how to run it so we received training from a non-profit group,” added Gurung, explaining that families earned up to Rs30,000 per month on average through homestay guests. “There are jobs here now, there is no need to migrate.”Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/paying-an-arm-and-a-leg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paying an arm and a leg</a>, Om Astha Rai<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/bargaining-power/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bargaining Power</a>, Editorial <h2>Friends of Shangri-la</h2>Pokhara’s <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=1742#.XWe3KOMzaUk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Desmond Doig-designed Shangri-La Hotel</a> has been around for nearly 30 years, and many of its staff are from Pokhara Valley itself. Quite a few are from Kalabang, a village on the other side of Phewa Lake which today keeps much of its traditional charm in festivals, architecture and culture. However, there has been a big outmigration of young people to the city or overseas for work.Now, the hotel is supporting the Kalabang Gharedi Community Homestay (left) a local initiative to use tourism to create jobs so people will stay. The village is now seeing a revival of its culture and economy because of the homestay initiative.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110814114/636a54849c7e80680e0523b3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Last month, the group Friends of Shangri-La Hotel made a hike to Kalabang to see how the village was doing, and to generate publicity for it. “The visit showed us the many attractions that Kalabang has for visitors, we got feedback from guests and the community, and it was good for promotion,” said Babita Pandey of Shangri-La Kathmandu.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/go-gyakok/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Go Gyakok</a>, Sikuma Rai

Homestay brings locals home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71XPUVKrJr4&amp;feature=youtu.beEver since trekking first started in Nepal 60 years ago, social entrepreneurs have tried various ways to maximise the benefits of tourism to local communities. The latest is a Korean initiative that promotes culture and agriculture so visitors get a unique experience of rural life in the Himalaya.The project called ‘Nepal Hike Village’ hopes to give tourists more than just mountain views, and augment it with Nepal’s other famous attraction: it’s hospitality. Visitors stay with local farmers, learn about organic agriculture and tea cultivation, and take part in traditional festivals in the mountain villages near Pokhara. “The biggest benefit of homestay is to blend with the real life of rural Nepal which I would not have appreciated if I had gone to the usual tourists attractions,” says Jihoon Lee, a Korean teacher. “I plan to come back to Nepal with my students and share this rich social experience.” <figure><img width="1400" height="679" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101128/636a21789c7e80680e041741jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: ARJUN ADHIKARI</figcaption></figure>Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/trails-less-travelled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trails less travelled</a>, Joy Stephens<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/municipalities-want-to-manage-annapurna/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Municipalities want to manage Annapurna</a>, Yuvaraj ShresthaOne recent morning a group of Korean tourists climbed up from the road to the village of Lwang Ghale. They are scheduled to stay one night in House Number 11, take a pleasant ridge walk the next day through forests and a panoramic view of the Annapurna range, and eat local food and learn about growing tea.  <figure><img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101128/636a217b9c7e80680e041742jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>There are now 12 households in Lwang who are running homestays and the families have received basic training in hospitality. In the evening there is music and dancing that Pokhara is famous for. Arjun Adhikari, the local guide, whispers to visitors whether they would like a taste of the local raksi brew. The tea garden is on a slope alongside rice terraces, and Jinseon Im is excited about this part of the visit because she is a tea sommelier who has been educated in tea's history and making tea in Korea. The garden pays attention to making its tea chemical-free and is sensitive to workers’ rights.  <figure><img width="1400" height="933" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101128/636a217e9c7e80680e041743jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Despite producing high-quality tea, the garden has not made much profit. “I am involved in tea production, and from today’s experience I have understood more about tea cultivation in Nepal and the pickers,” says Jinseon. “Since tea does not sell well, producers have no choice but to conduct it as a side-business. It’s a pity.”)Nepal Hike Village was the brainchild of Yunmi Seo, a Pokhara-based volunteer with the Korean aid agency, KOICA promoting community-based tourism. After the 2015 earthquake, she investigated existing tourism products around Pokhara, researched the trails in person, and tried to find out visitors’ expectations and experiences, met local people to find out about their needs.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/repairing-rural-roads-nepal-earthquake,3985" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Repairing Rural Roads</a>  <figure><img width="960" height="720" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101128/636a21829c7e80680e041744jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>She found that many visitors did not have time for a long trek, and were looking for a meaningful immersion into rural life in Nepal, away from the commercialism of mass tourism. Nepal Hike Village is promoting eight short hikes, including the Accessible Trek, the first in Nepal for people with disabilities and the elderly. Now it is even popular among families with children as well.  <figure><img width="1000" height="750" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101128/636a21849c7e80680e041745jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="1000" height="750" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101128/636a21879c7e80680e041746jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Yunmi Seo is promoting the hikes through a website, brochures and by introducing the products to tour agencies in Pokhara. Already the Nepal Hike Village is augmenting the incomes of villagers, mainly women who now run households because the menfolk are working overseas. It is the women who greet visitors as they arrive, organise the food and cultural events.“Sustainability is an important part of this work. There is a limit to what a short-term projects can achieve, so we are building strong local leadership willing to improve the current situation,” says Yunmi Seo, whose stint with KOICA ends in May. <figure><img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101128/636a218a9c7e80680e041747jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Tham Bahadur Chhantyel is the manager with Lwang Ghale homestay, and says host families are as delighted with the visitors who have come, and the extra income is always helpful. He adds: “Our best advertisement is our guests telling others how much they enjoyed staying with us. But it will help if you write about us and spread the word.”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/hiking-with-jimmy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hiking with Jimmy</a>, Lisa Choegyal<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-tamu-trek-trail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Tamu Trek Trail</a>, Jit Gurung<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/go-take-a-hike/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Go take a hike</a>, Sewa Bhattarai

Hiking up the benefits of tourism

Nepal’s only international aviation gateway, at Kathmandu airport, will cut night-time operation hours to allow construction of taxiways, and airlines have been told to curtail flights. This is expected to lead to more than normal chaos during the height of peak autumn and spring tourist seasons at an airport that is congested even at the best of times. The airport will close from 10PM to 8AM from 8 November-31 March 2025. The taxiways will now connect to the thresholds at both ends of the runway, making the airport more efficient in handling higher frequencies of landings and takeoffs. The parallel taxiway extension will allow international flights to land every 4 minutes instead of the current every 7 minutes. At present planes have to wait to land until a plane taking off backtracks along the runway.&nbsp; Kathmandu is Nepal’s only airport with international operations, and it has only one runway that is only one way in from the south over the mountains. With the taxiway improvement, the airport will be able to handle 42 aircraft landings and takeoffs per hour — double the current capacity.&nbsp; The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has been trying to entice international airlines to also start flying to and from the other two international airports at Pokhara and Bhairawa (Lumbini) by slashing landing and handling charges. But so far only Nepal Airlines operates a weekly flight to Bhairawa from Kuala Lumpur.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241018161016_046569e53d1d66cd445cc66c697c0ef724810aec9f54bdf827481e3cd6b80c32.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20241018161016_046569e53d1d66cd445cc66c697c0ef724810aec9f54bdf827481e3cd6b80c32" data-rendition-name="original" width="2356" height="1134" loading="lazy" alt="Kathmandu airport expansion"> <figcaption>Kathmandu Airport Expansion plan with extension of taxiways to the thresholds of runways 02 and 20 that will limit airport operations from 8 November 2024 - 31 March 2025. Areas in blue are existing structures, including the international terminal which in future will be the domestic airport, and the new international terminal near the north end of the runway,</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241018121028_6e17cc2ee87c1b02d78cb54905825b7aa15299b7a00f5eddb01a59579ab85c1a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20241018121028_6e17cc2ee87c1b02d78cb54905825b7aa15299b7a00f5eddb01a59579ab85c1a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1353" height="1328" loading="lazy" alt="Kathmandu airport NT"> </figure>  CAAN has reportedly told international airlines to cut their flight frequency to Kathmandu citing the shorter operation hours and has told budget airlines to shift some of their flights to Pokhara or Bhairawa, or face cuts. Many airlines currently operate regular flights to and from Kathmandu between 10PM and 8AM: Air Arabia to Sharjah, Fly Dubai to Dubai, Jazeera Airways to Kuwait, Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong, Singapore Airlines, several Nepal Airlines flights, and one of four daily flights by Qatar Airways to Doha. Jazeera Airways, FlyDubai, and Thai AirAsia have applied and got permission from CAAN to begin regular flights to Bhairawa’s Gautam Buddha International Airport. Starting 9 November, FlyDubai will start making a stopover in Bhairawa before flying on to Kathmandu. Immigration, customs and security are all fully functional in Bhairawa. In Kathmandu, the next phase of the airport upgrade includes converting the current international terminal for domestic operations, the construction of a new international terminal where the domestic departure area is now, as well as moving the hangars and the Nepal Army Air Wing to the eastern side of the runway. The apron area will also double its parking space for widebody jets. This is part of a Airport Capacity Enhancement Project that was initially funded through a $80 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the entire masterplan is expected to cost $800 million. This project is the latest upgrade to Nepal’s only international airport since it saw its first flight in 1949. The current international and domestic terminals are too small to handle the current annual traffic volume of 8.5 million passengers a year that is growing at 20% a year.

Kathmandu airport to cut flight hours

As Kathmandu becomes more congested and polluted, and with remote online work becoming the norm, many professional Nepalis are planning to retire in Pokhara, or move there.&nbsp; With its stunning mountain panorama, balmy winters and proximity to a profusion of wilderness areas, builders are responding to this demand with new townhouses, housing development and apartments. One such block of flats is the 10-storey <a href="https://sungavaapartment.com/">Sungava Apartment</a> located at Phulbari above the Seti River, near the point where it flows into and under Pokhara. The imposing structure near Manipal Hospital is almost complete, and on a recent visit the site was strewn with huge boulders unearthed while digging the foundation.&nbsp; The Seti brought down these boulders during a gigantic flood that geologists estimate happened 800 years ago when a chunk of Annapurna IV broke off and ploughed into the glacier below. Today, Sungava (means ‘orchid’) sits safely on a high terrace, 100m above the blue-green Seti and commands a view of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna South, Machapuchre, Annapurna III and IV.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024102411104_5f8fc736c86ea3c08d7bef43bb727081d3cc1a2caa55ae2b441717e6044de7e9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024102411104_5f8fc736c86ea3c08d7bef43bb727081d3cc1a2caa55ae2b441717e6044de7e9" data-rendition-name="original" width="2016" height="1512" loading="lazy" alt="High living below the Himalaya NT"> </figure>  The soil here is conglomerate that has solidified like concrete, and the boulders were extracted by heavy earthmovers. It is intriguing to think that these metamorphic rocks as big as cars, rounded by glacial grinding, were once a part of a much higher Annapurna IV. Even for those with little interest in geology, Sungava is an ideal place to contemplate the tectonic forces that pushed these peaks into the sky to be sculpted into delicate shapes by wind, snow, earthquake and avalanche over millions of years. The view of the Himalayan panorama from Sungava’s many balconies are breathtaking when not obscured by clouds, or the haze that drifts in from across the southern border. On most days, just watching the towering pyramid of Machapuchre (Tamu name: कतासुँ क्लिको) play hide and seek with the clouds is mesmerising. There are rocks aplenty at Phulbari, and it is probably the flowers that grew along the flat terraces e that gave the place its flowery name. The boulders will hopefully be turned into a rock garden while landscaping. An nearby restaurant complex is making the best use of the stones in its design, using flat rocks as outdoor benches and tables. Sungava was designed by the husband-wife architect team of Deepak Sherchan and Jyoti Joshi of <a href="https://thedarkmermaidamarbshrestha.blogspot.com/2013/12/creative-builders-collaborative-cbc.html">Creative Builders Collaborative (CBC)</a>, which also built Heritage Plaza, Indreni Apartment and numerous other projects in Nepal. Sadbhavana retains CBC’s trademark Newari-style masonry and here it borrows from the orange brickwork of the old town of Pokhara, integrating it with modern design elements. A few of those heritage houses are still standing in Ganesh Tole and Ram Krishna Tole in Pokhara’s old quarter.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024102411108_5eb64a4885961b6d30781cefeb1e8a313da313ac5227c7a66b60f0c7d48d6fab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2024102411108_5eb64a4885961b6d30781cefeb1e8a313da313ac5227c7a66b60f0c7d48d6fab" data-rendition-name="original" width="1362" height="595" loading="lazy" alt="High living below the Himalaya NT"> </figure>  About 400m from the apartment past a bend on the river, and down below three tiers of terraces in the canyon is a suspension bridge. Below it, the Seti is still swollen with post-monsoon flow as it tumbles away in a hurry to head down south.&nbsp; Back at the apartment, it is quiet, far away from the hubbub of Lakeside a 15 minute drive away, and in the lap of greenery. There are 52 units at Sungava and it already has a close-knit prospective community of professionals, including doctors, publishers, engineers, and businesspeople from the renewable energy and IT sectors.&nbsp; Some residents say they opted for a second home in Pokhara to make it a ‘base camp’ to explore the Annapurnas with its many hiking trails made newly accessible with new roads. With the NRN citizenship law, overseas Nepalis can now also buy the flats. &nbsp; The floor plans include options for north and south-facing 3-bedroom apartments with verandas, and the facility has underground parking has EV charging, heated pool, sauna and gym. There are still some unsold apartments with panoramic views of the mountains and one can imagine oneself at the kitchen with its huge window, humming a ditty while preparing breakfast: “खाना पकाउँ हिमाल हेरेर...”

High living below the Himalaya

When the United Nations held its Summit of the Future at its headquarters in New York in September, many world leaders, including Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Oli, highlighted the effect of climate breakdown in increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. What did not get as much attention was the long term impact of the climate crisis on food production. In fact, heat stress, weather extremes and the consequences on rain-fed agriculture is already being felt worldwide, undermining the chances of the <a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/">UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</a> being met by 2030.&nbsp; The SDG’s 17 targets commit countries like Nepal to reduce poverty and inequality, end malnutrition, protect the natural environment, and ensure that citizens all enjoy health, justice and prosperity without leaving anyone behind.&nbsp; However, besides the impact of climate breakdown on agricultural production, in Nepal the area under cultivation is impacted by urban expansion, falling productivity and the need for expensive inputs like fertiliser and pesticides.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241019041052_626413c5baf4dae407ac9579231b41daeb51510aa636b75aeb7489d94cca6a62.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20241019041052_626413c5baf4dae407ac9579231b41daeb51510aa636b75aeb7489d94cca6a62" data-rendition-name="original" width="999" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> <figcaption>Kathmandu's urban sprawl is eating into its fertile cultivable lands. Photo: TAYLOR MASON</figcaption> </figure>  Now, a new study led by Nepali researcher Prajal Pradhan at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands looks at how urban agriculture may offer a solution to falling food production and meeting SDG targets. The researchers evaluated 1,450 publications exploring the contributions of urban agriculture with both positive and negative effects, and published their findings in the journal Cells Report Sustainability. Urban agriculture can help achieve 17 SDGs, positively influencing 81 targets. However, it could also undermine 51 goals.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-vanishing-land">The vanishing land</a>, Taylor Mason “Urban agriculture offers immense potential for sustainable development, but realising this potential depends crucially on adopting practices that minimise its adverse effects while maximising its benefits,” Pradhan explains. Urban agriculture can substantially enhance urban food security, provide employment to the urban poor, serve as ground water recharge in built-up areas, and preserve open spaces that can serve as safe havens during disasters like earthquakes. However, it also presents problems like the potential health risks from contamination and the need for expensive inputs. &nbsp; “Urban agriculture plays a definitive role in advancing the SDGs, but achieving this requires tailored, context-specific solutions that address the unique challenges of different regions,” says Yuanchao Hu of Wuhan University in China and who is a researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “But it needs equitable access and rigorous management of environmental risks.”&nbsp; Rapid urbanisation is eating into Nepal’s most fertile agricultural land, which means farming in remaining open spaces inside cities can be a viable alternative, especially as food prices rise.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241019041052_7b7c9413086226fbdc630d45acf772cfa1ced77a8970b9056ec5ec7e5226fdf8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20241019041052_7b7c9413086226fbdc630d45acf772cfa1ced77a8970b9056ec5ec7e5226fdf8" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="999" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> <figcaption>A vegetable patch in between new houses in Thimi. Photo: TAYLOR MASON</figcaption> </figure>  “The conversion of Nepal’s most fertile land into cities is a severe problem,” Pradhan told Nepali Times. “Crop cultivation, horticulture, agroforestry, beekeeping, livestock rearing, or aquaculture can all be farming activities within and around cities.”&nbsp; The study makes recommendations for sustainable practices that build on the positive aspects of urban agriculture while mitigating the downsides, thereby promoting more resilient cities in future. Research shows that urban agriculture has been helping many countries attain SDG targets by enhancing food security and biodiversity while helping education and preservation of open spaces.&nbsp; Indeed, many farmers from the hinterland who have settled in Kathmandu Valley or other urban areas of the country have been practicing urban agriculture, leasing neighbourhood patches or cultivating roof gardens both out of necessity because of inflation and falling income to grow their own food, and also as a fulfilling hobby. Saurav Dhakal, a sustainability advocate with Story Cycle and now research fellow at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, says there are socio-economic and environmental benefits of urban agriculture. “It provides benefits to all urban dwellers, regardless of their income status,” says Dhakal, “families get fresh food, and there are many other benefits like water retention, heat regulation and biodiversity. These are all public goods, so special government incentives may be needed.” It is not unusual to see vegetable patches and even paddy fields within inner city Kathmandu where an older generation of farmers are using available fertile land and <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/rooftop-gardens-kathmandu,1415">roof gardens to produce fresh, nutritious food </a>to reduce their dependence on food items that have to be bought after being trucked in from large distances.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024101905100_1291ce98dbbb8caed8702ac4b1d469b3e13016d7ecaaf3bfd5f91c974d3c0c77.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2024101905100_1291ce98dbbb8caed8702ac4b1d469b3e13016d7ecaaf3bfd5f91c974d3c0c77" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="999" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> <figcaption>An older generation of farmers are using any available fertile land to continue farming but it is getting more and more difficult. Photo: TAYLOR MASON </figcaption> </figure>  Nepal’s urban population grew rapidly from only 3.6% in 1991 to 25% today. There is large outmigration from the mountains to peri-urban areas of the Tarai, to Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara, with many young men then moving abroad for work. Kathmandu Valley’s population has swelled to nearly 3 million, and is growing at 6.5% a year. Dilip Shrestha, 71, used to work for Nepal Food Corporation, so he knew firsthand about inflation, shortages and vegetables with pesticide residue. So, when he designed his new house in Kathmandu, he built a spacious roof where he grows cucumber, ginger, garlic, coriander, onions, tomatoes, chili, beans, okra, pumpkin and lettuce. His family eats healthier, and he has reduced dependence on the market.&nbsp; The co-author of the Cell Reports Sustainability journal article, Daya Raj Subedi who is a PhD candidate at Beijing Forestry University, says urban agriculture also promotes inclusion and psycho-social wellbeing.&nbsp; He says, “A crucial finding of the study is the identification of opportunities and challenges associated with urban agriculture, it can promote sustainable transformation of society.” In Banepa, 55-year-old Bijaya Manandhar in her lifetime has watched the fertile farms of her neighbourhood that used to supply vegetables to Kathmandu, now completely built up with no open space left. The pandemic lockdown prompted her to turn to the family’s <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/rooftop-agriculture-on-the-roof-of-the-world">ancestral livelihood by growing food</a> not on terrace farms, but on the roof terrace. Manandhar is now a part of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/rooftop-agriculture-on-the-roof-of-the-world%5C%5C">कौसी खेती र करेसाबारी क्रान्ती</a> (Rooftop Farming and Garden Revolution) which has an online membership of 52,000, and awards annual prizes to women who excel in urban agriculture.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241019041052_7257f5def8f823f35a799fa6f6825e153f2ffa406ac11325d4fe74049b79e96d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20241019041052_7257f5def8f823f35a799fa6f6825e153f2ffa406ac11325d4fe74049b79e96d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="736" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> <figcaption>Rooftop farming is gaining popularity as a form of urban agriculture. </figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241019041052_beff1a4494ce896dd8fd383ee1f518e5448bcf7ea8bb138255391c7bcb9769ed.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20241019041052_beff1a4494ce896dd8fd383ee1f518e5448bcf7ea8bb138255391c7bcb9769ed" data-rendition-name="original" width="4000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="urban agriculture in Kathmandu"> </figure>  Pradhan says the challenge now is to upscale such examples of successful urban agricultural practices so they support Neal’s efforts to meet SDG targets. He adds, “Crop cultivation around cities can be protected by land use plans and regulations. Promoting community-based agriculture, including rooftop gardens, requires community engagement and public-private partnerships across the food value chain.”&nbsp; Such support would accelerate the popularity of existing rooftop farming and community gardens in Kathmandu Valley, or kitchen garden initiatives in Pokhara, and building on traditional farming practices that are preserved and integrated into urban settings like in Bhaktapur and Banepa. In Lalitpur, the Women Entrepreneurship Facilitation Center promotes urban farming enhancing both sustainability and empowerment.&nbsp; Another co-author of the report, Yuanchao Hu from China says followup research of the team will aim to identify good practices in local urban agriculture practices. He adds, “There are examples of urban agriculture that optimise sustainability, ensuring that it remains a viable solution for cities globally while countries try to meet SDG targets.” Prajal Pradhan, Daya Raj Subedi, Kshitij Dahal, Yuanchao Hu, Prakriti Gurung, Sijal Pokharel, Sagar Kafle, Biplav Khatri, Sudeeksha Basyal, Monika Gurung, and Aruna Joshi. Urban Agriculture matters for sustainable development. Cell Reports Sustainability, 1:100217, 2024. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crsus.2024.100217] Prajal Pradhan (<a href="mailto:p.pradhan@rug.nl">p.pradhan@rug.nl</a>) This article is brought to you by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/" target="_blank">Nepali Times</a>, in collaboration with <a href="https://inpsjapan.com/en/" target="_blank">INPS Japan</a> and <a href="https://sgi-peace.org/" target="_blank">Soka Gakkai International</a>, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240630110640_30c3782f9c09219bf1c249b51483a3cfb7a53a06d117d2aebd23ca7080d12758.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20240630110640_30c3782f9c09219bf1c249b51483a3cfb7a53a06d117d2aebd23ca7080d12758" data-rendition-name="original" width="680" height="103" loading="lazy" alt="SDG logo"> </figure>

Back to the land in the cities

The 700-year-old Lakshmi Narasingha temple in Bhaktapur houses a rare half-lion and half-human incarnation of Lord Vishnu carrying the Goddess Lakshmi. The temple was destroyed in the 1934 mega earthquake that killed 10,000 people and destroyed many monuments in Kathmandu Valley. It was rebuilt by a German project in the 1980s, but as a single-storey structure instead of its original two-tier pagoda design.&nbsp; With new findings from in-depth research, Bhaktapur municipality began re-restoring the temple in 2021, preserving its original architecture.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241017131016_2fae38cce543ad7b1f6de632feb3e212e08ed1acedd747830e949d7b8e878f18.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20241017131016_2fae38cce543ad7b1f6de632feb3e212e08ed1acedd747830e949d7b8e878f18" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="In with the old in Nepal NT"> </figure>  “Our temples and heritage sites hold deep meaning. It is disheartening to witness how often they lose their original elements, whether by design or accident,” explains Kumar Chawal of the Consumer Committee of Bhaktapur. “There is a need to preserve our architecture and protect its historical value for future generations. Otherwise, we risk losing a vital part of our identity.” The Laksmi Narsingha restoration is similar to the Bhai Dega temple in Patan Darbar Square which also collapsed in 1934, but was rebuilt with a Moghul-style dome by the Rana government at the time. Only two months before the 2015 earthquake, heritage conservationists had started to rebuild Bhai Dega as the original three-tier based on early photographs. But priorities shifted when four other temples in the square were brought down by the 7.8M earthquake on 25 April 2015.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241017131016_697ea707d9ad163be5de5f2efbf5b70d3cab771adcc22f0fae6bf937c6cb0130.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20241017131016_697ea707d9ad163be5de5f2efbf5b70d3cab771adcc22f0fae6bf937c6cb0130" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="In with the old in Nepal NT"> </figure>  This showed how damage to monuments in Kathmandu Valley spanned from one earthquake to the next. Bhai Dega restoration remains half-complete to this day because money for its restoration ran out.&nbsp; Whereas Bhai Dega restoration was done by the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust with grants from western embassies and international foundations, in Bhaktapur it is the municipality itself that allocated the Rs30.7 million needed to restore the Lakshmi Narasingha temple. The expected date of completion is early 2025. The municipality and local communities are focusing on two main aspects: preserving the past and promoting localisation. The restoration team has designed a blueprint for the temple by using historical photographs and insights from older generations.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241017131016_182882fdc393c99e70d1d0490319e415229563666c4934e3a582426ebf00ca30.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241017131016_182882fdc393c99e70d1d0490319e415229563666c4934e3a582426ebf00ca30" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="560" loading="lazy" alt="In with the old in Nepal NT"> </figure>  “At first, the Lakshmi Narasingha temple had only one entrance, but during the demolition process, we uncovered the foundations of four doors. Now, we are restoring all of them. This is an example of how our ancient structures have changed over time, often without our knowledge,” says Chawal. “Constructing temples is not like building houses. They carry historical and spiritual values, which is why they hold a special place in our hearts,” he adds. By replicating ancient design elements and rebuilding the temple as accurately as possible to its original form, the team has stayed true to Bhaktapur’s soul. But the restoration also revived ancient techniques that were in danger of being forgotten, generating employment for woodcarvers, masons, and contractors. The community of Bhaktapur’s Gahiti neighbourhood near the famous Nyatapola Temple has also set aside specific days for locals to volunteer in the reconstruction work. This has encouraged young people to take pride in ownership of their heritage. Families have also supported the effort by donating funds for bells, the temple pinnacle, and other structural features to the temple.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241017131016_db850ec0c084cdbe54f65bee92dad2ad8122d20fd60ec87ec086fbb9d2f72bd6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20241017131016_db850ec0c084cdbe54f65bee92dad2ad8122d20fd60ec87ec086fbb9d2f72bd6" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="In with the old in Nepal NT"> </figure>  “I feel at peace knowing I have contributed my sweat to restoring this temple,” said one volunteer. “It is our duty to preserve our temples and heritage. The Nyatapola area will look magical once this temple is completed.” Community mobilisation is a long-standing tradition in Bhaktapur. In the past, locals have actively participated in the restoration of other temples in the city, such as Bhairav and Nyatapola fostering a strong sense of ownership. This collective engagement has not only been crucial in preserving the city's historical monuments but also in strengthening the bond between local communities and their heritage, says officials at the municipality. While securing funding is essential, and the municipality showed it values heritage conservation, the Lakshmi Narasingha restoration is proof that active involvement and sense of responsibility of the local community is as important, if not more. Local involvement also means that the monuments will be cared for into the future, When locals take ownership of these efforts, the restored monuments are not only protected in the present but are also cared for in the future.