<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238229c7e80680e0c736cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"/><figcaption>The Gurju Paltan getting ready to kick off the Kumari chariot parade. ALL PHOTOS: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption></figure>Patan has Rato Machindranath, Bhaktapur has Biska, and the Newā people of Kathmandu have Yen yā as their biggest festival.Also known as Indra Jatra, the eight-day centuries old festival is marked by various masked dance prades representing different deities and demons performed in the choks and dabalis of the ancient town.The temples and intersections are lined with oblation of samaya baji and the chariots of Kumari, Bharaiv and Ganesh are paraded around different parts of town on different days.There are many origin stories of the festival, the more common of which is the one where Lord Indra comes to Kathmandu Valley disguised as a human, in search of a parijat flower for his mother Dagini. The locals catch him and parade him in the town center.Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-legend-behind-the-myth-of-indra-jatra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The legend behind the myth of Indra Jatra</a>, Desmond DoigA part of the festival is an reenactment of this legend with a representative idol of Indra at the city center, pulu kishi, the white elephant going around town searching for his master and Dagini coming down to earth in search of her son.Some version also say that the festival is the worship of nature and ancestors. In Indra Chok, the Aju dya diety, commonly known as Akash Bhairav, the male ancestor of the indigenous Newā people, is brought down from his sanctum and kept in a raised platform for eight days.Lesser known than Kathmandu, Bhaktapur too celebrates Indra Jatra for eight days a part of which involves taking the idol if Goddess Indrayani for rituals and a Dipawali.Here are some of the different dances and aspects of Yen ya captured by Nepali Times photojournalist Suman Nepali.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238259c7e80680e0c736djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1406"><figcaption>Living god Ganesh looks out of a window during Indra Jatra festival in Kathmandu.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238289c7e80680e0c736ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"><figcaption>Living goddess Kumari during the Indra Jatra Festival</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/6372382b9c7e80680e0c736fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"><figcaption>People gather at Basantapur Darbar Square to view the chariot procession and masked dances.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/6372382f9c7e80680e0c7370jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1428"><figcaption>Devotees pull the chariots of Ganesh, Bhairav and Kumari.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238329c7e80680e0c7371jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1234"><figcaption>President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Mayor of Kathmandu Balen Shah and Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Sunita Dangol with other dignitaries in Gaddi Baithak.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238359c7e80680e0c7372jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1296"><figcaption>Halchok Bhairav dance</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238389c7e80680e0c7373jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"><figcaption>Pulu Kisi</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/6372383b9c7e80680e0c7374jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1372"><figcaption>Living god Bhairav during teh chariot procession.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/6372383e9c7e80680e0c7375jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1306"><figcaption>People gather infront of Hatu dya (Swet Bhairav).</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238419c7e80680e0c7376jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1350"><figcaption>Majipa Lakhe</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238449c7e80680e0c7377jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1464"><figcaption>The idol of Akash Bhairav (Aju dya) is put on a raised platform in Indrachok.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/637238479c7e80680e0c7378jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"><figcaption>Indra's mother Dagini, comes down to earth in search of her son.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131144/6372384a9c7e80680e0c7379jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1364"><figcaption>Dancers perform Di pyakhan (Devi naach).</figcaption></figure>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqG_okS_wPI&amp;feature=emb_logoRead Also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/are-you-ready-for-indra-jatra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Are you ready for Indra Jatra</a>, Nepali Times<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/suburban-tales/wine-and-women-during-yenya/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wine and women during Yenya</a>, Pratibha Tuladhar

original

674x448

610x380

500x500

400x266

400x240

400x203

301x200

1250x600

1084x550

Kathmandu marks the Yen yā festival

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d2c9c7e80680e0bd4d2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"/><figcaption>All photos: AMIT MACHAMASI</figcaption></figure>Last week on Ram Nawami, Ojaswi Gulu woke up earlier than usual and took a ritual bath. Once done, instead of her everyday clothes, she put on a sacred red attire that she wears on <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=7516#.YluvsC8w3u1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">special occasions</a> like this.Her uncle Prabin Shrestha then painted a crimson moon with yellow lining on her forehead and adjusted her crown and Vajra, the third eye that distinguishes her from the mere mortals.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d2e9c7e80680e0bd4d3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d319c7e80680e0bd4d4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d339c7e80680e0bd4d5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640">Dressed in her regalia, she made her way to the altar throne on the prayer room on the top floor of her house. Her father then carried her to the Layaku Darbar 15 minutes away, where she participated in a puja for the goddess Taleju Bhawani, of whom she is considered a reincarnation.Eight-year-old Ojashwi is the Kumari, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/carefree-kumari/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the living goddess</a> of Panauti, an ancient Newa town 35km east of Kathmandu. She was selected when she was just eight months old while still being breast-fed by her mother. She is now almost at the end of reign as the living goddess.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-goddess-among-people/">A goddess among people</a>, Shristi Karki<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d359c7e80680e0bd4d6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d389c7e80680e0bd4d7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d3a9c7e80680e0bd4d8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d3d9c7e80680e0bd4d9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640">“We already have informed the hyumat, that she would need to undergo the process of Ihi: and Gufa life rituals since she is at the age of mensuration,” explains her mother Rohini Gulu, referring to the administrators of the House of the Kumari.Unlike the royal <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/review/review-of-the-living-goddess-by-isabelle-tree,1252" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kumari of Kathmandu</a> who has to reside in a special house in Basantapur away from her family, the living goddess of Panauti stays with her parents, goes to school like every other child and spends time playing and watching tv.On any other day, her schedule starts with preparing for school, and walking to school with her brother, Manan, and one of their parents.In class, she sits with friends and although a little shy she gets along well with classmates and teachers. Her favourite subject is Maths and English and she is also among the top three students in class.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/divine-intervention-by-ex-kumaris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Divine intervention by ex-Kumaris</a>, Lisa Choegyal<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d409c7e80680e0bd4dajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d429c7e80680e0bd4dbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d459c7e80680e0bd4dcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640">“Her academics were good till the start of lockdown. With online classes her rankings slipped to second position, otherwise she was the top student in her class,” says Rohini.On returning home after school, Ojashwi does her homework, watches cartoons, cycles and plays with her brother. Although her daily life is like any other child her age, there are some restrictions.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721d479c7e80680e0bd4ddjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640">As a living goddess, for example, she is not allowed to wear black clothes. She also cannot share her plate with others, and her food cannot be touched by women who are menstruating. Both at home and at school, special care is taken so that she does not fall and injure herself.“We try to make sure that she does not share her plate with others and eats the food sent from home. Seat arrangements are also made as per her convenience and hygiene is maintained because it is believed she will fall sick if anything goes wrong,” says Bishnu Prasad Dahal, principal of Arunodaya English Secondary School.At home, she is not required to do any chores and instead focuses on studies and games. Says Rohini: “Although she is a goddess now, education is important for her future, and we try to focus on that as much as possible. It will help her <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/a-lonely-goddess-ex-kumari,3470" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">assimilate</a> once she has to step down as Kumari.”Read more: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18515#.XmC0ciEzaUk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Life after the living goddess</a>, Cai Yun

Divine guardian of a living heritage

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108181148/636a967b9c7e80680e05dc6bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>All Photos: SHRILUNA SHRESTHA</figcaption></figure>Nine-year-old Jeebika Bajracharya, the current living goddess of Bhaktapur, enjoyed all the attention she got during Dasain dressed as the Kumari. Clothed in dark red, with vermillion covering her forehead and her eyes accentuated by gajal stretching to her temples, she makes a dramatic statement — especially as she is walking.In contrast to the living goddesses of Kathmandu and Lalitpur, the Kumari in Bhaktapur has much more freedom. In Kathmandu, she is rarely allowed to leave the Kumari Chen sacred house for the living goddess, and when she does, her feet are not supposed to touch the ground.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP9aVQsKEMgBhaktapur’s Kumari however, casually strolls around the city to meet friends and family. She lives with her parents, goes to school, studies in the fourth grade and plays outdoors with other children in the area, like any other regular girl child.Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/divine-intervention-by-ex-kumaris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Divine intervention by ex-Kumaris</a>, Lisa ChoegyalOnly during Dasain, when her devotees came to seek her blessings, did she have to sit for hours in the Kumari Chen. Throughout the festival, she stayed with the family of Rukmani and Nhuchhe Ratna Shakya, the hereditary caretakers of the living goddess in Bhaktapur.A city enveloped in tranquillity and traditional cultural values, Bhaktapur embarked on this unique tradition of worshipping the Kumari during Nepal’s Malla dynasty. The practice of picking a Buddhist girl child as an incarnation of Hindu goddess Taleju is still considered an important one in Kathmandu Valley.When asked if the freedom given to the Kumari has diminished the value of the living goddess in Bhaktapur, Nhuchhe says,<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108181148/636a967f9c7e80680e05dc6cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000">“We never had restrictions like that for the Kumari in Bhaktapur in the first place. We cannot preserve our tradition and the goddess’ strength by confining her within a house or keeping her away from her parents.”Read Also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/living-goddess-saves-lives-nepal-earthquake,2208" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thanking the Living Goddess for life</a>, Min Ratna Bajracharya“Even on usual days, when she is not staying with us or is walking to school and playing outside with other kids of her age, our respect towards her is consistent. By giving her access to school and education, we are preparing her so that she will not find it difficult to return to normal life after the end of her tenure as a Kumari,” he adds.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108181148/636a96829c7e80680e05dc6djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="395" height="500">Pushpa Ratna Shakya, a professor at the Central Department of Buddhist Studies in Tribhuvan University, lives next door to the Kumari Chen in Bhaktapur. He explains some other ways that the city’s worshipping of the living goddess differs.Read Also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/the-boy-gods-of-kathmandu,4158" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The boy gods of Kathmandu</a>, Sahina Shrestha“The everyday worship of Kumari is done at her home by her parents. The important rituals during Dasain were performed by priests in the Taleju Temple in the Mul Chok in Darbar Square, which is home to Goddess Taleju.”“On Navami (the ninth day of Dasain) we worshipped our Kumari with 9 to 15 other girls who are also worshipped as temporary Kumaris during the length of the festival.We worship them as the nine manifestations of Goddess Durga, as the Navadurga Gana,” Shakya says.“It is our ritual and tradition that makes the Kumari of Bhaktapur special. I do not think these rituals are performed elsewhere to the living goddesses in Kathmandu or Lalitpur,” he adds. “Our traditional rituals are more sophisticated, but left in the shadows.”

Carefree Kumari

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141116/636a56c49c7e80680e0547a3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933"/><figcaption>Photo: BIKRAM RAI</figcaption></figure>The late monsoon calendar in Kathmandu Valley is filled with festivals: there was <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/my-sweet-lord/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Krishna’s birthday</a> last week, then <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/women-celebrate-tij/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rishi Panchami and Tij</a> this week. But none is more important than the week-long Indra Jatra — the chariot festival presided over by none other than the Living Goddess Kumari.Indra Jatra, which falls on Friday the 13th this year, is traditionally when Nepal’s rulers congregate at Hanuman Dhoka to be blessed by the Kumari as she is pulled past on her chariot.This is the annual festival dedicated to Indra, the god of rain. But it also honours Taleju Bhawani, the powerful goddess and protector of Kathmandu, who will manifest herself in the Kumari to empower the government and citizens of Nepal with divine powers.Interestingly, Taleju is supposed to be the family deity of Ravana, the demon king of mythic Lanka, and the Taleju of Kathmandu is said to have been brought from India in ancient times.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10881#.XXDXnC4zbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">When Indra was caught stealing</a>, Desmon Doig<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/parodying-patriarchy-at-tij/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parodying patriarchy at Tij</a>, Sewa Bhattaraihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqjg2X00SCQPrithvi Narayan Shah in 1770 entered Kathmandu on the day of Indra Jatra, and is said to have won over the local population by kneeling at the feet of the Kumari.The Kumari House courtyard bears the most exotic of all wood carvings in the area, and was built in 1757 during the reign of king Jaya Prakash Malla, the last Malla king, who was deposed by the invading army of Prithvi Narayan.History books tell us that Jaya Prakash Malla was pulling the Kumari chariot himself, and enjoying every bit of it. But by the time the chariot reached the Lagan neighbourhood, Gorkha forces had captured his palace at Hanuman Dhoka. He then fled across the swollen Bagmati river to seek refuge in the neighbouring kingdom of Patan.Indra Jatra is marked with much enthusiasm and devotion by both Hindus and Buddhists in the Kathmandu Valley, and celebrated for eight days by singing, dancing, feasting and rejoicing.People throng excitedly to see the chariot and to watch the ritual dances — featuring masked demons, gods and goddesses. Kathmandu’s famous Lakhey dancers are also part of the chariot procession.Read also:<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5869#.XXDXmS4zbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Let the jatra begin</a><a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/the-boy-gods-of-kathmandu,4158" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boy gods of Kathmandu</a>, Sahina Shrestha<h2 style="letter-spacing: 0.15px;" data-elementor-setting-key="title" data-pen-placeholder="Type Here...">Indra Jatra re-enacted at Dwarika’s</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141116/636a56c89c7e80680e0547a4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="422">Nepal’s Dwarika’s Hotel has won many international awards for its preservation of Kathmandu’s Newa architecture. But it is also involved in preserving the Valley’s intangible heritage: its festivals.As in 2018, the Hotel will mark Indra Jatra this year. On Friday 13 September, Dwarika’s will feature a re-enactment of the real-life procession in the city, with a stand-in Goddess Kumari on hand throughout the celebration.Guests can witness the Living Goddess regally seated in the hotel’s resplendent courtyard with artefacts and carvings (some of them 800 years old) observing the series of performances, replicated exactly from the original Indra Jatra celebration in Kathmandu Darbar Square earlier that day.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141116/636a56cb9c7e80680e0547a5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="428">Another major attraction of the evening will be a display of the lavish assortment of the famous Samay Baji and other food of the Indra Jatra feast. Even the Kumari chariot festival, with Bhairav and Ganesh, as well as the Lakhe dance, Kumari dance, Bajrayogini and Bhairab-Kali dances, will be performed.Guests can also savour a special Indra Jatra buffet with exotic items of Newari cuisine, washed down with the traditional aila spirit, while they watch the Dhimey dance and other classical masked dances.Dwarika’s Hotel6:30-9pm, Friday 13 Septembersales@dwarikas.com+977 1 4479488,  4470770.Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.atavist.com/cultural-evolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cultural evolution</a>, Kunda Dixit

Prepping  for Indra Jatra

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110813114/636a45fe9c7e80680e04d3b1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2304" height="3456"/><figcaption>Patan Kumari Samita Bajracharya in her throne in Kumari Ghar on April 2011. Photo: NARENDRA SHRESTHA</figcaption></figure>During my first days in Kathmandu, I ventured into the medieval courtyard to catch a glimpse of the child peeking through the richly carved windows of the Kumari Ghar’s upper storey. I could only imagine the daily routine of the diminutive living goddess in that mysterious gloom, tended with sacred concern and seldom permitted to emerge into daylight, paraded at festivals through the palace squares and venerated in her gilded palanquin.Tripping on the uneven flagstones and shielding my eyes from the piercing blue sky, I gazed upward, trying to discern how she spent her days and what thoughts could be passing through her childish mind. Once regaled by her pujari attendants, her face painted and her small body swathed in gold brocade, the shy restless child looking down at curious tourists is transformed into a stately goddess, her altered presence commanding respect and reverence from all Hindus, including the nation’s royalty and rulers.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110813114/636a46019c7e80680e04d3b2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="319">This searing image of the royal Kumari emerging from dark shadows in her carefully guarded life continues to be a tourism staple, encapsulating the clash of culture between ancient Newar Tantric custom and the distractions of modern life. Honoured with bloody animal sacrifices as the incarnation of Taleju, the young girls are selected from the Shakya clan for a strange childhood separated from family until puberty returns them home.Like so many who lacked any real knowledge of the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=887#.XQVa8y2ZMWo">Kumari</a>, my information was limited to clichés trotted out by uninformed guides -- the girls are shunned once they return to ordinary life, none ever marry, lack of education paralyses their prospects – none of it true. In early days pre-pubescent children were worshipped as living goddesses in multiple Valley towns. There were even whispers that in remote corners, propitious offerings to the demanding deity Durga extended beyond buffalos, goats and chickens to requiring human sacrifice.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110813114/636a46039c7e80680e04d3b3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="360" height="480"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110813114/636a46049c7e80680e04d3b4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="360" height="480">It was only in 2014 that a new book by <a href="https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/the-living-goddess-isabella-tree-introduced-by-vidya-dehejia/">Isabella Tree</a> shone a startling light on the hidden practices that had successfully been obfuscated and concealed for generations. For uninitiated readers such as myself, it was a revelation. Unimaginatively titled <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=011870630917993763279:opm7uqsat-4&amp;q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/review/review-of-the-living-goddess-by-isabelle-tree,1252&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjPleiMr-ziAhURneAKHbf_CIcQFjAAegQIABAB&amp;usg=">The Living Goddess</a>, it reads like a historical thriller, exploring the tangled politics of the Shakyas and explaining the origins of their Tantric traditions. Over many visits from Britain, Issy digs deep to expose the complexities of Newar heritage, religious beliefs and Kumari worship. For me, Valley customs would never seem the same ever again.First visiting Freak Street on a university holiday with her childhood sweetheart and future husband Charlie, Issy became obsessed with uncovering the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18515#.XQVbKi2ZMWp">details of Kumari lives</a>. It took her 13 years to win the trust of their custodians and caretakers, and to coax them to reveal their judiciously kept secrets. The timing was right, the social upheavals caused by the royal massacre, new regimes and millennial change were challenging the relevance of hidden Newar religious practices judiciously kept secret over many centuries. With perfect pitch she was there with her notebook at the right moment to receive their confidences, interview the protagonists, and ‘journey into the heart of Kathmandu’.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110813114/636a46069c7e80680e04d3b5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="310"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Isabella Tree casts a slender figure, a pixie haircut and an air of applied energy. Her Nepal book is one of several written in her modest writing shed, tucked away in the walled garden of her English home. The most recent is an acclaimed account of how she and Charlie ‘re-wilded’ their Sussex farm, bringing back a profusion of wild flowers, insects and animals to save the environment.I arrived late for supper one autumn evening, and Issy was putting the final touches to a wild mushroom risotto on the kitchen Aga whilst Charlie perused a plant catalogue and Highland cattle grazed peacefully beneath the lime trees in the parkland beyond the gothic windows. ‘Can you help me arrange the launch for The Living Goddess book – I have family and friends coming from all over, as well as many former Kumaris, their relatives, guardians and priests whose support was so essential for my study insights. I want something relaxed and informal in which we can all feel comfortable together.’  April is a gentle month and I suggested we hold it outside in the Garden of Dreams.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110813114/636a46079c7e80680e04d3b6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="319"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The spring afternoon was clear as guests gathered at Kaiser Mahal for the book launch event. The fountains flowed, the bamboos rustled, and waiters hurried across the grass lawns marshalling their plates and glasses. But then, with no apparent warning, the sky blackened and leaves swirled in sudden gusts. Books and drinks and guests were rushed under cover.Within minutes we were drenched by the unexpected rainstorm, lightening streaked the sky, and thunder crackled overhead with ominous persistence. The Garden of Dreams is not the place for a large group to get caught in an April deluge. The bar pavilion at the western end was solid with cheerful guests, even though the servers could hardly move with their precarious trays amongst the noisy, damp bodies beneath the mirrored metal ceiling. I was pressed between the large American Ambassador’s grey suit and writer William Dalrymple in flowing Indian dress, hair plastered against his forehead. A self-conscious Hollywood actor was pinned helplessly against a jaunty elderly artist in floral print.When the downpour abated we made our way to the shelter of the Kaiser café. Brahmin clerics greeted their former Shakya and Vajracharya charges – eight ladies who had progressed from a childhood as living deities to become college graduates, professionals, wives and mothers. Despite their divine background they seemed like regular young women to me, dressed for the day, and excited to meet up with Issy and her young family. Although we had forgotten they are unable to eat from communal plates for purity reasons, so there was a scramble to prepare special canapés.The launch went ahead with prayers and speeches drowned by the auspicious storm, and stacks of books soggy around the edges. Issy was pleased and philosophical, smiling beside a wizened Pujari elder leaning heavily on his walking stick. ‘It is rare for so many to be together in one place. The combined power of eight former goddesses is so immense and convincing that of course the elements are influenced. We should not be surprised by the effect of their presence on the weather.’<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110813114/636a46099c7e80680e04d3b7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="709">

Lisa Choegyal

Divine intervention by ex-Kumaris

GODS ON EARTH

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.