At the age of five, Dorjee Karmarong fell sick and his local healer-slash-thangka painter cut him a deal: in exchange for treatment, the young patient had to promise to become a painter. The shaman may have been joking, but 38 years later, Karmarong is a successful international artist, and now has a solo exhibition at the Siddhartha Art Gallery. ‘Karmarong: Hidden Valley in the Himalayas’ is a collection of 27 paintings spread across two floors that give the viewer a comprehensive feel for life among the Karmarong community in the remote Mugu district of Karnali. Karmarong has a distinctive style featuring clean outlines, vibrant colours and detailed natural landscapes. Animals, mountains, trees, and the sun and the moon appear constantly. It is a style that took 20 years to perfect, as the painter practised teaching in monasteries of Bangladesh, India, Singapore, and most recently in Vietnam. Mugu is one of the remotest districts in Nepal, but the Karmarong community of about 3,000 people live in about a dozen small villages in the remotest northern corner of the district near the Chinese border. They speak their own dialect. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/the-present-meets-the-past">The present meets the past</a>, Pinki Sris Rana  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241004111032_46339bbefd7b9007dedde289f8c4db9980a60e19ab5a7e0c11c5f1ba4817ba68.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20241004111032_46339bbefd7b9007dedde289f8c4db9980a60e19ab5a7e0c11c5f1ba4817ba68" data-rendition-name="original" width="3600" height="2400" loading="lazy" alt="Dorjee Karmarong NT 1"></figure>  Some of the paintings show general goings-on in Karmarong, such as harvest time. ‘The Hospitality of Karmarong’ shows residents gathering to formally welcome an important guest. “In front is someone who is still lucky to have both parents,” explains the painter. ‘Magic of Milarepa’ is a closeup of a grey, cracked yak horn on the floor. There is water on the ground next to the horn, and inside is a green-skinned monk, meditating in robes. “Milarepa was travelling with one of his students in Tibet, who was starting to act a little arrogant. They were suddenly caught up in a storm, and the saint shrank himself and sheltered in the horn, humbling his disciple,” Karmarong explains. Yaks are a constant feature in the exhibition, and the painter Karmarong has given them sentient eyes, with emotions like anger, introspection, suspicion, and even wide-eyed and crazed. “I was once told to study as voraciously as a yak grazes,” says Karmarong. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/human-spiritual-existence-in-a-digital-ecosystem">Human spiritual existence in a digital ecosystem</a>, Kashish Das Shrestha  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241004111032_271aba25a6f1eb642433ef504880407a9b36fea72a85e793a6d70e12299d9274.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20241004111032_271aba25a6f1eb642433ef504880407a9b36fea72a85e793a6d70e12299d9274" data-rendition-name="original" width="2400" height="3600" loading="lazy" alt="Dorjee Karmarong NT 1"></figure>  In the middle of ‘The Dance of the Elements’ is a face that is half yellow and half black holding a cigarette around which is coiled a multi-headed serpent. “Thia represents our animal impulses,” Karmarong explains. “It is about how nature makes beautiful things. But when humans tamper with it, something usually goes wrong.” Other pieces are even more abstract. ‘Mandala Fragment’ shows geometric shapes in vibrant colours. Says Karmarong: “It may seem chaotic to a viewer, but I can step back and see something different.” Behind Karmarong’s extraordinary skill and output is a rare life lived in harmony with fate. Even his birth was auspicious: Karmarong was born in a cave to parents returning from working in Himachal Pradesh in India on the eve of Buddha Purnima and Thursday. By age seven Karmarong’s father took him to a cave to learn Tibetan. At 13, the boy was sent to a monastery in Kathmandu and after six years he decided to pursue painting and became an apprentice to master thangka artist Palden. Karmarong trained intensively under the rigid rules of thangka painting. He then met Tenzin Norbu from Dolpo, who helped develop his spiritual connection to art. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/turning-legends-into-games">Turning legends into games</a>, Vishad Raj Onta  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241004111032_3f2d5f809a4230bbee885a2832c2e6872b743343581a96d177fae87885759d76.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20241004111032_3f2d5f809a4230bbee885a2832c2e6872b743343581a96d177fae87885759d76" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1412" loading="lazy" alt="Dorjee Karmarong NT"></figure>  As Karmarong developed artistically and spiritually, he saw art as a fulfilment of his karma. “I started feeling that, in a past life, I had been a yogi who had wanted to build a monastery but couldn’t find an artist,” he says. The yogi committed to a life of dharma to be reborn as an artist. Indeed, there are records of a yogi from Karmarong region named Jimpa Therchan, who struggled with building a monastery and was also a renowned poet and singer. Karmarong also sings, and has written ‘Turquoise Mountain: A Folktale of the Karmarong.’ The titles of the paintings are evocative: ‘Yak’s Reprieve’, ‘Echoes of the Sacred Route’, ‘The Black Yak’s Grace’, or 'The Yak and His Young Keeper.' He is also a YouTuber and his channel has singing performances, rap songs and travel vlogs. Karmarong has depicted his village as a religious, harmonious Shangri-La, although it leaves the viewer a little curious about the darker realities of the place like Milarepa’s own murky past. Karmarong has perhaps consciously or unconsciously woven his own life into the paintings: stories and destinies that translate into the real world. They show travellers leaving from or returning to Karmarong the place, or going on a pilgrimage, reflecting the artist’s own artistic, spiritual and religious journey that has taken him back to his roots. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/mask">MASK</a>, Sonia Awale ‘Karmarong: Hidden Valley in the Himalayas’ Dorjee Karmarong Siddhartha Art Gallery

Vishad Raj Onta

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Karmarong in Karmarong

For a moment after landing at Leh airport, Nepalis can be forgiven for thinking they have just arrived in Jomsom.&nbsp; The drive into the capital of India’s Union Territory of Ladakh situated at 3,500m offers many other similarities: the arid terrain, surrounding snow-capped peaks, prayer flags fluttering everywhere, chortens and stupas.&nbsp; Although situated on the western edge of the Himalaya, it is as if the geology, culture, language and religion of Mustang leapfrogged 1,500km over northern India to transplant itself here.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712040752_d8137187d6634badae56afc915bab7aa6bf07be0ba2f7b0ad8497c24d18fe3cc.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240712040752_d8137187d6634badae56afc915bab7aa6bf07be0ba2f7b0ad8497c24d18fe3cc" data-rendition-name="original" width="794" height="583" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> </figure>  Pangong Tso stretches 160km to the east into China, and could be mistaken for Phoksundo in Dolpo, except that at 4,300m it is the world’s highest salt-water lake. A 30 minute drive south of Leh is Shey Gomba, a namesake of a similar-looking monastery in Dolpo. This ancient palace and shrine has two gilded copper statues of the sitting Buddha which were crafted by Nepali artisans that Ladakh’s King Delden Namgyal brought over from Nepal 400 years ago.&nbsp; One of the statues is 8m tall and has the name of the Nepali sculptor, Sanga Zargar Wanduk, inscribed on it. Legend has it that 8kg of gold and 120kg of copper were used and the statue took 20 years to make.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712040752_47bde3afa140d19c310556d68848c0842ca3b102c89b1c8217fb5b2db1a07bcd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240712040752_47bde3afa140d19c310556d68848c0842ca3b102c89b1c8217fb5b2db1a07bcd" data-rendition-name="original" width="1280" height="960" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> <figcaption>Head monk Jigden of Shey Gompa with the 400-year-old gilded Buddha made by Nepali artistans.</figcaption> </figure>  “As far as we know, in 1655 Deldan Namgyal asked the King of Kathmandu to send the artisans to build the two statues to honour his father, King Sengge Namgyal,” head monk Jigden told us.&nbsp; Thirty Nepali metalsmiths were brought to Ladakh, and after completion of the work they settled down near the Shey monastery after King Deldan gave them property. Others were offered farmlands 35km away in Chiling, and some in Chemde. We tracked down one of the descendants of the original Nepali artisans. Phunchuk Dorje, 52, is a goldsmith with a shop inside a warren of narrow alleys in Leh.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712040752_9185d110c94bbd30383272cb4f74082b4749fb55b6ea3bbdf024cfa0b2d2b26e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240712040752_9185d110c94bbd30383272cb4f74082b4749fb55b6ea3bbdf024cfa0b2d2b26e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> <figcaption>Phunchuk Dorje (left) whose artisan ancestors were brought from Nepal to make the Shey Buddha.</figcaption> </figure>  “Yes, my ancestor was the chief artisan who was brought from Nepal by the King of Ladakh to make the Buddha statues, but he and others stayed here,” says Dorje, who went to Nepal with his grandfather and father in 1990 to trace his forebear’s family and home village, and thinks they came from Solu. But Dorje did manage to find old ledgers where his grandfather's name was still entered as ‘Pambar Sunar’. Sunar is a Nepali occupational surname for a goldsmith. It was his father who took up the name Dorje, and he adopted a local Tibetan name. In Ladakh, the descendants of Nepali craftsmen are still called ‘Shergar’, which also means goldsmith, and the craft seems to have been passed down over the generations to Dorje. Dorje says he is both a Hindu and Buddhist, worshipping Ganesh, the Buddha and revering the Dalai Lama. In his altar at home, Dorje has a small bronze Ganesh that his grandfather brought from Nepal, and he now regards it as his family’s patron deity.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712040752_bd74346e403b2567ead2c0944e0ea844873a8c9089073223c718d7ea116cb9b3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240712040752_bd74346e403b2567ead2c0944e0ea844873a8c9089073223c718d7ea116cb9b3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> <figcaption>Thiksey Monastery near Lah that is also called the 'Mini Potala'</figcaption> </figure>  Dorje’s father worked for the Indian Army, and once, after he became very ill, doctors gave up on saving his life and asked the family to take him home. Dorje prayed fervently to Ganesh, and says that within a week his father got well.&nbsp; Four hundred years after his forefather came to Ladakh, Dorje says he still has a strong attachment to the land of his ancestors, and has married a Nepali-speaking woman. Fascinated that Nepali visitors have come to see him, he confesses: “I have this strange fixation on finding out where exactly in Nepal my ancestors came from. If I had more money I would go to Nepal again on a search mission.” &nbsp; History and geography  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712040752_52491e995b4858eb7665d54e55b6277508a4dc80cb70deb3dc332e955d58953a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240712040752_52491e995b4858eb7665d54e55b6277508a4dc80cb70deb3dc332e955d58953a" data-rendition-name="original" width="801" height="606" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> </figure>  Like Mustang, Ladakh is in the trans-Himalayan plateau. Only one third of the territory is today under Indian administration after the Aksai Chin region was annexed by China in the 1962 war. Pakistan controls the western half of Kashmir that includes parts of Ladakh. These are still volatile borders, which is why there is a strong Indian military presence in the strategic mountainous territory. At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in clashes in 2020-21 between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan, north of Leh.&nbsp; The 3-month battle in Kargil in July-September 1999 between India and Pakistan was serious enough to be called the Kargil War in which more than 1,000 soldiers were killed on both sides. &nbsp; &nbsp;Many of those who died in various wars against Pakistan and China were Gorkha soldiers from Nepal well acclimated for mountain warfare in high terrain. They were posthumously honoured with gallantry medals, and their names and photos are displayed in the Hall of Fame, 10km from Leh. Some of them: Dying away from home Major Hari Chand engaged Pakistani troops at elevations of 5,500m in 1948 and helped India gain control of Leh. He was awarded the Mahavir Chakra medal for gallantry.&nbsp; &nbsp;Lt Col Dhan Singh Thapa fought till the end against Chinese troops in October 1962. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Second Lieutenant Min Bahadur Gurung fought alongside Lt Col Thapa and charged a Chinese mortar position, destroying it before being killed. He was posthumously promoted to Lt Col, awarded India’s highest medal for valour, the Param Vir Chakra. A border post on the western shore of Pangong Tso &nbsp;was named after him.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712120740_8b82d1a558674dbff7b8b849f1808781610049e62d8be9f8474a6696094ee893.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240712120740_8b82d1a558674dbff7b8b849f1808781610049e62d8be9f8474a6696094ee893" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1350" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> </figure>  Lance Corporal Rabi Lal Thapa was awarded the Mahavir Chakra for saving an Indian unit from Chinese attacks in Ladakh in October 1962. Capt Manoj Pandey was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He was killed in Kargil in July 1999. Other Nepalis were awarded Mahavir Charka for bravery in various other battles since 1948 against Pakistani and Chinese troops: Maj Rajesh Adhikari, Lance Corporals Prem Gurung and Nara Bahadur Ale. But today, it almost seems as if there are more tourist buses than military vehicles and more tourists than soldiers in Ladakh. Indian visitors ‘discovered’ Ladakh after the 2009 Bollywood hit The Three Idiots was filmed at Pangong Tso, and in 2012 Jab Tak Hai Jaan was shot on location in Ladakh. <h2>“It will be difficult to run Ladakh’s businesses without Nepalis.”</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712040752_64be609bc0849669edb4642090d9d469eea2866728722d123e50ac512d03b753.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240712040752_64be609bc0849669edb4642090d9d469eea2866728722d123e50ac512d03b753" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> <figcaption>Chandra Ghising from Sindhuli has been working in Leh for 15 years.</figcaption> </figure>  The Tibetan Kitchen in Leh is open from noon till midnight, but is so busy that entry is only allowed with table reservation. The restaurant is run entirely by 36 Nepalis from managers and chefs to waiters. “There is no other reason we are so popular, we have the best food,” says manager Gyan Pun Magar simply. “Just look at that line outside.” &nbsp;In the town of Merak near the Chinese border, the Grand Himalayan Hotel is also run entirely by Nepalis.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712060732_3cf3463d10ee8946f93d16606008300ba8f52a8fe18f7df68d2730075fcbfde1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240712060732_3cf3463d10ee8946f93d16606008300ba8f52a8fe18f7df68d2730075fcbfde1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1750" height="2333" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> <figcaption>Gyan Pun Magar, Nepali manager of the Tibetan Kitchen.</figcaption> </figure>  “Ladakh would still be here without Nepalis, but it would be difficult to run businesses here without us. From soldiers to cooks to rafting guides, we run everything,” says Rana Bahadur Pandey, who runs a bakery and migrated here from Nuwakot 25 years ago. Indeed, a new Buddhist stupa being constructed on the outskirts of Leh is being built almost entirely by Nepalis, just like their ancestors who sculpted the gilded Buddhas of Shey Monastery 400 years ago.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240712040752_69bb0881c82b011126212f7c183846e63071a074f590b98dd26a7d36f5357bf9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240712040752_69bb0881c82b011126212f7c183846e63071a074f590b98dd26a7d36f5357bf9" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Ladakh's Nepal links Page 6-7 NT #1220"> <figcaption>Milan Pathak (in orange) and fellow rafting guides from Nepal on the Zanskar River.</figcaption> </figure>  Along the highway from Leh to Pangong, Siddhi and Sujit Pariyar from Jumla are selling herbs and aromatic oils to tourists. There are 15 others from Jumla selling Nepali herbal products who spend summers here, and return home to their families for Dasain with their earnings. “When the monsoon off-season stops trekking, mountaineering and rafting in Nepal, we move to Ladakh,” says Milan Pathak, a rafting guide. Like others, Pathak runs white water on the Kali Gandaki, Bhote Kosi and Trisuli back home, and comes here for three months to raft on the Zanskar River, a tributary of the Indus. They head back in September at the start of the autumn rafting season in Nepal. The Zanskar River runs about 200km before it joins the Indus and the Nepali guides offer day trips of 35km, or half-day packages of 14km. &nbsp;

Ladakh’s Nepal links

The ongoing Deities of Nepal II exhibition at Nepal Art Council coincided this week with the Conference on the Restitution of Heritage where questions were raised about whether it is appropriate to charge a fee to look at gods in glass cases in museums and galleries. The answer from some experts was that a statue of a deity is a work of art until it is consecrated in a temple, after which it attains a divine status worthy of worship. Only 149 of the tens of thousands of sacred objects stolen from Nepal have been returned.&nbsp; Early guidebooks on Nepal used to say that there were more gods than people and more temples than houses in Kathmandu Valley. That probably has not been true for a long time, but the Deities of Nepal II exhibition tries to do justice to the sheer diversity in the Hindu-Buddhist faith that has enriched Nepal’s art and culture. Much like there are gods and goddesses in every alley corner in Kathmandu Valley, the exhibition’s maze of grey-white corridors lead us to various depictions of deities in sculpture, paubha, painting and carvings. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-godhead-of-pharping">The godhead of Pharping</a>, Alisha Sijapati  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240527200524_18279b8c0f3396953295dfab001c57cbf672532e0641e8deb670033caedbac63.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240527200524_18279b8c0f3396953295dfab001c57cbf672532e0641e8deb670033caedbac63" data-rendition-name="original" width="1625" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Deities of Nepal NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240527200524_cf028a19ae4d2fb54dbc14707ea55d41c74f89c155e52d2c43a15c64d2f27abb.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240527200524_cf028a19ae4d2fb54dbc14707ea55d41c74f89c155e52d2c43a15c64d2f27abb" data-rendition-name="original" width="1438" height="1108" loading="lazy" alt="Deities of Nepal NT"> </figure>  In the middle of the exhibit is an intricately crafted wooden temple with a bronze Ganesh at the centre. On both sides are wooden pillars with bells, and there is space to circumambulate as if it were a real shrine. Nepal Art Council’s Sagar SJB Rana explains that the exhibition’s design was a deliberate attempt to recreate Kathmandu’s sacred urbanscape in a gallery setting. He adds, “We are trying to look at art galleries beyond the maths of the selling and buying of arts, to have an exhibition that is new, innovative as well as having an educational element.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-house-of-chitrakars">The house of Chitrakars</a>, Anita Bhetwal  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240527200524_ca458b71917eb6517233ccd081355e9375714ff174d909aa85aad3097f3b0c40.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240527200524_ca458b71917eb6517233ccd081355e9375714ff174d909aa85aad3097f3b0c40" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="1200" loading="lazy" alt="Deities of Nepal NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240527200524_1e56a270ad04e9d635070648d44907c08236313d8118b7a4ca8bc347877744ab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240527200524_1e56a270ad04e9d635070648d44907c08236313d8118b7a4ca8bc347877744ab" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="1200" loading="lazy" alt="Deities of Nepal NT"> <figcaption>Photos: SAILESH RC</figcaption> </figure>  This is the second Deities of Nepal show, after the success of the first one in 2022. It features over 200 creations by 163 artists. Except for Nelson Ferreira’s Nocturnal Paintings of Kathmandu Valley which gleam only after turning on the phone’s flashlight towards the painting, all the other artworks are by Nepal-born artists.&nbsp; “Deities are popular among both artists and audiences,” says curator Swosti Rajbhandari Kayastha. “The first exhibition gave us the confidence to be more ambitious and have a bigger show.” Deities of Nepal II took a year of preparation, and the featured artworks were selected from a pool of over 500 items from more than 400 artists. “Exhibitions are a way of introducing Nepal’s heritage to the younger generation which may be more interested in going to an exhibition than paying a visit to a temple, and that is why we decided to give this exhibition continuity,” adds Kayastha. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-s-gravity-defying-chariot-festival">Kathmandu’s gravity-defying chariot festival</a>, Alok Siddhi Tuladhar  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240527200524_dbb589a2ac205d403a7b12464e6a36aef9926ce096f70b4fc169095e127ff8a4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240527200524_dbb589a2ac205d403a7b12464e6a36aef9926ce096f70b4fc169095e127ff8a4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Deities of Nepal NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240527200524_5b994b5f3520b9d3b743a7c6c8450d2070763a3f2d44d559b8c12a67f02baa4a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240527200524_5b994b5f3520b9d3b743a7c6c8450d2070763a3f2d44d559b8c12a67f02baa4a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1548" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Deities of Nepal NT"> </figure>  The audience one afternoon this week was made up of different age groups and from different walks of life. There were art connoisseurs, college students, the middle-aged, senior citizens and even parents with children. In addition to paintings, thangka, paubha and charcoal drawings, the exhibition features stone and bronze sculptures, and immersive media using the motion graphics of a lotus painting. Says Rana: “Divine art fuses deities and handicrafts, and we have tried to recreate that here.” While the first gallery room is a replica of Kathmandu, an adjacent one is devoted to the stolen deities of Nepal. The second floor has more Hindu gods, and Mithila paintings from the Ramayana and the third floor is mostly made up of sculptures.&nbsp; The exhibition reaches beyond Kathmandu Valley to Tibetan and Mithila art, with some artists having added their own improvisations to reimagine our gods. All this makes Deities of Nepal II a fine showcase of Nepali faith and craftsmanship.&nbsp; Deities of Nepal II 10AM- 5PM (Sundays to Thursdasy) 10AM- 4PM (Fridays) Till 10 June Nepal Art Council, Baber Mahal

Pinki Sris Rana

In the realm of the gods

Manish Dhoju’s parents did not see much prospect in art, and persuaded him to study architecture. But the young man’s passion and creativity could not be quenched. The carefully drawn lines needed for architectural designs pushed him to become a self-taught hyperrealist artist. Watching YouTube tutorials and practicing endlessly on his own, Dhoju started by making exquisitely detailed sketches of people’s eyes and faces. Every strand of hair, pore on the skin, and wrinkle was drawn with photographic accuracy. But it was the eyes that were the main focus, mirroring the soul of the person with more depth than mere photographs.&nbsp; Hyperrealism is a genre of painting resembling high-resolution photography and entails a softer, more detailed focus, differentiating it from photorealism, which is just the copying of a photograph.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/giving-a-face-to-a-deity">Giving faces to a deity</a>, Shaguni Singh Sakya  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024022317020_2af8118875413d92fa54ab87bbe820530955bef606ae1b053882ce944632f2d6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024022317020_2af8118875413d92fa54ab87bbe820530955bef606ae1b053882ce944632f2d6" data-rendition-name="original" width="1438" height="1998" loading="lazy" alt="Manish Dhoju in hyperrealism NT"> <figcaption>Maa (2020), Graphite on Paper, 66 x 55cm</figcaption> </figure>  Hyperrealism creates the illusion of reality not seen in the original photograph as it also imbibes the emotional journey of the artist during the painting process. Through subtle lighting and shading effect, it is a visual illusion that tells a deeper story, not just through the artist’s draftsmanship but the ability to bring out the emotion of the subject more intensely.&nbsp; Hyperrealism is almost surrealistic because, in reality or in photographs, nobody can see or feel such profound depth. Hyperrealists like Dhoju possess the innate talent to understand their subject’s core emotions without even knowing them in person. In the age of Instagram, instant gratification and visual overload, an artist like Dhoju is a rebel. Photographs are no longer ‘real enough’ and exaggerated depictions of tiny details carry a shock factor.&nbsp; Dhoju’s works, Baa and Maa show the tragedy of senior Nepalis living the remaining years of their lives alone, a story familiar in many households in contemporary Nepal. Every wrinkle and line on their faces, their aching eyes express loneliness. Could this be longing to meet children and grandchildren settled abroad? &nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/unnamed-masters-of-nepal-s-art-identified">Unnamed masters of Nepal’s art identified</a>, Shaguni Singh Sakya  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024022317020_7ac1fffa410ca2090d785bb868b5bf14b305724017c4fe7cf1c1e06d48db1173.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2024022317020_7ac1fffa410ca2090d785bb868b5bf14b305724017c4fe7cf1c1e06d48db1173" data-rendition-name="original" width="1438" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="Manish Dhoju in hyperrealism NT"> <figcaption>Baa (2020), Graphite on Paper, 66 x 55cm</figcaption> </figure>  Another painting is of temple architecture with careful renditions of carved struts, doors, and windows that seem even more detailed than the carvings themselves.&nbsp; Dhoju uses hyperrealism to show dimensions that even the carvers may have been amazed by. A sculptor is focused on chiseling the wood, but Dhoju sees beyond this perfecting micro details of the wood, copper, and bronze.&nbsp; The sculpted work is then enhanced through an array of lenses giving a depth of field to the objects and deities. Dhoju first takes pictures and then enhances them in photoshop before sketching with spatial 3D visualisation. The Royal Golden Window of Patan Durbar Square above the entrance to Sundari Chowk is one of Dhoju’s finest hyperrealist heritage pieces. The central figure is the Buddhist deity Shristi Kanta Lokeswor with Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh, Saraswati, other deities on top and the Garuda below.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/history-on-canvas">History on Canvas</a>, Shaguni Singh Sakya  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024022317020_55797b3733d3b48d7d86b7630ed24d9bac0c58540bef0cd4e1e7892930432c9e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2024022317020_55797b3733d3b48d7d86b7630ed24d9bac0c58540bef0cd4e1e7892930432c9e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1495" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Manish Dhoju in hyperrealism NT"> <figcaption>The Royal Golden Window (2023), Graphite and Charcoal Mixed, 6 x 4ft</figcaption> </figure>  Built in the 17th century by King Srinivasan Malla, it portrays a perfect amalgamation of two religions that the Malla kings promoted to maintain social harmony. The window is an artistic marvel and Dhoju has enhanced the genius of the unknown carver(s) with a three-dimensional effect.&nbsp; Since there are no old reference drawings of many ancient Newari architecture masterpieces, Dhoju’s hyperrealism could serve as blueprints for the future.&nbsp; The Narasimha statue at Bhaktapur Durbar Square is one of the finest stone sculptures in Nepal. Installed in the 17th century by King Bhupatindra Malla, the half-man-lion is a mythical incarnation of Vishnu. The Narasimha is close to Dhoju’s heart as his mother used to take him to the deity to cure his colic.&nbsp; Narasimha is believed to cure sick children, and the hyperrealistic version of this ferocious avatar tearing out the stomach of the demon Hiranyakashipu feels more powerful as the disembowelment is enhanced through lighting, shading, and multi-dimensional layers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/five-decades-of-lok-chitrakar">Five Decades of Lok Chitrakar</a>, Shaguni Singh Sakya  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024022317020_bbd0bcb45a25100aff2623714289eec7df4253505b2ea8f1b4477b1271d60c18.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="2024022317020_bbd0bcb45a25100aff2623714289eec7df4253505b2ea8f1b4477b1271d60c18" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1489" loading="lazy" alt="Manish Dhoju in hyperrealism NT"> <figcaption>The Mighty Narasimha (2023), Graphite on Paper, 6 x 4ft</figcaption> </figure>  Dhoju is now using his interest in science, philosophy, and psychology to explain the complexities of our ancient texts in a hyperrealistic form.&nbsp; His conceptual art, Bhairava’s Radiant Embrace, depicts the creation of the universe as explained in the Chandogya Upanishad – the Hindu text that unravels the mysteries of the cosmos. Using the new 3D software Blender, Dhoju chose a 16th-century Bhairav mask, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, to define the concept of Hiranyagarbha which resonates with the Big Bang theory.&nbsp; Bhairava represents the divine trinity of creation, sustenance and destruction and Dhoju is syncing religious philosophy with astrophysics on canvas in a dynamic and continuum of parallel universes. This is a novel art form in the hyperrealism genre. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dhoju’s technique requires patience and dedication. He spends up to seven hours at a stretch without rest, so engrossed is he in sketching that he does not feel tired or notice the passage of time.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/kathmandu-art-biennale-begins?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_id=epaper">Kathmandu Art Biennale begins</a>, Anita Bhetwal  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024022317020_27aa9cb2aa27e52d0a094b6c92459ca65ccd7db874ae0052ba597edaeea834cb.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="2024022317020_27aa9cb2aa27e52d0a094b6c92459ca65ccd7db874ae0052ba597edaeea834cb" data-rendition-name="original" width="1506" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Manish Dhoju in hyperrealism NT"> <figcaption>Bhairava's Radiant Embrace (2023), Graphite and Charcoal Mixed, 160 x 100cm. Photo: ANISH DHOJU</figcaption> </figure>  The 3D visualisation is not just a technical skill, but the ability to convey and capture feelings at a more intense level, almost having an extrasensory perception.&nbsp; Dhoju has only sketched in black and white, and his next challenge is to paint in colour and further develop the art form. It is said that time and space exist in the 11th dimension, and humans can see and capture only three dimensions. Perhaps the hyperrealist in Manish Dhoju can see and render the fourth dimension? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/nepali-art-finds-a-new-home">Nepali art finds a new home</a>, Shristi Karki Shaguni Singh Sakya is Director of the Museum of Nepali Arts (MoNA) and KGH Hotels. Manish Dhoju's exhibition is part of the Kathmandu Art Biennale at MoNA, Thamel and is on till April.

Manish Dhoju in hyperrealism

With over 80 participating artists and 100 paintings, sculptures and installations, the Kathmandu Art Biennale has kicked off and will be showcasing contemporary works till 18 April. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/nepali-art-finds-a-new-home">Museum of Nepali Art (MoNA) </a>housed at Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel has grown into a hub for artists and the public through landmark exhibitions and workshops. Now, the museum and gallery has launched its inaugural Biennale. “Nepali visual arts breathe life into the country's culture, traditions, and way of life,” says MoNA’s founder Rajan Sakya. “Despite the recent impact of technology and the rise of artificial intelligence, these exhibitions remain crucial for recognising and expanding the artistic capabilities of individuals.” Despite state neglect of the arts and artists, private galleries have been building on Nepal’s artistic heritage to promote contemporary works. This has contributed to stepping the outflow of professionals from the country, potentially resulting in a shortage of creative talent. “We need a concerted effort to safeguard art and support artists, which is why the Biennale has an important function,” Sakya adds.&nbsp; Here we feature three artists Udaya Charan Shrestha, Meena Kayastha, Manish Dhwoju, and their noteworthy creations. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-pavilion-afloat-in-venice">Nepal’s pavilion afloat in Venice</a>, Ashish Dhakal <div class="embed-block"><div><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="//cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FfXaGqNTR_wI%3Fsi%3DsfPoEItpCdQfr-1E&key=87ca3314a9fa775b5c3a7726100694b0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer *; clipboard-write *; encrypted-media *; gyroscope *; picture-in-picture *; web-share *;"></iframe></div></div></div> Patan in pencil Manish Dhwoju, 23, depicts the iconic golden window of the Patan Darbar Square in ‘Hyperrealistic Drawing’ meticulously crafted using pencils. He has an intricate fusion of wood and gold on the window to represent Hindu and Buddhist gods and goddesses. The golden window is one of the first things that visitors to the old palace square notice, and at the Biennale too, the artwork gets special prominence on the second floor. For up-and-coming artists like Dhwoju, who spend months or even years creating a piece of art, an opportunity to showcase their work at a grand exhibition is a dream come true. Says Dhwoju: “New artists need a platform more than those who are already established. Exhibitions are not held that frequently, and even when they are, established artists dominate, making it difficult for new artists to find space.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/seeing-the-forest-and-the-trees">Seeing the forest and the tree</a>s, Alisha Sijapati Giving faces to a deity  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240124070152_f09e6c09c96f49149ca6be4f802cbe4d975b2dfae410762d2ca785c443132a66.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240124070152_f09e6c09c96f49149ca6be4f802cbe4d975b2dfae410762d2ca785c443132a66" data-rendition-name="original" width="1625" height="1083" loading="lazy" alt="Kathmandu Art Biennale NT"> </figure>  Titled <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/giving-a-face-to-a-deity">Gayatri</a>, this masterpiece in devotional art by Udaya Charan Shrestha took over 20 years to complete and is the first time an artist has given a face to the goddess of the revered Gayatri Mantra. The goddess, crowned with a crescent moon, gracefully holds various objects in her ten hands, including a conch, discus, mace, skull, and lotus flower. She is portrayed in a state of deep meditation and has a serene disposition. “I started working on this during my studies at Lalitkala College, and I was initially inspired by a postcard of Gayatri,” says Shreshta. “I am rather pleased with the outcome, if I may say so myself.” The artist diligently researched sacred texts, tantric literature, periodicals, the Swasthani, Purana, and other references to authentically represent the goddess. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/giving-a-face-to-a-deity">Giving faces to a deity</a>, Shaguni Singh Sakya A wedding for the ages  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240124070152_fa882524595fe70ac94688b3c74a69701145eaaefb7e2386963061f161fd3d14.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240124070152_fa882524595fe70ac94688b3c74a69701145eaaefb7e2386963061f161fd3d14" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="1909" loading="lazy" alt="Kathmandu Art Biennale NT"> </figure>  Meena Kayastha invested nine months in crafting this distinctive sculpture titled Gham Pani Gham Pani Syal Ko Bihe that takes off from a Nepali ditty about the sun shining through the rain. The sculpture portrays a one-of-a-kind marriage ceremony, with a Brahmin cat officiating the matrimonial joy of a fox couple. In this whimsical celebration, a dog, donkey, lion, frog, monkey, among others, are seen frolicking. Kayastha is working from childhood memories in Bhaktapur when she used to go home from school drenched in the rain and get scolded by her grandparents who were worried about her catching a cold. “In retrospect, those days feel like a spiritual journey and meditation,” she explains. Kayastha created numerous prototypes until she drew a cat in a palanquin and a donkey carrying a bride. Two additional donkeys were crafted for the musical and dance elements of the wedding, and a Bhairab and a cat were added to further showcase the celebration. “Seeing everything come together was a good feeling, and the joy in the sculpting process was profound,” says Kayastha. &nbsp;“If it sells, that will be an encouragement to create another.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/unnamed-masters-of-nepal-s-art-identified">Unnamed masters of Nepal’s art identified</a>, Shaguni Singh Sakya

Kathmandu Art Biennale begins

“No other people on earth, Watson, has produced such intricate beauty in as small a space as the Valley of Kathmandu. One trenchant observer has described it best as a kind of coral reef, built up laboriously over the centuries by unrecorded artisans. As a human achievement, it ranks with the creations of Persia and Italy.” This imaginary dialogue between Holmes and Watson, penned by Ted Riccardi, in his novel The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, captures the true essence of Kathmandu. These lines have since been repeated in several articles to describe the city over the years. Many artists worked anonymously behind the scenes for Kathmandu to flourish as a hub for devotional art in the Licchavi and Malla periods. Their sculptures, temples, jewellery, paubhas, paintings all perished without a trace of their names. They themselves lived and died without realising the worth of their talent and contribution. A creation of rapturous devotion and dedication never withers with time or age. It is pure and invaluable. Many traditional Nepali artists even today feel that personal aggrandisement ruins the art of its integrity. Such values are ingrained from ancient times when artists simply worked for the higher purpose of their craft and not personal identity.&nbsp; Ego and personal affirmation were qualities limited solely to the ruling class. The rest, however skilled, dared not have any sense of individuality. Their responsibility was solely to obey superiors, priestsor donors. The writing of the artist’s name in paintings was, therefore, uncommon. The only ancient Nepali artist who has been posthumously known is Arniko, primarily because he went to China and earned international renown during the Kublai Khan reign. We did not know the others.&nbsp; Till now. Fortunately, by some stroke of luck, a few names were written.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/history-on-canvas">History on Canvas</a>, Shaguni Singh Sakya <h2>Kesaraja Chitrakar - Manjuvajra and Vajradhatishvari, 1409 (The Jucker Collection)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231027041016_186719f999cc0f0232227aef5bd39ae16f051ae839645de4b51341c4fca33879.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20231027041016_186719f999cc0f0232227aef5bd39ae16f051ae839645de4b51341c4fca33879" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1237" loading="lazy" alt="Kesharaja Chitrakar"> <figcaption>Kesaraja Chitrakar - Manjuvajra and Vajradhatishvari, 1409 The first known artist after Arniko (12th century) who brought developments in paubha painting with richer color tones and more exquisitely sketched deities. Reference: HUGO E. KREIJGER</figcaption> </figure>  The inscription of artist Kesaraja Chitrakar in this painting is a surprise. Was the donor generous enough to include the artist’s name or was he so happy with the artwork that he felt compelled to credit Chitrakar? Was it the priest’s random decision or could the artist have humbly asked for his name to what he felt was a masterpiece? Was he thinking about his legacy? We will never know, but are grateful we know his name. The priest’s name is also written, Acharya Kulabha and the donors who commissioned the paubha are Hrasarama Chitrakar and his wife Raya. The shrine of Manjuvajra (an esoteric form of Manjushree) and his consort Vajradhatishvari dominate the composition. Both are important deities that are considered to have played a role in the formation of Kathmandu Valley. They are bedecked in jewels and their crowns are painted with intricate details. Each detail in their garments is executed elaborately. The backdrop with turquoise scrolling vines, the upper canopy peaks and the base exemplifies extraordinary talent. The paubha showcases the level of artistic accomplishment in the early 15th century, and many continue to draw inspiration from Kesaraja’s pioneering efforts till today. One can also see some evolutionary developments that Kesaraja introduced from this painting when compared to the paubhas of the late 14th century. Every element in this artwork is detailed even the background scrolls, giving the paubha a much richer tone.Perhaps this is why the artist’s name was written in the painting. Post Arniko in the 12th century, Kesaraja is arguably the most well-known artist. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/five-decades-of-lok-chitrakar">Five Decades of Lok Chitrakar</a>, Shaguni Singh Sakya <h2>Adyayaraja Pun and Udrayama Pun - Gagansim and his two wives, circa 1470 (private collection)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231027041016_261d64c9cd369376a1079ce87412846544257f20a8ac69ac6056199fdd32ca34.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20231027041016_261d64c9cd369376a1079ce87412846544257f20a8ac69ac6056199fdd32ca34" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1376" loading="lazy" alt="Adyayaraja Pun and Udrayama Pun"> <figcaption> Adyayaraja Pun and Udrayama Pun - Gagansim and his two wives, circa 1470. The first known artists to paint focusing on people rather than deities. Reference: GAUTAM V VAJRACHARYA</figcaption> </figure>  This painting of Gagansim Bharo, a military governor of Dolakha and his two wives Ashayani Laxmi and Jivatana at 191.8 x 161.9 cm is monumental in many ways. It is the largest Nepali painting discovered so far. The inscription is in Sanskrit and Newari by a priest whose name surprisingly did not make it to the artwork even though it is claimed the concept for the painting was his idea. Artists Adyayaraja Pun from Yambu and Udrayaram Pun from Kisilagla are Kathmandu locals and their work is one of the few depicting personalised portraits and not a deity. The painting shows Gangansim and his wives in their chamber with luxurious bedroom items and traditional Newari toilette requisites. It is both traditional and contemporary in style.&nbsp; It has a deep red colour background as in most paubhas throughout history. The upper portion is flanked by five Hindu deities – Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh, Brahma, Vishnu and Kartikeya, giving it a religious touch. The lotus pedestal and stylised rocks at the bottom are another traditional elements. This piece is also unconventional in that it portrays a bedroom scene with amorous gestures, and is rather audacious for the period. The first wife offers a pan to her husband which is a gesture of passion as prescribed in the Kamasutra. This is also one of the first paintings where the donor and the family is the main focus. The two artists did something novel in placing the donors up front showing their glorious Newari lifestyle with a detailed focus on the facial features, attire and traditional bedroom paraphernalia.&nbsp; In many ways, the artists seem to have introduced a new genre of lifestyle art of the 15th century showing Jain, Indo-Persian, and Rajput influence. Surprisingly, their names are also in another painting titled Vanaratna’s Nirvana which shows the Buddhist monk Vanaratna and his female partner in tantric rituals; an indication that the artists must have been of high prominence to have their names written in all their work. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/tsherin-sherpa-returns-home-to-takpa">Tsherin Sherpa returns home to Takpa</a>, Aayusha Pokharel <h2>Jivaram – Rakta Ganesh (location unknown)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231027041020_cf0bdd82692a12b0240929e05a45761a0a08efccbad4f8acb1d22d9e5b303c84.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20231027041020_cf0bdd82692a12b0240929e05a45761a0a08efccbad4f8acb1d22d9e5b303c84" data-rendition-name="original" width="981" height="940" loading="lazy" alt="Jivaram"> <figcaption>Jivaram – Maharakta Ganesh, circa mid 1400s. The next known artist after Arniko who went to China to teach Newar paubha art. Reference: JIVARAM MANUSCRIPTS, SURESH NEOTIA COLLECTION</figcaption> </figure>  Jivaram was a 15th century Newar artist who went to Tibet and taught Newari paubha art while learning artistic styles himself. Parts of his sketchbook that is now in the Suresh Neotia Collection in Calcutta has 39 remaining pages from an unknown number of the manuscript with records of iconography and artistic style that he learned in Tibet. He captured a variety of Chinese, Tibetan, and Kashmiri techniques. Jivaram infused Yuan and Ming dynasty styles in Newar art and also mastered new expressive facial portrayals. Most facial expressions before his time were flat with hardly any emotions, they were one-dimensional or a Rajput-style side profile. It can be assumed that he introduced vibrant expressions and two-dimensional facial sketching to Nepali art. Another accomplishment is the mastery of Kashmiri motifs which Jivaram levelled up from the previous artists. &nbsp;The vibrancy and intricacy of the vine scrolls are an extraordinary representation. The differences are clear to anyone comparing his work to Kesharaja’s background scrolls. &nbsp;&nbsp; Jivaram's masterpiece that remains today is the Maha Rakta Ganpati which inspired present-day artist Lok Chitrakar to do his version. The piece is an amalgamation of the various styles that Jivaram learned and which many artists henceforth have adopted.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231027041020_37fc475f1842a195a4b624e88e16c94408e6332eadfaf2e8f247dfed153be2fd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20231027041020_37fc475f1842a195a4b624e88e16c94408e6332eadfaf2e8f247dfed153be2fd" data-rendition-name="original" width="1790" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Jivarama"> <figcaption>16 Arhats (Buddha's first disciples) and Dharmatala (attendant of the 16 arhats) and also Fa Xiang ( 4th century Chinese traveler to Nepal). The earliest two-dimensional facial sketches from a Nepali artist, Jivaram.</figcaption> </figure>  After Arniko, Jivaram is the only known artist who can be credited with transmitting Newar and Buddhist art forms to Tibet and China. His notebook is dated 1435. This is even before the renaissance period started in Europe and before the birth of Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) and Michelangelo (1475-1564). These three ancient works of our art history lie in private collections or museums abroad. &nbsp;&nbsp;Paintings of Western Renaissance artists are displayed in all the famous museums all over, but we only get to read about ours in books, if at all. Nepal’s art schools should be teaching about Jivaram, Kesaraja Chitrakar, Adyayaraja Pun and Udrayama Pun when in fact we should be studying them. But in a country where the education system has overlooked much of our history, the names of a few pioneer artists hardly seems to matter. Hopefully, now these and other past masters will be given stronger prominence to reinforce Nepal’s historical and cultural identity. Artists also had a role in nationbuilding, not just kings and generals.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/nepali-art-finds-a-new-home">Nepali art finds a new home</a>, Shristi Karki Shaguni Singh Sakya is the Director of the Museum of Nepali Arts (MoNA) at Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel.

Unnamed masters of Nepal’s art identified

<figure><img width="1356" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637204049c7e80680e0b283bjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>All photos: Milan Rai</figcaption></figure>Milan Rai has come a long way since his project to stick white butterflies to trees in Nepal went viral worldwide. His art has now morphed into activism to save Kathmandu’s open spaces. The self-taught school dropout sees this as a natural evolution of his art, and a reflection of the urgency to do something about <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/cars-vs-people-in-kathmandu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">congestion and urban decay</a>. “People ask me why I stopped painting, I haven’t. My canvas is now measured in acres of open spaces,” says the 38-year-old artist. “I am no longer limited to the visual, my art is now immersive, so people can smell and taste it, touch the soil, worms and insects that dwell in them. The objects can be struck by lightning. They have life.” <img width="346" height="512" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637204089c7e80680e0b283cjpeg.jpg" alt="">Rai’s art is a subterfuge to save what is left of Kathmandu Valley’s last remaining open spaces. This has brought him face-to-face with dysfunctional politicians, disinterested municipality officials, corrupt contractors and neighbourhoods that do not value greenery.  For example, he is outraged about Ncell helping Kathmandu Municipality cover a park in Lainchour with astroturf instead of planting trees and protecting the grass (pictured, left). Rai’s own urban canvas is subversive. He says, “This is political art, land art, it has to hit people at an emotional level to act.”After spending his childhood in Hong Kong with his Gurkha soldier father, Milan Rai returned a misfit to school in Dharan. He was expelled twice, and got into bad company. After a serious gangfight, he found solace in art.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-loses-its-open-spaces/">Kathmandu loses its open spaces</a>, Tom Robertson and Nilima Thapa Shrestha<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-green-city-is-a-smart-city/">A green city is a smart city</a>, Nilima Thapa ShresthaHe entered a painting competition in India, came first, and held his first solo exhibition at Park Gallery in Lalitpur. He started painting in earnest, but something was missing.The epiphany came one morning when a butterfly alighted on his paintbrush. It led Rai to his ‘<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-the-butterfly-effect,523" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-the-butterfly-effect,523&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642150244648000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3CvsT5qRK3dCSKdTh1rvVt">Butterfly Project</a>’ to pin white paper cutouts of butterflies on trees, lampposts all over Kathmandu.They were a symbol of harmony, and went viral. In a real-life demonstration of ‘the butterfly effect,’ little white wings started appearing on London’s red double decker buses, pinned to trees on Greek islands, on a staircase at Harvard University. The Nepali artist was invited all over the world for lectures and to demonstrate his installation art. <img width="570" height="1024" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637204099c7e80680e0b283djpeg.jpg" alt=""><figure><img width="1024" height="765" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/6372040c9c7e80680e0b283ejpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="600" height="460" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/6372040f9c7e80680e0b283fjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“Butterflies brought me close to trees, and I was communicating with them, only to find out that scientists now know trees can actually communicate with each other,” says Rai.The very first tree in Kathmandu on which he had <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/The-butterfly-artist,3199" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/The-butterfly-artist,3199&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642150244648000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3nihAN-abPseKV2nt_e4gm">pinned butterflies</a> was chopped down to make way for a road widening scheme, and this prompted  Rai to use art to save Kathmandu’s greenery.“I realised that the definition of art had to be expanded, it cannot just be a canvas or an installation, art is not just a craft, it has to be something that provokes the viewer into action,” he explains.As Kathmandu’s air pollution got worse, Rai donned a military issue gas mask and stood in the middle of traffic on the city’s main intersections, broom in hand. He visited municipality offices wearing that mask, using social media to expose government inaction.That brought Rai face-to-face with official apathy and neglect at the root of Kathmandu’s sorry state. By now he was familiar with the ins and outs of the municipalities, and set up the non-proft <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VrikshaNepal/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/VrikshaNepal/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642150244648000&amp;usg=AOvVaw10GgCzqCf-bx4BK2mOB4jP">Vriksha Foundation</a> for his activism.He tried to work with Kathmandu’s mayor to rescue the Tin Kune triangle, only to find that it was not just the government that could thwart action, but also the local community. <figure><img width="218" height="462" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637204109c7e80680e0b2840jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>After an emotional live Facebook post in which he wept in frustration, Rai gave up on Kathmandu mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya, and turned to Lalitpur’s Chiribabu Maharjan who was more receptive. Even so, there were hurdles every step of the way from contractors and officialdom.                   His plan to green an open space at Jawalakhel intersection was rejected in favour of a sterile cement wasteland with concrete structures and an ugly fountain that does not work.But Rai is currently working to green four other open roadside spaces in the Jawalakhel area with leafy paths and shaded sitting areas. He has made enemies along way: land mafia eyeing the property and contractors who could not sell cement and steel rods. <figure><img width="1500" height="708" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637204139c7e80680e0b2841jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“This is a tragedy of the commons,” says Rai, who emphasises that he is not happy with the parks he is working on. “These are not my creations, I am just trying to reduce harm. It needed urgent intervention, but my vision for these spaces has not been realised. These parks are not answers, they are questions.”After <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/art-aid-kcac-exhibition-thinking-of-you-quake-relief,2304" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/art-aid-kcac-exhibition-thinking-of-you-quake-relief,2304&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642150244648000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3b-VVv1jrgth6P4m0iBcHr">painting on canvas</a>, sticking butterflies on trees, wearing gas masks in traffic, and trying to rescue open spaces, Rai now realises these approaches are too piecemeal.He adds, “The system is just not there to have a policy framework to address urban decay. People also need to understand that we do not need more structures, we need to rediscover our primal intimacy with the non-human world.”  Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/parks-not-parking-lots/">Parks, not parking lots</a>, Duksangh Sherpa

Kunda Dixit

Nepali artist’s butterfly effect

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016110/636d12c49c7e80680e0a98efjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1333" height="2000"/><figcaption>Photos: MUSEUM OF NEPALI ART</figcaption></figure>Samundra Man Singh Shrestha began his career in art when he was only 14, and today he is one of the most sought-after Nepali artists by museums, galleries, collectors and monasteries all over the world. His expressionism has inspired a whole new generation of young artists, and prints of his work are found in prayer rooms of private homes, business centres and spiritual establishments.Shrestha’s sketches, watercolours, paubha, neo-traditional and conceptual works are known for their own unique style that transforms and communicates the most complex ideas into approachable and relatable visual manifestations. Indeed, Shrestha’s style and methods are imitated by many Nepali and international artists.Shrestha himself views these works as compliments to his craft, style and aesthetic sensibility. (Samundra means 'ocean'). An unveiling of his new paintings are always a highly anticipated affair in the art community.Saptalochani, or the White Tara, is one such work. Spectacular and beautiful, it represents a  new era of Shrestha’s œuvre. A variety of emotions emerge, from surprise to awe, when viewing this masterpiece, culminating in a sincere understanding that with this painting, Shrestha has indeed redefined beauty once again.A prominent feature of any masterpiece is not just its aesthetic magnificence but the way it provokes our innermost feelings at an intimate level. When contemplating Saptalochani, one is immediately immersed in a calming wave of quietude.Shrestha’s confident, effortless and surrealistic brush strokes can be seen in his linework, the rhythmic flow and blend of colours. What one sees is not just a drawing of a beautiful deity representing compassion and contentment, but a visual expression of Shrestha’s lifetime of experience and learning. The mind, body and soul resonate with this osmosis of gentle spiritual energy touching the inner self, elevating one’s consciousness.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/i-m-a-g-i-n-a-t-i-o-n-by-uttam-nepali/">I.M.A.G.I.N.A.T.I.O.N by Uttam Nepali</a>, Rajan Shakya<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016110/636d12c89c7e80680e0a98f0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1002" height="1500"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016110/636d12cb9c7e80680e0a98f1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1106" height="1500">The White Tara is a symbol of love, compassion and beauty, and Saptalochani as a work of art reminds the viewer to appreciate that, and to be humble, grateful and compassionate ourselves -- to be mindful of the pain and sorrow of those around us.But understanding just the meaning of the word, or only asking what we can do to be more compassionate do not make us better persons. We must also implement our understanding and findings into actions to help another being overcome their miseries without expecting anything in return. Shrestha communicates the essence of compassion through his art.The ancient teachings and paintings of the White Tara are strict on iconography, and we can find perfect depictions of the deity in paubha, thangka, idols, temples and monasteries in Nepal. Iconography is the visual language through which a spiritual art is communicated.However, as with all works of art, there is a question of how one can pass down the knowledge of this language from one generation to the next, retaining the same level of intensity, emotion and faith.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/jeevan-rajopadhyays-untitled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jeevan Rajopadhyay’s Untitled</a>, Rajan ShakyaThe answer perhaps can be found in Shrestha’s style and creation. His detailed knowledge of the White Tara is prominent in the painting’s simplicity, subtlety and beauty. In these qualities he has poured his emotions and love, expecting nothing in return.Many artists paint for money, but Shrestha takes it a step further in communicating what is important and what might be lost as we grapple with modern lifestyles. He shows us how to express and understand the impermanence of beauty.Viewing Shrestha’s work makes it clear that the key to a peaceful life can be found in creating art, sharing it, and then letting it go. While a masterpiece may relate to individuals in personal ways, looking at it through the artist’s eyes helps us identify with the artist rather than just relating it to our own life experiences.This helps us develop compassion for the artist’s craft and style, something we are often tempted to overlook. Art styles can emerge from an infinite number of sources, and continuously transform. There are many external forces that bring about such changes such as war, famine, disaster, which may be easily recognised.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/n-a-r-i-by-mukti-singh-thapa/">N A R Ì by Mukti Singh Thapa</a>, Rajan Sakya<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016110/636d12ce9c7e80680e0a98f2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1013" height="1500"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016110/636d12d19c7e80680e0a98f3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1010" height="1500">However, there are internal influences as well, such as personal grief, experiences that are not obvious. Yet, artists are moved by their surroundings and their feelings, and it is through their art that they express them.Shrestha’s White Tara invites us to participate in this shared experience, uniting both the artist and the viewer in a peaceful and compassionate embrace. The essence of art is that it should be provocative and inspire viewers and artists to engage in discussions, and lead to an understanding of our place in this world.Let us hope that Samundra Man Singh’s art satiates our hunger to delve further into art and the eternal questions of existence, impermanence and compassion.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/lain-singh-bangdels-sigh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lain Singh Bangdel’s ‘Sigh’</a>, Rajan SakyaRajan Sakya is the founder of the <a href="https://www.mona.com.np/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mona.com.np/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1636885001579000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ALJGKdDeixs8GvIU7FLGG">Museum of Nepali Art</a> at Kathmandu Guest House, Thamel and contributes this monthly column For Art’s Sake in Nepali Times. Museum of Nepali Art will be displaying Samundra Man Singh Shrestha’s work in a solo exhibition from 28 January to 15 February 2022 at Kathmandu Guest House, Thamel.

Rajan Sakya

The compassionate White Tara

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfcf99c7e80680e0a0bbajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2212" height="1368"/><figcaption>RajKumar Shakya with a model of the Bhairab under construction at the southern edge of kathmandu. Photo: NEPAL ART VILLAGE</figcaption></figure>Raj Kumar Shakya who died of Covid-related complications in June at age 54 was <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15838&amp;fbclid=IwAR08cUD5kjOEeKVekuAE_IXLtXzZbV--CuvbZzBPksyH9KeKN_tS2-ta3xY#.YRXm0S8w3u1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the world’s foremost repoussé sculptors</a>, excelling in the craft of preserving traditonal methods of forging malleable metal sheets into devotional art objectsHaving met, known, and worked with Raj Kumar for nearly three decades, his short life is a lesson on what it takes to be a successful artist. This was a tragic loss to Nepal, and to the world, where his work is on display from Bhutan to Japan, from Shanghai to Munich.Raj Kumar was passionate about his art and craft, and set big goals. When it came to any assignment, no matter what the size or scale, Raj Kumar knew he could do it. He came across as supremely confident about his abilities, and there were few tasks that he could not fulfil.But he was also realistic, and knew his own capacity. However, he was always eager to take it to the next level to test his own limits. The colossal statue of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/nepali-craftsmen-build-biggest-padmasambhavan-statue-in-bhutan?fbclid=IwAR0Gq5QRh25Gb3biTmwiBC0dLt5WhMX9fl4CVhtIp_L2Tm5Z0n9Ya58qvzo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guru Padmasambhava that Raj Kumar built in Bumthang of Bhutan</a> will stand as a testament to his talent as an artist and, yes, even his engineering and logistical expertise.Comparable in size and scope to the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Padmasambhava in Bhutan is also made from the repoussé method that Raj Kumar had perfected and scaled up during his short working life.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/rebuilding-temples-a-chance-to-creat-jobs-and-to-revive-woodcarving-industry%20,2347">Carving out a niche</a>, Sonia Awale<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfcfc9c7e80680e0a0bbbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="500"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Raj Kumar succeeded because he had the passion, and he believed in himself. The time and effort it took to craft each of the masterpieces the artist has gifted to the world did not matter to him, because he loved what he did. He was dedicated to promoting and preserving the repoussé art form, and all the skills and techniques that went with it. The most important lesson of his life is that we must not be afraid to set big goals.Raj Kumar’s art did not exist in a vacuum. He was rooted in the community, and articulated his craft through traditional art of the Kathmandu Valley. He learnt from countries like South Korea and Japan that in any major project, human resource is the most valuable -- and the biggest variable.Therefore, he was always on the lookout for skilled people like himself, or <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/modern-day-arniko/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">young passionate artisans </a>whom he knew he could train. He inducted them into his team and then painstakingly and generously shared his knowledges and skills with them.For this, he knew trust was essential. It was this mutual trust that he was able to expand his work into the larger community, and the community reciprocated that trust and respect. Raj Kumar was always at the forefront, engaged in many community events, speaking there about the need to preserve tradition. He spoke clearly and persuasively, putting out his ideas as any good communicator.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/coming-out-of-the-woodwork/">Coming out of the woodwork</a>, Kunda DixitRaj Kumar Shakya was also a mentor, and this is his most important legacy – ensuring that his knowledge and skills were passed on to the next generation. He was worried that there were too few families left in Kathmandu carrying on the repoussé tradition. <figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfcfe9c7e80680e0a0bbcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="500"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>It is Raj Kumar’s efforts in the past 30 years that has revived the skills and talent not just to Patan, but to Nepal and beyond to the world.A whole new generation of successful artists in Patan have benefitted from working with Raj Kumar, where they started from scratch, making mistakes and learning along the way, under the watchful eyes of the master.As more and more work was generated, more young people returned to their <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/featured-videos/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">traditional craftmanship</a>. With economic growth in Asia and greater understanding of Buddhism and its significance, the demand for these skills will grow.Raj Kumar understood and applied science, technology and geometry to his work. The ability to open minds to new and relevant information, new tools, and techniques and to constantly be learning are the key characteristics of a successful person.Raj Kumar was one of the early users of computers in his work, employing CAD and mixing the latest technology to refine traditional craftsmanship. He insisted that his colleagues and protégé learn the science, be good with numbers – and he practiced what he taught.He could generate 3-D computer models of whatever he was working on, and use these perspectives also to teach. He felt that art made without perfect mathematical proportions did not do well in the market. This ability and dedication to combine the best of modern applied science with traditional art is what made his creations so successful. And once his work was scaled to large sculptures, these architectural and engineering calculations mattered more than ever.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141128/636cfd019c7e80680e0a0bbdjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="473" height="577"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Most artists do not know much about business, and some are even proud of the fact. The history of art is replete with geniuses who died paupers, and whose works today fetch millions of dollars in auctions.Not Raj Kumar. He was a good businessman, with a sense of the art market and knew how to promote his work. He had built a large network of suppliers, shippers and skilled workers who he could mobilise. He was good at raising money for large work, and sometimes invested his own earnings well – and this allowed his firm (<a href="http://onmetalart.com/menu/view/21" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">On Metal</a>) to expand. Many artists and smaller businesses benefitted from On Metal contracts.After finishing his famous Bhutan statue in Bhutan, Raj Kumar was working on other large orders when he died: a large Buddha statue in Lumbini, restoration work at Mahabouddha, and he had taken up his dream project of putting up the largest and tallest mask of the Bhairab at the southern edge of the Kathmandu Valley in the <a href="https://www.nepalartvillage.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal Art Village</a> (NAV).If we really want to honour the legacy of Raj Kumar Shakya, his life and work this project must be completed. Fortunately, he leaves behind a new crop of traditional artists to carry on his work.Read also:  <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=37788&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Crafting a heritage,</a> Shriluna Shrestha

Anil Chitrakar

Rajkumar Shakya, 1967-2021

<figure><img width="486" height="651" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111011110/636ccc659c7e80680e08bc1djpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photos: TULIKAA</figcaption></figure>Inside Dhokaima Cafe’s Van Gogh room, Aakash Pradhan’s photo collages are like splashes of colour on black walls of a dark room.They form part of an online art platform, Tulikaa Kala’s solo exhibition series, Kholo 2.0. It makes him the first artist-of-the-week among the 28 classic and contemporary Nepali artists whose works are set to be on display in this unique show spanning seven genres in as many months, showcasing photography, ceramics, printmaking, contemporary, Paubha, sculpture, and new media art.Visitors to the one-room gallery are immediately captured by 'Building Dreams', a collage of two men reconstructing ruins floating on clouds, with a fiery sun and the blankness of the night sky looming in the background. Pradhan makes his smaller framed photographs on his phone with a photo-editing mobile application.His collages are a mix of social media posts, pictures sent by friends. Sunflowers are a recurrent motif and seem steeped in personal meaning. They loom like the sun over pictures of those displaced by the earthquake, or like a compass, show the way to a traveller on a motorcycle, or create a juxtaposition of a young woman’s life in London and her roots in Nepal.Clouds and the night sky also feature prominently, which he muses might be a subconscious reflection of his name on his art.Pradhan’s collages are vibrant, vivid and hold personal meaning and anecdotes. “That picture,” he points to one photo, laughing as he talks to visitors, “will always remind me of veg-momo.”  <figure><img width="800" height="533" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111011110/636ccc679c7e80680e08bc1ejpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>A series of four simple, intact photographs titled ‘Buju’, features an elderly woman and the ruins of her home in Sindhupalchok, a striking contrast to the rest of his work on display. An aspiring filmmaker, Pradhan took the photos while working on an earthquake documentary.Buju stares solemnly into the camera, hands placed carefully on her knees, barefoot. “We bought her a new pair of chappals, she promptly threw them away,” recalls Pradhan. “I knew I had to photograph her."Tulikaa co-founder and curator, Ujen Norbu Gurung says the gallery wanted to show that art is not stagnant, it is constantly evolving."Art should be really powerful, but the curation, layout, and space have to sync with the art, to accentuate it,” Gurung says.Indeed, much attention has been paid to the displays here, from the muted lighting to the back walls.Sunniv Shanker Rajbhandry at Dhokaima says his Van Gogh room was an ideal place to showcase Nepali art. “I had been to some of Ujen’s other exhibitions and thought the way he presents the artwork itself was unique. His vision is different, and he uses the space as much as the art itself,” Rajbhandary adds. <img width="800" height="533" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111011110/636ccc699c7e80680e08bc1fjpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="800" height="533" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111011110/636ccc6c9c7e80680e08bc20jpeg.jpg" alt="">Tulikaa is not only organising the exhibition series for the next seven months, but providing an online platform to connect Nepal's art community.Gurung entered the art scene as a collector, but realised that Nepalis had barely scratched the surface of talent, and the art scene had untapped potential.“We knew we had to come up with something radical to promote art to the masses,” he says. “We thought that it might be the time for an online platform.” Thus began the years-long process of research.“The digital space offers more possibility for curating—we can experiment, and play around with the design and layout,” Gurung explains.He also realises how instrumental social media has been for artists to showcase their work and for audiences to discover it. “Platforms like Instagram are helping artists make money and build a brand,” he says. And as if to evidence his point, a visitor comes over to introduce himself to Pradhan as one of his followers on social media.The team planned to launch Tulikaa in early 2020 when the pandemic hit. “What we thought would be detrimental turned out to be quite helpful because everyone was home and on the internet,” says Gurung, who did 27 online shows during the lockdown.Co-curator Samikshya Shrestha is optimistic about how platforms like Tulikaa, new art festivals and museums will help propagate Nepali art and artists.Ujen Norbu Gurung adds, “We need a lot more institutions and lots of fresh ideas. We will catch up with the rest of the art world, we just need to ride on the right wave.”Kholo 2.0 - A Cycle of Life is ongoing at Dhokaima Cafe until 27 August.

Shristi Karki

Riding on the waves of colours

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.

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