ANKIT ADHIKARI & PRAGATI SHAHI

KATHMANDU, SEP 29

Around 1,000 heritage sites across the country dating back to more than 100 years and lying neglected are about to get a facelift as a part of the government’s initiative to assess the status of important monument and archaeological sites.

The Department of Archaeology (DoA) under the Ministry of Culture launched a three-year programme starting from 2008-2009 to list all important ancient monuments and historical sites in 72 districts except the three districts of Kathmandu Valley - Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. The programme is nearing its end this year, according to DoA officials.

Roughly, more than 5,000 historical and cultural sites, idols, monuments and temples have been identified as both nationally and internationally important sites in the country till date.

Unlike in the past, this time the DoA has attempted to keep records of the monuments representing other ethnic religions beside Hinduism and Buddhism. Though some century-old mosques have been found in different parts of the Tarai, the department states that no church older than 100 years has been found so far in the country.

“This research is also likely to provide some momentum to the abandoned temples and stupas situated in remote districts namely Kalikot, Jumla, Mustang, Darchula, Baitadi, Jajarkot and others,” said Ram Kunwar, an excavation official at the DoA. “The number of temples depict the cultural richness and strength of these areas.”

However, according to Kunwar, though the structure of such temples still seem strong most of these are already abandoned. “No one living in those areas is aware of the historical importance of these temples,” he said. “People have already stopped worshipping at these temples as they lack idols of gods and goddesses.”

“These temples, in some places, have even become shelters for animals,” Kunwar added. “Historically, these temples are even more important as they

have not been repaired after they were established centuries ago. These temples are as they were. So, they depict the original forms of historic art. Temples like Pashupati and Changunarayan in urban areas have already seen renovations.”

The recently identified sites are categorically divided into three groups depending upon their importance — national, regional and local.

Interestingly, the study of DoA shows that the remote villages in the western parts of the country have got more of the monuments compared to the Tarai regions, but are in a sorry state. “There are many archaeological sites in the Tarai and lots of remains of ancient settlements can be found there,” added Kunwar. “However, Tarai areas do not have many  cultural monuments including temples and gumbas depicting aspects of history.” Though the DoA plans to go for immediate renovation of the monuments once the listing completes, it is hampered by meagre budget.

The government provides a yearly budget of Rs. 30 to Rs. 40 million which is not enough for renovating and preserving the temples listed. “Billions of rupees need for the total preservation, but the government is not able to alloacte the money,” said Kunwar.

Published in The Kathmandu Post -- September 30