January 12, 2021: Kathmandu's Chandragiri Municipality has committed to implement Kisipidi and Balambu's Heritage Recovery Plan. With the intention of preserving the tangible and intangible heritage of Ward No. 5 and 12, the municipality is endorsing the plan from Municipal Board and proposing to allocate necessary budget as per proposal.

Speaking at hand over programme organized by Lumanti, implementing partner of Parya Sampada, Mayor Ghanshyam Giri thanked project for creating a clear roadmap for developing cultural heritage. He added that the municipality would prioritize revitalization and conservation as per proposal mentioned in the Plan.

Ghanashyam Giri, Mayor of Chandragiri Municipality highlighting his thoughts on the Plan

“With the extreme wave of modernization, residential buildings and construction activities are undermining the cultural and aesthetic value of monuments. The Municipal Executive Board will take this matter seriously” he added.

Step ahead for strategic approach

Chandragiri Municipality aims to revive Newari traditions, culture, and food with the support of the Parya Sampada team and local youth. Deputy Mayor Lisha Nakarmi expressed happiness over the changing mindset of the people in determining development activities. A few years ago, most of the people in the community demanded roads, water, drainage and buildings as indicators of development but these days public are demanding construction of temples, pavilions and other monuments. She said the budget under her jurisdiction has been allocated for training, baja acquisition, dance, jatra and other invaluable heritage preservation.

Deputy Mayor Lisha Nakarmi remarking on the plan

Parya Sampada Projects handed over the Heritage Recovery Scheme to Prakash Kancha Bhai Maharjan and Prakash Shrestha, Chairmen of Ward No. 5 and 12 respectively. Both ward chairpersons thank Parya Sampada for providing a detailed study report aimed at preserving the heritage.

Lumanti Joshi from Lumanti highlighted the main objectives of the projects in preserving the culture and developing those outlets as tourist destinations. She added that cultural norms and values ​​have a significant impact on the society which should be transferred from generation to generation.

Head of the National Museum highlighting on importance of cultural heritage

Jay Ram Shrestha, head of the National Museum, stressed that Nepal has high-value traditions and cultures that can be marketed in international tourism. “Many people from different parts of the planet are eagerly waiting to learn about temples, monasteries, lifestyles, festivals and pilgrimages. Every cultural place in Nepal is an open museum for both internal and external tourists”, he added.

Proposed plan presented by Architect of Lumanti

Prabin Bajracharya, Senior Program Officer of UN-Habita, thanked the delegates, organizers, partners and locals and highlighted about the objectives of the project by developing 10 heritage sites in Lalitpur metropolitan city, Godavari municipality, Kirtipur municipality and Chandragiri municipality. He suggested local government and people to make collaborative efforts with a common agenda to preserve and promote cultural heritage.

The Parya Sampada Project, funded by the European Union and Switch Asia, is working to promote tangible and intangible heritage in Nepal from 2018 AD. Under the project, ruined tangible heritages of Bungamati and Pilachhen have already been rebuilt and some are on the pipeline.