treasures of nepal

at Thakurdwara in Bardiya National Park and TheMustang Eco-Museum at Jomsom in Mustang.These days, private collectors have also beenencouraged to stage exhibitions to display theircollections of different types of traditional artsand handicraft items.At Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, thereis the all important archaeological remains ofthe Maya Devi Temple, especially the alcoveremains which date from 3rd century B.C. Thearchaeological ruins of monasteries date from3rd century B.C to 5th century A.D. Numerousartefact items were discovered while excavatingthe Lumbini area, such as silver coins, child’stoy and a ram made of clay on wheels which wasprobably used during early period. The BuddhistInternational Research Library at Lumbini has arich collection of Buddhist texts.Nepal’s museums have rich collectionsof archaeological, historical and artisticimportance. Besides the archaeological objectsdating from the time of Lord Buddha unearthedat Lumbini, Tilaurakot and other places inwest Nepal, pre-historic archaeological objectsdiscovered in the Mustang caves belong to 8thcentury B.C. Stone statues, inscriptions, coinsand many other archaeological objects have beendiscovered in the Kathmandu Valley which datesfrom the 1st century. As Nepalese are icon (idol)worshipers, a vast treasure of cultural wealth inthe form of stone, wood and metal sculpturesand religious paintings remain in privatepossession with private collectors.Traditional HandicraftsNepalese handicrafts have been popular sincelong. The mention of the woolen blanket in the‘Kautilya Artha Sastra’ of Chanakya Bishnu Gupta(Kautilya) which dates back to 4th century B.C.proves this fact. Nepalese bronze artefacts havebeen treasured by the Tibetans since the timeof the Lichchhavis (3rd and 4th century A.D.).During the medieval period, Nepalese handicraftswere very popular in China and India. Sculpturedornaments and religious idols and statuettesin gold, silver, bronze, brass, stone and woodand embossed with semi-precious stones werehighly sought-after merchandise in China andIndia. Chinese travellers appreciated the skilland craftsmanship of the Nepalese artisans,especially their weaving, spinning, wood carvingand metal work. The contribution of the mastercraftsman, Arniko, who enriched Nepalesehandicrafts and popularised them throughoutTibet, China and other countries of the FarEast was immense. Nepalese handicrafts aredeeply rooted in the socio-religious and culturallives of the people. They can be divided intotwo main categories: articles of daily use andartefacts/articles of aesthetic value and religioussignificance. These range from artefacts linked toritualistic cults during the worship of deities toobjects used in daily life, like pots and hairpinsto hookahs (hubble-bubble), beads, shawls andskirts. Ethnic craftsmen have demonstrated theirdistinct characteristics in the design, modellingand production process of the artefacts. Theethnic utilitarian handicrafts constitute a longrange of articles, like khal-lohara (pestle andmortar), amkhora (waterpot), anti (winejar), sukunda(oil lamp), karuwa(water jar), thaal(plate), kachaura(saucer), kasaudi(cooking pot), chulesi(vegetable cutter),gagri (water pitcher),khukuri (gorkha knife) anddhakki (basket).Nepal’s handicraftindustry of todayis almost totallydependent on tourism48