SPACES_16Feb_016_A

Vol 12 N o. 01 February 2016 

A R T A R C H I T E C T U R E I N T E R I O R 

YANTRA 4.0: 

LOOKING FORWARD 

REMEMBERING 

AR.CHARLES CORREA 

Paltan 

Ghar 

House of Warrior 

a fresh perspective from 

Tilaurakot 

UNESCO’s fight against 

illicit trafficking 

Art in times of 

chaos 

Price: NRs.100/- IRs.100/- USD 5.95 EURO 5.95 GBP 4.95 

www.spacesnepal.com

4 / SPACES FEBRUARY 2016

FEBRUARY 2016 SPACES / 5

Contents 

Volume 12 N O. 01 | FEBRUARY 

72 

REPORT 

UNESCO'S fight illicit trafficking 

Christian Manhart explains the efforts of 

UNESCO for illicit trafficking of cultural 

property, like the 1970 convention and the 

UNIDROIT convention, and the challenges 

that were faced by religious monuments, archaeological sites, 

cultural institutions, private/public collections worldwide. 

68 

INTERIOR 

The role of colors in setting the 

emotional tone and wellbeing of 

human beings 

The multitudes of color in architecture 

and interiors are not limited to the 

emotional tone of a space, but also respond to the wellbeing 

of the respective inhabitants and in setting the emotional 

tone and wellbeing of human beings. 

48 

ARCHITECTURE 

Tilaurakot 

The second phase of Tilaurakot excavation 

has begun with an international team of 

experts. With a more comprehensive mapping 

of Tilaurakot -station survey in combination 

with photogrammetry through airborne drone mapping and 

a detailed measurement of the topography of the site and its 

hinterland have been conducted, and more on team of experts, 

Tilaurakot's Urban Plan and their future perspectives. 

60 

ART 

Art in times of chaos 

Think Beyond: Should the arts of the ancient be 

kept as they are or should they be transformed 

with time? Should it be evolved for the newer 

generation? What is that mechanism then 

which will interpret it through modern understanding giving newer 

possibilities for its survival and existence? 

42 

VIEWS 

Earthquake Commentary 

As a response to the devastating 

earthquake on 25th April 2015, a 

panel of professionals expressed 

their opinions to one of the most 

fundamental questions that have been constantly 

discussed. The main objective was to acquire a depth of 

the issues that were contracted during as well as in the 

aftermath of the earthquake. 

6 / SPACES FEBRUARY 2016 

76 FROM THE SHELF: Man and His House in the Himalayas 

79 ARTSCAPE: Mekh Limbu 

80 SPACES PHOTO CONTEST 

82 OPEN SPACES


Volume 12 N O. 01 | February 

CEO 

Editor-in-Chief 

Director- products and Materials 

Creative Manager 

Contributing Art Editor 

Junior Editors 

Correspondent 

Advisor 

Contributing Editor 

Photographer 

Interns 

Intl. Correspondent 

Director- Operation & Public Relation 

Business Development Officer 

subs/admin officer 

Accounts 

Legal Advisor 

Ashesh Rajbansh 

Sarosh Pradhan 

Ar. Pravita Shrestha 

Deependra Bajracharya 

Madan Chitrakar 

Kasthamandap Art Studio 

Shreya Amatya 

Sristi Pradhan 

Avantika Gurung 

Ar. Pawan Kumar Shrestha 

President - Society of Nepalese Architects 

Ar. Jinisha Jain (Delhi) 

Ar. Chetan Raj Shrestha (Sikkim) 

Barun Roy (Darjeeling Hills) 

Pradip Ratna Tuladhar 

Ar. Kritika Rana 

Anisha Shrestha 

Amod Amatya 

Ar. Bansri Panday 

Anu Rajbansh 

Debbie Rana Dangol 

Pramila Shrestha 

Sunil Man Baniya 

Ad. Yogendra Bhattarai 

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SPACES is published twelve times a year at the address above. All rights are reserved in respect of articles, illustrations, photographs, etc. published in SPACES. The contents of this publication may not be 

reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher and the publisher cannot accept 

responsiblility for any errors or omissions. 

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editorial 

As winter gives way and the temperature rises, SPACES picks up steam on the current issues with interesting features in 

this issue. 

We feature viewpoints and pointers from a panel of professionals after the devastating earthquake of 25th.April 2015, 

working in different sectors in order to develop better understanding of the issues that have surfaced post-earthquake. 

One apparent observation is the skeptical outlook towards construction quality and high-rise buildings, which has 

sparked a debate. 

It must be pointed out that very few-designed apartment building were critically damaged. 

Most damage was done to old structures that had passed their life span or ill designed structures hurriedly built having 

poor construction material and technology. Maximum devastation appears to have been caused by low-rise stone and 

brick masonry structures in villages, which were built with very basic considerations. It is a soul-searching period for the 

general public as well as the Architects, Engineers and designers to setup a standard and help generate awareness of 

earthquake resilient structures. Design or material strength is not the only consideration, but also the context of the land 

conditions such as soil, adjacent erosion, instabilities and the vulnerable environment are important focus areas to be 

considered besides construction. 

We highlight the findings in Tilaurakot where the current archaeological investigations sponsored by the Government of 

Nepal and UNESCO is an important focus for ancient Kapilavastu - the childhood home of Buddha, unearthing exciting 

new discoveries that are re-writing the history of this important ancient site. Under the co-direction of Professor Robin 

Coningham of Durham University and Kosh Prasad Acharya of Pashupati Area Development Trust, the multidisciplinary 

teams of Nepalese and international archaeological experts have been applying a variety of traditional and cutting-edge 

archaeological techniques to explore the ancient city. 

The feature on Art in the time of Chaos explores a creative as well as abstract journey seeking the chaos as a means 

to reflect our place in time. Walking to Basantapur is never the same without Kasthamandap or the missing temples on 

top of the pyramidal plateau of steps. Artists see and question the unfamiliarity of chaos as a means to understand the 

familiarity of the missing past. When anything is destroyed – it is also a time for the creative vision to take seed. 

Some of the interesting events that have happened and featured in this issue are the Photo Kathmandu, Nepal’s first 

international photo-festival, which was a real treat for the general public as well as the professional photographers 

within the inner city of Patan; Siddhartha Arts Foundation’s Education Initiative (SAFEI) workshop on Curating Public 

Spaces - at Yalamaya Kendra and the Yantra 4.0 which successfully sparked the creative eye and participant. 

We also remember and bid farewell to well-known Architect Charles Correa who fortunately we were able to see and 

interact during the Arc-Asia Conference gathering here in Kathmandu a year back. I remember him then as the keynote 

speaker where besides his voluminous writings and works also had a presence of mind to say - when suddenly the 

audio and visuals blanked out for a while... – ‘This is what I like of mysterious Nepal!’ He further went on to share “We 

need to look at the place where we build a building. The climate and the soil where the building is to be built must be 

respected”, as he truly believed that architecture for every place is unique according to its people and culture. 

Namaste! 

Sarosh Pradhan / Editor in Chief 



Contributors 

Christian Manhart 

With degrees in art history and archaeology, 

Christian Manhart’s journey in conservation 

started when he joined UNESCO’s Cultural 

section in 1987. He is currently the head of 

UNESCO office in Nepal, and also the UNESCO’s 

representative to Nepal. His advocacy for 

conservation and illicit trafficking of cultural property are published 

online in various platforms. 

Bijaya Laxmi Rai 

Bijaya Laxmi Rai is an engineer by profession. 

She is an assistant designer and planner (on 

behalf of the contractor) at the Sanjen (Upper) 

hydroelectric project. Rai is interested in technical 

writing (Sustainability; Green Technology; 

Disaster Risk Management; Women, Children and 

Societies, among other topics). She is also an 

amateur researcher (Seismic Vulnerability). 

Nischal Oli 

Nischal Oli is an art producer based in 

Kathmandu. He is the Project Coordinator of the 

Siddhartha Arts Foundation's Education Initiative, 

which builds capacity in the management, 

curating and criticism of the arts. As a manager, 

curator and writer Oli has worked with several 

organizations, artists, platforms and collectives. 

Drishti Manandhar 

Drishti Manandhar is an architect, 

graduate from the Pulchowk Institute of 

Engineering, currently working at S G 

Designs. Fascinated by Space - she loves 

to eat, read, sketch, talk (in radndom order) 

and write about the acquaintances in her 

environemnt. An art enthusiast by nature 

she is fascinated by the ability of words and 

its power in expression. 

Saroj Bajracharya 

Saroj Bajracharya is an artist and an art 

critic. He has been actively involved in 

many facets of art such as painting, writing, 

teaching, curating, organizing solo/group 

exhibitions and related events for more than 

two decades. Mr. Bajracharya has authored 

a book titled ‘A Concise Introduction to 

Nepali Modern Sculpture’. 

Shreesha Nankhwa 

Ms. Shreesha Nankhwa is an aspiring 

environmentalist with a penchant for writing. 

She is interested in sustainable living, 

alternative energy and creating a better 

future for the planet. Her works have been 

published in a number of magazines and 

publications in Nepal. She currently writes 

and edits blogs for IT companies while 

dreaming of trekking across the Himalayas. 

Amit Kumar Shrestha 

Graduate in Risk control and management 

technology, Mr. Amit Kumar Shrestha has 

been actively involved with National Society for 

Earthquake Technology (NSET) as Public Private 

Partnership specialist. His other experiences 

include environment and occupational safety, 

enterprises resource planning and business 

continuity planning. 

Jebin Gautam 

Jebin Gautam is a freelance writer and 

researcher. He is a liberal arts graduate 

from Wabash College, USA. He is currently 

interested in issues of arts, culture and 

social sciences. 



n e w s 

REMEMBERING AR.CHARLES CORREA 

I 

ndia’s greatest architect and the 

RIBA gold medalist Charles Correa, 

who had passed away on June 16 at 

the age of 84, was a visionary architect, 

an urban planner an activist and a 

theoretician. Considered as the pioneer 

of contemporary architecture in post 

independent India he was not only 

accredited for his high-end modern 

designs but also his sensitivity towards 

the urban poor and his brilliant use of 

traditional materials and technology. 

Charles Correa was born in Hyderabad 

in 1930. He studied architecture at 

the University of Michigan and at the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

(MIT), before returning to India in 1958. 

He has nearly completed about 100 

projects in India and many more abroad 

from luxury condos to low cost housing, 

cultural Centre’s to educational institutions 

and master planning of a satellite town 

of Mumbai. Some of his notable works 

include Champalimaud Centre (Lisbon, 

Portugal), Belapur low-income housing 

project (Navi Mumbai, India), Kanchanjunga 

Apartments (Mumbai, India) and Gandhi 

SamarakSanghralaya (Ahemdabad, India). 

Charles Correa attended the ARCASIA 

event held at Kathmandu on the 4th 

and 5th of October 2014. He was one 

of the keynote speakers for the event. 

“We need to look at the place where we 

build a building. The climate and the soil 

where the building is to be built must be 

respected”, he said, as he truly believed 

that architecture for every place is unique 

according to its people and culture. 

I had an amazing opportunity to 

interact with him during our short visitto 

Bhaktapur from Kathmandu. I still 

remember his concerns regarding the 

haphazard urbanization and the lack of 

structures that reflected the essence 

of this place.He said spaces have the 

capability of transforming themselves 

according to needs and the major issues 

today are we lack spaces.However, the 

city of Bhaktapur, the traditional Nepalese 

Architecture and its amazing detailing’s 

fascinated him. I still remember him 

saying that the patis alongside the roads 

was one of the most humble gestures of 

architecture he has seen. 

He has always been resentful regarding 

the usage of glass in buildings in India. 

He believed glass buildings were not 

meant countries where temperatures 

are extreme during summer. He retorted 

the idea of living in glass boxes and 

then having air conditioners installed to 

cool them off. And according to him this 

was very much applicable in the case of 

Nepal as well. With so much tangible and 

intangible heritages interconnected with 

architecture here, it is even more essential 

for us to respond prudently to our growing 

demands. “Nepal is full of aspiration and 

rich in natural beauty, the central question 

should be what the nation’s people 

want to become? “ he said addressing 

to a number of international and 

national personalities during the 

ARCASIA event. 

Correa has worked in areas solving 

practical problems of mass housing and 

transportation and his works have always 

been an amalgamation of culture, people 

and climate.His structures are not overly 

concerned with elaborate forms but they 

grow organically from their site, blending 

with the natural environment. His works 

have been hugely dominated by courtyard 

and open to sky elements creating subtle 

and comfortable spaces. For his great 

contributions in the field of architecture he 

has been awarded the Royal Gold Medal 

for Architecture from the Royal Institute of 

British Architects; the Premium Imperial 

prize for architecture (1994), awarded by 

the Japan Art Association; and the Aga 

Khan Award for Architecture (1998). 

“Certainly architecture is concerned 

with much more than just its physical 

attributes. It is a many-layered thing. 

Beneath and beyond the strata of function 

and structure, materials and texture, lie 

the deepest and most compulsive layers 

of all.” –Charles Correa. 

Although Charles Correa has left us, his 

works and his virtues will continue to 

inspire us and many more generations to 

come. 


e v i e w 

NEGOTIATING THE TIMELINE OF 

PHOTOGRAPHY IN NEPAL: 

TEXT: Jebin Gautam 

Photos: photocircle 

T 

he beauty of Patan 

is reflected in its 

intricate art, its 

elaborate architecture and 

its close-knit community. 

The city is an open gallery 

that encompasses some 

of most well-preserved 

heritage sites in Kathmandu 

valley. During numerous 

festivals and jatras, its 

alleyways become alive 

with devotees and visitors 

actively interacting with the 

temples, palaces and other 

votive structures. Photo 

Kathmandu, Nepal’s first 

international photo-festival, 

which took place from Nov 

3rd to Nov 9th 2015, situated 

itself amid this very vigor and 

liveliness,recreating a sense 

of community, camaraderie 

and inclusion of age-old 

traditions and contemporary 

practices. 

introduced its audience 

tothis diptychconcept of the 

compactness and vagueness 

of the photographic medium. 

The 18 exhibitions of 

the festival were clearly 

separated into different 

epochs of the old and the 

new and classical and 

abstractthus recounting a 

thorough history of Nepal 

and the evolution of the 

photographic medium within 

its boundaries. 

Representing the tangible 

past the rich archival material 

from Nepal Picture Library 

(NPL) introduced the viewers 

to the work of early court 

photographers,early urban 

technology adapters, the 

pre and post-democratic 

sociopolitical movements 

and stories of female 

empowerment and urban 

progress. These archival 

materials made the viewer 

aware of the effects 

of democratization of 

technologyon the community 

and the creation of the protomiddle 

class.Contemporary 

works by photographers 

like Kevin Bubriski and 

Kishor Sharma approached 

The Nepalese casual 

audience rarely 

considersphotographs as 

something more than an 

evidential document. In 

general, people do not realize 

thatphotographs often defy 

the basiciconic index, and 

aims to record much more 

– feelings, emotions and 

intangibilities. They do not 

have to deal with the exotic, 

historic or important and 

the special as most of us 

might presume. The first 

edition of Photo Kathmandu 


e v i e w 

their subjects through an 

ethnographic lens echoing the 

sentiments of these archives. 

Kevin Bubriski’s classically 

composed photographs 

took us to a Nepal still 

sheltered from modernity. 

All of his photographs were 

beautiful and the softness 

of their composition lent 

them a romantic tone. The 

ethnographic posturing 

signified that these 

photographs could be admired 

not only for the skillfulness of 

the photographer but also for 

the superior annexation of the 

culture and tradition reflected in 

the composition. 

In East Dhaugal wall men, 

women and youths reflected on 

things that have changed and 

have remained the same since 

the nineties as photojournalist 

Bikas Rauniar captured the 

moments. In a subtle way 

they looked very much like the 

group of elated and astounded 

locals welcoming the hot-air 

balloon in one of Rauniar’s 

photographs. His exhibition 

recounted a contemporary 

history of Nepal, the one of 

struggles, revolutions and 

the elusive development 

andintroducing the viewers 

to another important epoch 

in Nepali history, the one 

marked byideological progress, 

modernity and infrastructural 

changes. 

Moving from from these linear 

narrations Frederic Lecloux’s 

work in South Dhaugal wall 


e v i e w 

A sampling of 

photographs 

from around 

the world 

introduced the 

viewers to the 

multitudes of 

possibilities that 

a camera can 

do proclaiming 

that it is merely 

a pixilated 

canvasopento 

any kind of 

interpretation. 

introduced the viewers to the 

intangibilities of life. Hinging 

on the power of emotions 

and human expression, he 

showed the versatility of a 

photographer as a recorder 

of feelings. This technique is 

further built by Prasiit Sthapit 

whose exhibition maps a 

geo-political course with the 

expressive power of lives lived 

in the Sustaregion of Nepal. 

Whereas Tuomo Manninen’s 

group portraits of Nepali 

professionals from the 90s, 

partially staged and partially 

real, shows the alternative of 

photography, as a medium to 

recreate and stage as opposed 

to record and document. 

To complement the exhibitions’ 

each night aslideshow 

presentation of photographs 

was also held in the courtyards 

and water facets of Patan. A 

sampling of photographs from 

around the world introduced 

the viewers to the multitudes of 

possibilities that a camera can 

do proclaiming that it is merely 

a pixilated canvasopento 

any kind of interpretation. 

Besides the usual photographic 

programming, the festival 

also raised USD 14,000 for the 

rebuilding of patis through the 

print sale. 

Walking around the exhibition 

art-enthusiasts, shoppers, 

students, amblers, rovers 

and non-gallery crowd – 

actively engaged with each 

workadmiring them and 

critiquing them and questioning 

them. In Nagbahal old men sat 

under a tree in the courtyard 

like they usually do but this 

time they were accompanied 

by sets of archival photographs 

hanging from the branches. 

They searched for families, 

relatives and friends and 

pointed to the houses of the 

people they spot. In the process 

they also provided curatorial 

advice, ‘The frames have to 

be at eye level but these are 

hanging too low’ said one of 

them, ‘The picture should have 

been bigger pointed another. 

These conservations and 

others like them completed the 

purpose of these photographs 

givingthem a diverse audience 

and creating a much-needed 

dialogue around them. 


e v i e w 

LOOKING FORWARD 

Yantra 4.0 was different than its predeceasing edition for many 

reasons. Most of these undertakings were motivated by a wish 

to grow and to become more substantive. With the concluded 

Yantra 4.0, the platform has set a new direction for the future 

editions and for the union of art, technology and science. 

TEXT: Nischal Oli 

Photos: Suresh Lama Yonjan 

F 

irst, the disclaimer: 

As the curator and 

organizer of Yantra 4.0, 

I am simply recounting the 

take-away lessons from each 

aspect of this year’s efforts. My 

attempt to stay unbiased and 

objective should be taken as 

such. Readers should seek out 

individual perspectives from 

participating artists, engineers, 

partners, supporters and of 

course co-organizers for a 

more encompassing review of 

Yantra 4.0. 

Established in 2012, Yantra 

was created for young 

engineers to put knowledge 

into practice through hardware 

programming. For the first two 

years this became the primary 

focus of Yantra’s programming 

achieved through the annual 

event: the National Robotics 

Competition (NRC) and regional 

Mini Yantras. By the end of the 

second edition, co-organizer 

Karkhana and founders 

Robotics Association of Nepal 

(RAN)sought to incorporate an 

art component to the platform 

in the hopes of opening newer 

avenues of creative thinking. 

The Siddhartha Arts 

Foundation’s Education 

Initiative (SAFEI) was thus 

invited to join the organizing 

committee to realize this 

new vision. Yantra 3.0, a 

dedicated showcase of 

interactive art, helped create 

new linkages between the 

creative and scientific fields, 

it instigated a dialogue. While 

extending the definition of 

the arts and sciences to be 

more accommodating and 

accessible. 

In early 2015, the team of 

organizers began on the 

journey again. We versed our 

vision for 2015, put it into 

an application and applied 

for an external grant. The 

earthquakes happened in 

between, but some good news 

greeted us in August when we 

received funding from the Arts 

Collaboratory. Between August 

and December we built a team 

and organized several events 

under the banner of Yantra 4.0. 


e v i e w 

The biggest change has been 

simple – from ‘exhibition’ to 

‘annual showcase.’ This might 

not seem as major alteration, 

but the designation does have a 

lot to do with how we perceived 

our work as organizers. By 

orienting the culminating 

event as a showcase of efforts 

carried out year-around, Yantra 

was able to include more 

content without infringing on its 

theme. It could downscale the 

interactive art section towards 

more immersive content while 

still displaying a substantial 

exhibition. 

Yantra 4.0’s Annual Showcase 

included, besides interactive 

art, happenings from the 

National Robotics Competition, 

new curated sections and 

programming from each of 

the organizers. Basically, an 

amalgamation of efforts by 

individual organizers and the 

team as a whole. Essentially, 

branding the event as a 

Showcase, we were able to 

reiterate Yantra’s function 

as a platform. For future 

editions, this might mean 

different organizers, or like 

with the concluded edition it 

will definitely result in more 

programming produced in 

collaboration with ‘partners.’ 

The Yantra Research Grant 

was the next big thing. It was 

awarded to study ‘objects of 

significance’ that have had 

measurable influence on Nepali 

society. For us these objects: 

shoes, watches and umbrellas, 

were embodiments of the 

edition’s theme, intriguing and 

inspirational. 

[BATO KO SAATHI] 

Bato Ko Saathi by Sharmila 

Shrestha and Binita 

Buddhacharya brought together 

shoes from different people as 

a site-specific installation. The 

artist hope to present the shoes 

as a marker of their owners. 

Through the research we 

were able to share stories 

of a different Nepal; one 

where footsteps measure 

time and citizens are fined if 

they fail to turn dead cattle’s 

hide over to shoe producers 

(sarkis). We were also able to 

showcase three participatory 

art installations grounded in the 

use of the objects of enquiry. 

The research is still on-going 

and the team is looking 

forward to concluding the 

research as an academic 

paper. Yantra hopes that such 

studies can be undertaken with 

more frequency through its 

activities and existing research 

can be highlighted through 

similar multi-disciplinary 

collaborations. 


e v i e w 

[CREATIVE COMPUTING] 

The Creative Computing 

course was held between 

September and October, 

2015. The workshop focused 

on the physical computing 

and exposed participants 

to programming languages, 

electronics and sensors. 

Our approach to producing 

the exhibits also changed. 

Through a 6-week long 

workshop we were able to 

create a more educative 

exchange between the 

collaborators. Alongside the 

course, artists and engineers 

developed their ideas and 

exhibits for the Showcase. 

Here, in an effort to move 

away from digital displays, 

Yantra selected four 

project that were manually 

interactive. 

[SARANGI] 

A young visitor playing the Sarangi 

at Yantra 4.0. 9 light-based sensors 

were used to emulate the actual 

instruments. The bow movement 

was integrated into the mechanics to 

reflect the 

Through the Sarangi, the ease of 

sensor-based interaction showed 

us the immense actual potential of 

experiential learning. Mimosa, showed 

us the mechanical precision of nature 

complex and intriguing beyond 

measure. The Irritating Machine, 

attempted to instill frustration from the 

presence of political figures, making 

everyone wonder why democracy 

was thus abused with so many Prime 

ministers in such a short time? 


e v i e w 

[HOMEWORK THE GAME] 

Visitors playing HOMEWORK: The Game. 

Developed by three young teenagers, the 

game uses actual umbrellas for joysticks. 

Inspired by Yantra Research, the game is 

played with umbrellas to block water from 

pouring over ones “homework,” power 

ups were represented by shoes (speed) 

and hourglass (time). 

HOMEWORK: The Game, also inspired 

by the Yantra Research, was a big hit - 

proving that age is really just a number. 

Of course, there were bugs and failed 

troubleshooting, the Peace Pond never 

saw the light of day and some exhibits 

were fragile to the flow of excited visitors. 

These issues were present in Yantra 3.0 

as well and clearly necessitates a revision 

of approach. 

[MAPPED PIC] 

Crowd at the MAPPED event at the Nepal 

Art Council. Musicians from Iran, Syria, 

Poland and Nepal played with visuals 

projected on the façade of the building. 

Events like MAPPED then helped bring the 

message of the exhibition to the public. 

International musicians collaborated to 

put on a outdoors concert. Their piece 

“Adapt” talked about the issues gripping 

the country. Giant projections of serpentine 

gas cylinders in queue by the road and of 

police brutality in the southern plains made 

the performance even more emphatic. 

It also allowed Yantra to have a taste 

of public happenings, which given the 

response will be replicated. 

[YANTRA SPEAKER SERIES] 

speaking at the session of the Yantra 

Speaker Series. 

Altogether 6 sessions were held. Speakers 

were invited to present on their work and 

experience of working in between the 

creative and technological fields. 

Besides these outcomes, an organic 

development is also taking place. Yantra 

has slowly moved towards broader goals, 

where education has taken center stage. 

Parallel to the attempt to rejuvenating 

the essence of the platform, Yantra now 

perceives its efforts in continuum (as any 

education should be). If art and technology 

are to come together, it will undoubtedly 

happen under the auspices of trial and 

error. As such, Yantra will D need to relieve 

itself from the idea of creating equal 

collaborations and instead provide a stable 

and nurturing environment where a range of 

attempts to merge art and technology are 

accommodated. 



e v i e w 

On 5th of November, 

2015, Siddhartha Arts 

Foundation’s Education 

Initiative (SAFEI) invited artists, 

art managers, curators, and 

other professionals to join the 

workshop - "Curating Public 

Spaces" - at Yalamaya Kendra, 

Patandhoka. The four-day 

workshop was facilitated by 

renowned Belgian curator of SMAK Gent, Mr. Philippe Van Cauteren. 

The workshop took place between 2nd and 5th of November 

2015 and used the ongoing Photo Kathmandu Festival as a case 

study.Creative professionals interested in using public spaces to 

showcase different art forms were encouraged to apply.Participants 

reflected on the whole notion of art as a social and participatory 

process in relation to public space, and on the responsibility of the 

CURATING PUBLIC SPACES 

TEXT: Shweta Shakya 

artist towards public space an 

theimpact of art in public space 

in relation to the everyday. 

Through his experiences 

in Chile, Brazil, Mexico, 

Netherlands and Germany 

Philippe Van Cauteren 

(currently the artistic director 

of SMAK Gent, (Museum 

for Contemporary Art) in Ghent, Belgium) conducted a 5-day 

workshop in scrutinizing public spaces and articulating questions 

regarding what public spaces can mean. Focusing on important 

artistic interventions and exhibitions in public spaces, Cauteren 

and participants reflected on the whole notion of art as a social 

and participatory process in relation to public spaces and on the 

responsibility of the artist towards public spaces. 

important for the exchange with people 

from other countries. The workshops like 

these are really helpful and hope these will 

continue. Sometimes an artist thinks of 

something very crazy, you need to motivate 

the people to do it which could be tedious. 

HOW HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE 

DURING THE WORKSHOP? WHAT 

MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR 

ARTISTS, ART MANAGERS AND THE 

YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ASPIRE TO 

BECOME ARTISTS? 

CURATING IS A NEW TERM FOR ART- 

ISTS IN NEPAL ?HOW DO YOU DEFINE 

CURATING? 

The origin of the word is from the Latin 

word "Curarie" which means to take care 

for. A curator is the one who helps the 

artist to present the work. He can convince 

people to help with managing, economy 

so he/she can completely concentrate 

on creating. He mediates the work of the 

artist to the public. For that he need to have 

good communication with the artist. An 

artists necessarily doesn't think practically 

every time, but a curator can realize his 

imagination in a more practical way. A 

real curator cares for the art and develops 

good communication with the artist. He 

has to think on the communication, artistic, 

practical financial level. 

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT SUCH 

WORKSHOP HAS TAKEN PLACE 

ABOUT CURATORSHIP. HOW CAN WE 

DEVELOP A TREND IN NEPAL ABOUT 

CURATORSHIP? 

Inspiration is the key. You need to make 

people enthusiastic. If we can convince 

people of the importance of art in our lives. 

You don't have to necessarily go to schools 

for curator but it can be helpful. It is really 

It could have been a bit longer but my stay 

in Nepal is coming to end. My advice to the 

artist is don't make compromises, stick to 

your work no matter how difficult it is. Don't 

change the idea because its more easy. 

You don't need to realize it but don't make 

compromise because the government isn't 

giving you the permission or you don't have 

enough money, just keep it as a sketch. As 

an art manager try to connect people and 

bring them together and have respect for 

the artist. If you don't have respect for the 

artist then its better to be just a manager 

not an art manager. Hough it is complex 

and frustrating many times but the end is 

always rewarding. 


e v i e w 

YOU HAVE BEEN TO MANY OTHER 

PLACES AND CURATED THE PUB- 

LIC SPACES. WHAT POSSIBILITIES 

DO YOU SEE HERE IN KATHMAN- 

DU?WHAT IS THE IMPRESSION OF 

NEPAL? 

It’s like I have been here before 

but not. Everyone I talked and met 

hascuriosity and hunger to learn 

and at the same time I also felt that 

people are very sensitive with the 

surrounding and context. There is 

a lot of encouragement despite the 

difficulties, people are so resilient 

which is very strong feeling. People 

think in a conceptual way. Nobody 

was saying " I couldn't do this because 

the government isn't helping", this 

is something very beautiful. All the 

potentials are there to incorporate 

and break the notion of curating. The 

knowledge of an artist is as valuable 

as the knowledge of the doctor or an 

engineer. It is the biggest chance to 

be free. In that sense art is a form of a 

religion. When I am dealing with art, I 

get so devoted that it starts to feel like 

a religion. 

ART AND ARTISTS ARE ALWAYS CON- 

SIDERED SECONDARY OCCUPATION. 

HOW CAN WE CONVINCE PEOPLE 

THE IMPORTANCE OF ART? 

It is common everywhere and it is also 

normal. A doctor can help save lives, an 

engineer can build homes. But artists can 

do small things. Most people will think art 

is just a painting on the wall but it is also 

the small poetic gesture not everyone 

has to understand it and believe it, but 

everyone has a opinion about it and that 

is important. Art cannot open locked 

doors but it can create a crevice through 

which a strip of line can pass. Art is not 

about convention or confirmation. Artists 

doesn't show the things that we know, 

artists will give a glimpse of the things we 

don't know yet. With all the things on the 

table right now, an artist can create an 

unbelievable artwork with a meaning. 

HOW CAN WE RELATE ART, ARCHI- 

TECTURE AND PUBLIC SPACES AND 

CREATE A SOCIAL AWARENESS? 

Social awareness is something that 

takes generation. Time is the biggest 

notion. Architecture is long lived than 

the art on canvas. Here architecture 

is always present everywhere. Many 

things are happening socially around 

the ancient architecture. In every public 

spaces there is opportunity of curating. 

If art is the king, then the king should 

not be in a fortified place but the king 

should be part of architecture, next to 

the subjects just like the architecture of 

the Durbar Squares. One can develop 

practice and here and develop interaction 

and dialogue. There is an opportunity 

to communicate in a more organic and 

informal way. 

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE RE- 

LATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CURATOR 

AND AN ARTIST? 

It is like a love affair between them. If 

you don't believe in the artist, you cannot 

do anything.Being an artist is a very 

lonely profession.You need to be as one 

to convince the artist that the world is 

incomplete without him. Sometimes, I 

don’t understand immediately what the 

artist wants to do and why he wants to 

do it. But if I feel it is important for him, 

then it is my sole duty help him realize 

and develop the idea. But there are 

also some artists who don't depend on 

curator. 


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e v i e w 

May The Best Design Win!! 

Asian Paints All Nepal Architecture Students 

Design Competition 2014-15 with SPACES as magazine partner 

TEXT: Shreesha Nankhwa 

4thyear Architecture students of 067 batch got the opportunity of a life time last year when they were chosen 

to compete in the All Nepal Architecture Design Competition 2014-15, the first ever national level design 

competition for Architecture students in Nepal organized by Asian Paints Nepal. The competition, which officially 

started on the 6th of Mangshir, finally came to an end on 28th of Shrawan this year, when the winners were 

announced at a grand ceremony at the Hotel Yak and Yeti. 

The concept behind the competition started 4 years ago at the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk, when the 

idea of sponsoring a student every year was floated around. However, with the intention of providing unbiased 

support to deserving students, a college level design competition was held instead, the winners of which would 

receive financial support from Asian Paints. For the past 3 years, Asian Paints has been organizing college 

level design competition at the Institute of Engineering, Kathmandu Engineering College and Nepal Engineering 

College. However, in the year 2014, more colleges were included into the fold and the competition was taken to 

the national level. 

THE PARTICIPANTS: 

The national level design 

competition started with five 

participants from each of the six 

participating colleges – Institute 

of Engineering in Pulchowk, 

ACME Engineering College, 

Himalayan Engineering College, 

Khwopa Engineering College, 

Kathmandu Engineering College 

and Nepal Engineering College – 

being chosen to compete in the 

Design Competition. A college 

level design competition was 

held at Institute of Engineering, 

Kathmandu Engineering College 

and Nepal Engineering College, 

from which the top five finalists 

were chosen to compete in 

the nationals, whereas five 

competitors were chosen by 

the college itself from ACME 

Engineering College, Himalayan 

Engineering College and Khwopa 

Engineering College. 

THE COMPETITION 

A total of thirty participants, along with a coordinator 

from each college (6 in total) and 2 representatives from 

Asian Paints,then took a field trip to officially start the 

competition. On 6th of Mangshir, the team of 38 traveled 

from Kathmandu to Kurintar, where the participants 

were given the chance to inspect the site, take pictures 

and get a good grasp of the site requirements, so that 

they could create a design suitable for the area. 

After the site visit, the team travelled to Sauraha for a 

2-days-1-night camp. The camp experience provided 

the students with an opportunity to meet and interact 

with fellow competitors from different colleges, as 

well as rest and enjoy at the peaceful environment at 

Sauraha. 

On same day, Mangshir 6th, 2072, at Sauraha, the 

competition was officially launched. The participants 

were informed of the requirements and submission 

deadlines and given a month to fully prepare their 

designs. On next day the team went to hetauda to visit 

Asian Paints Factory and returned to Kathmandu on the 

same day. 

THE JURY 

After receiving the submissions from all 

the 30 participants, the six coordinators 

and two representatives from Asian 

Paints collectively appointed a jury of 

5 senior architects: Ar. Arun Dev Panta, 

Ar. Swarup Gurung Koney, Ar. Bishnu 

Panthi, Ar. Suman Meher Shrestha, 

Prof. Srinivas B.S. Kansakar. The 

designs from the students were coded 

to keep the identity of the designers 

hidden. The jury of five then chose the 

Top 16 designs from the pool of 30 

submissions. 

Top 16 students, who were chosen, 

were then asked to prepare a 

presentation in front of the jury and 

lay out their arguments as to why 

their designs should be considered. 

After they laid out their arguments, 

the jury decided on the winners and 

confidentially, gave their verdict to the 

organizers. 


e v i e w 

THE VERDICT 

On 28thof Shrawan this year, a grand 

ceremony was held at the Hotel Yak and 

Yeti to announce the winners and present 

them with their winnings. The event was 

originally scheduled for Baisakh, but 

was postponed due to the earthquake of 

Baisakh 12th. The ceremony was presided 

over by the Chief Guest, Honorable 

Minister of Education Chitra Lekha Yadav. 

Other honored guests included Ar. Kishor 

Thapa, President of Society of Nepalese 

Architects (SONA), the official partner for 

the competition, Ar. Hare Ram Shrestha 

President of SCAEF(Society of Consulting 

Architectural and Engineering Firms), Er. 

Dhurba Thapa,President of NEA (Nepal 

Engineering Association) as well as the 

honored jury members. 

The Winner of the Competition was 

Mr. Niran Maharjan from the Institute 

of Engineering. Mr Maharjan won a 

cash prize of Rs. 70,000. Ms. Palistha 

Bajracharya from the Institute of 

Engineering was announced as the 1st 

runner up and won a cash prize of Rs. 

50,000.The 3rd position was won by Mr. 

Prajen Shrestha from the Institute of 

Engineering and was awarded a cash 

prize of Rs. 30,000including. Mr Danking 

Bdr. Bhujel from Kathmandu Engineering 

College and Mr. Ashesh Sapkota from 

Nepal Engineering College won the 

consolation prize of Rs. 10,000 each. All 

the winners were awarded with trophies 

and certificates along with their cash 

prizes. The taxes for the cash prize were 

borne by Asian Paints. 

Although this is the first national level 

design competition by Asian Paints, it 

won’t be the last. When asked if they 

intend to continue the competition again 

this year, Asian Paintsteam replied with 

an easy “Of Course!” The company will be 

continuing with a second edition of the 

competition in 2015, the preparations for 

which are already in progress. And this 

time, the competition will be bigger as 

more colleges join the fold. 

NIRAN MAHARJAN 

WINNER 

Tell us about your design 

I was very much influenced 

by the idea that a good design 

must always complement 

the site. So, I made sure that 

I inspected the site closely 

and my design was created 

accordingly. I took into account 

the landscape of the site as well 

as the surrounding environment, 

hills and road access. The 

simplicity and the clarity of 

my design as well as my siteconsciousness 

might be the 

reason why I won. 

Do you think this competition 

has helped you as a future 

architect? 

The competition influences 

everyone in different way. For 

me, the cash prize and the 

ensuing recognition within the 

college, department, as well 

as the architect community 

motivated me a lot. 

Any plans for your future? 

Thanks to the competition, I was 

offered the opportunity to work 

with Ar. Saroj Pradhan. I will be 

working with Saroj sir for a few 

years. Eventually, I intend to open 

my own architecture firm. 

PALISTHA BAJRACHARYA 

1ST RUNNER UP 


We were given a few criteria that 

our design had to fulfill. Staying 

within these criteria, I made 

sure that my design was not 

only structurally sound but also 

aesthetically pleasing. I mainly 

focused on creating a resting 

area/park where weary travelers 

could take a break from their 

travels. 



architect? 

I think this competition has 

provided us with a chance to 

explore the practical side of 

architecture that isn’t covered in 

our courses. Since it’s a national 

level competition I was really 

motivated to put in more effort 

and produce I higher output 

than usual. 


I don’t have anything planned 

right now. I am mostly focused 

on the present and will take this 

one day at a time. 

PRAJEN SHRESTHA, 

2ND RUNNER UP 


While creating the design, I first 

created a plane composition 

before working on a conceptual 

3D model. My concept revolved 

around an easy transition from 

road into the building and I 

focused on creating a more 

horizontal and less vertical 

building. 



architect? 

I think this competition was 

crucial for the exposure it 

provided us. We learnt a lot 

about what the architecture filed 

would be life after we graduate 

and I also think it provided us 

with an opportunity to get our 

name out there. 


I, like everyone else, want to be 

successful. But what my career 

path would be life depends on 

the experience I gain once I 

start working as a professional 

architect. I intend to adapt 

according to the circumstances. 

DANKING BDR. BHUJEL 

CONSOLATION PRIZE WINNER 


I live in Pokhara and have 

to travel frequently between 

Pokhara and Kathmandu. So, 

my design concept was heavily 

colored by my experience and 

what I felt was needed at the 

rest stops during my travel. I 

used a natural open space as 

a central focal point and build 

the petrol pumps and other 

amenities around the open 

space, which serves as a resting 

place for passengers that is 

buffered from the road. 



architect? 

Yes! The competition motivated 

me to work as hard as I could 

since I was competing with best 

students from different colleges. 

It also gave me an idea about 

where I stand and what I need 

to do to improve myself as an 

architect. 


After I graduate I intend to 

join an architecture firm and 

gain some experience before 

deciding how to further pursue 

my career. 

ASHESH SAPKOTA 

CONSOLATION PRIZE WINNER 


My design was created to 

compensate for the hot 

climatic condition of the area. 

I created a courtyard design 

that would allow cool breeze 

into the central courtyard 

where travelers could rest. 

The surrounding building had 

an open twist design so that 

passengers could easily access 

the interior as well as the 

exterior environment. 



architect? 

I’ve previously participated n 

several smaller competitions, 

but when you are competing on 

the national level, it motivates 

you to put in more effort. 

You also get to interact with 

students from different colleges 

and get a better idea about what 

level you stand on in real life. 


Right now, I just intend to 

join my Masters as soon as 

I graduate. But, eventually, I 

would luke to do something for 

Nepal. 


n e w s 

14TH SAARCH Assembly and Council Meeting 2016 

RESILIENT ARCHITECTURE 

RESPONDING TO DISASTERS THROUGH THE COURSE OF TIME 

SAARC Association of 

Architects(SAARCH) 

was formally 

established in 1991AD 

by member Institutes of 

Architects of the SAARC 

Nations (except Afghanistan) 

with the objective of the 

development of coordinated 

architectural profession 

in the SAARC region by 

exchange of ideas, developing 

and assisting national 

architectural bodies, by 

working towards international 

recognition of qualifications, 

and by evolving professional 

ethical and educational 

guidelines. 

The member institute 

ofSAARCH are Institute of 

Architects of Bangladesh 

(IAB), Bhutan Institute of 

Architects (BIA), Indian 

Institute of Architects (IIA), 

Architects Association 

Maldives (AAM), Society of 

Nepalese Architects (SONA), 

Institute of Architects, 

Pakistan (IAP) and Sri Lanka 

institute of Architects (SLIA). 

The SAARCH Assembly 

meets by rotation in the 

country where the last 

SAARC Summit was held. 

On the similar context, 

SONA is organizing the 14th 

SAARCH Assembly and 

Council Meeting on the 5th 

and 6th of Feb, 2016 at Hotel 

Yak and Yeti, Durbar Marg, 

Kathmandu, Nepal. There 

will also be a conference 

with the theme ‘Resilient 

Architecture: Responding 

to Disasters through the 

Course of Time’, which will 

discuss on the possible 

adaptation of ‘Resilient 

Architecture’ practice and 

building technology to endure 

the natural and man- made 

disasters in the region. 

SONA had previously hosted 

the SAARCHAssembly and 

Conference in 2002 A.D which 

was a great success. This 

time toowe are anticipating 

on making this event 

even better with expected 

participation of more than 400 

architects and architecture 

students from within the 

member nations. 

SPACES Newsletter: 

A great way to stay in touch with the 

scenario of rebuilding, and revisiting 

our historic culture, is subscribing to 

SPACES Newsletter! This biweekly 

newsletter covers current events 

and whereabouts of art, architecture 

and interiors of Nepal. SPACES 

newsletter also features local 

companies, manufacturers and 

products. You can subscribe to our 

Newsletter by visiting our recently 

launched blog spacesnepalblog. 

wordpress.com. 

SPACES Blog: 

The recently launched blog offers 

diverse range of topics that are 

categorized for our enthusiastic 

users- including special book 

reviews, discussions commentaries 

from our local experts, international 

architectural articles, all in one 

blog! You can also have a sneak 

peek of an extract from an ongoing 

research project on temple 

architecture, register for our 

biweekly newsletter and stay tuned 

for more! 



construction 

Common Misperceptions 

and Malpractices in 

Building Construction 

TEXT: bijaya laxmi Rai 

It is needless to say that food; clothing 

and shelter are the three basic needs of 

every human being. A building provides 

shelter, safety and security. Its basic 

functions aside, building design took 

numerous attempts to become stronger, 

more aesthetic, comfortable and durable. 

Building owners aspire for their building 

to be outstanding in terms of the 

aforementioned qualities. 

Similar to the human body, the different 

components of a building need to be in 

good condition for the overall structure to 

function well. The Architect plans all the 

basic workings of a building, managing 

space as per the requirements of the client. 

This, if done well creates a strong structure 

providing comfort and functioning well, 

just like the human body. Similar to 

the circulatory and urinary system in 

the human body, the water supply and 

sanitation needs to be settled by the 

sanitation engineer. And, finally, structural 

engineer provides the skeletal framework 

(beam- column- slab) to building. If one of 

these systems fails to perform, the body, 

which in this case is the building, will not 

function effectively. The overall objective 

of the building design is fulfilled if all of 

the components of building function in 

harmony just like a healthy human body. 

Everybody has deep-seated desire to 

own a building, a home, within his or her 

lifespan. In order to accomplish this, one 

accumulates money earned throughout 

the span of their career, whether, it is a 

steady monthly salary, or money paid 

through piece rate and earned by working 

difficult, manual jobs such as farming and 

mining. We want a strong, durable and 

aesthetic building, however it is not such 

an easy task to construct one, as there are 

many misconceptions and misconducts 

present in a lot of construction projects. 

Some of them that are present in Nepal 

are as follows: 

n 

People assume that RCC 

buildings would be robust, 

durable and able to withstand 

any extreme loading, 

forgetting the fact that 

masonry building older than 

200 years are still standing 

strong. 

n People usually start to 

fantasize immediately after 

looking at plans, elevations 

and 3D drawings of building 

without knowing the intricacy 

of building design. 

n Often people think 

consultation charge is higher, 

however we can see that this 

is untrue if we look at the 

following: 


n 

ILLUSTRATION: To construct two and half storey normal building 

Let, floor area = 1,000 sq. ft. 

Current Market value of normal building (say) = Rs 2,500 per sq. ft. 

Total value = 2.5*1000*2500 = NRs 6,250,000 

% reqd. for architectural portion = 40% of total cost = 25 lakhs 

% reqd. for structural portion = 40% of total cost = 25 lakhs 

Cost of rebar = half of structural cost = 0.5* 25 lakhs = 12.5 lakhs 

Usually, without structural 

design, people spend between 

10 to 12.5 lakhs on rebar 

alone. It is because more 

rods and slab is put in rather 

than more beams and pillars 

believing that the structure 

will not stand if sufficient 

rebar is not provided. 

n In many cases, nonprofessionals 

and semi-skill 

overseers draft building 

drawings by taking reference 

from older drawings. 

However, they usually lack indepth 

knowledge of building 

design, which is why many 

newly registered buildings 

are found not complying with 

National Building Codes. 

The problem is worsened 

by bribery and corruption, 

which is very recurrent in the 

construction as well as many 

other industries in Nepal. 

n There are numerous 

opportunities to work in site 

as construction activities 

take longer than design. Most 

of the civil engineers are 

hired for site job. Only about 

20-25% of civil engineers 

usually work in design and 

planning. Thus there is huge 

rift between design and 

actual construction practice 

due to lack of knowledge in 

design principle. 

n In a four year BE course, all 

over the Nepal, the option 

for building projects is 

only available in the final 

year. Many people blindly 

go to any civil engineer, 

regardless of whether they

have the right qualifications and the 

engineers themselves do not turn down 

the proposal as it is considered as 

degradation to their pride. 

n 

People believe that a smaller, 2-3 

story building does not need structural 

analysis and design. But, here, let’s see 

what will happen, if we do so: 

Here is a floor plan of a square building. 

F1, F2, F3 refers to footing and A1, A2, A3 

refers floor area under the influence of 

footing as shown in figure below. Nonengineered 

building has uniform footing, 

so here we assume following data: 

Footing Required Size 

(say) 

Non- engineered Size 

(Uniform) 

F1 3’X3’ 4’6”X4’6” 

F2 4’6”X4’6” 4’6”X4’6” 

F3 6’X6’ 4’6”X4’6” 

n 

Nobody wants to talk about defects due 

to non-engineered practice. Talking about 

such defect echoes loss of pride among 

their relatives and community. Also, they 

feel that building still exists and believe 

that it will survive earthquake too. 

Knowing about these malpractices and 

not taking the step to correct them means 

as practitioners in this field, we are not 

making any improvement but only staying 

where we or worse, moving backwards. It 

is the obligation of the state to formulate 

stringent rules and regulations and local 

government like VDC should be there to 

enforce them. Additionally, the media 

should spread information and raise 

awareness regarding the seriousness of 

the issue. Overall, the designer should play 

a vital role, in not only designing he overall 

structure, but making sure the health 

and safety guidelines and proper building 

practices are followed. 

Above figure indicates engineering design of 

footing. According to footing design principle, 

footing area is based on loading pattern and 

it will settle equally by 1”. 

As per above tabulated data, F2 will settle by 1”. 

But F1 of non- engineered building will settle by 

1”x =0.44" 

3' x 3' 

4'6" x 4'6" 

Similarly, F3 of non- engineered building will 

settle by 

6' x 6' 

1”x =1.78" 

4'6" x 4'6" 

Thus the differential settlement will occur 

in non-engineered building which ranges 

from 0.44” to 1.78”. And, more importantly 

it should be noted that force generated by 

such differential settlement is much more 

dangerous than earthquake threat. 


Impact 

Go-Bag & DCH 

ENOUGH SAID, LET’S MAKE 

IT RIGHT! 

TEXT: Mr. Amit K. Shrestha 

Background 

In the recorded history of Nepal, the Gorkha 

Earthquake was one of the devastating 

quakes hitting the country. Nearly 82 years 

after the mega earthquake of 1934 CE, 

Nepal was heavily shaken by the recent 

M 7.6 earthquake on Saturday, 25th April, 

2015 at 11:56 NST and a major aftershock 

of M 6.8 on Tuesday, 12th May, 2015 at 

12:50 NST. With the epicenters located in 

Gorkha and Dolakha districts respectively, 

the massive tremors were significantly felt 

as far as in China, India and Bangladesh. The 

catastrophic earthquake and the following 

major aftershocks left around 9,000 dead, 

23,000 injured and thousands homeless all 

over the country. The earthquakes affected 

almost one-third of the nation’s population 

in over 31 districts, out of which 14 were 

officially identified as the hardest hit. 

Go-Bag 

As people were traumatized and completely 

shaken by the first impact of the destructive 

earthquake on Saturday, 25th April, they were 

even more scared of the continuous tremors 

of aftershocks. Frightened to enter their own 

houses, a huge number of people absorbed in 

fear were scattered out in the open. In the event 

of such chaos or probably even worse in the 

future, you may not have time to search for the 

critical supplies or go looking for them in shops. 

Amidst complete destruction, since the rescue 

or relief workers may not be on the scene for 

some time and it could be hours before you get 

help from outside your community, the need 

for an emergency kit arises. The kit basically 

is a collection of essential items you or your 

household may need to cope after a disaster 

of such magnitude. Make it simpler and call it a 

‘Go Bag’ if you like. 

Recalling the immediate moments after the major shaking of 

25th April, Ms. Sita Shrestha a resident of Thankot, Chandragiri 

Municipality said “As soon as the shaking stopped, I took my son 

and daughter out of the house along with our Go-Bag”. She knew 

that Go-Bag was important but had never imagined that it could 

be so much useful under those chaotic circumstances. She further 

added “At the time, many items out of the Go-Bag were very useful 

such as radio, tarpaulin, blanket, soap, Dettol, medications, torchlight, 

tooth pastes and even playing cards”. She was happy that 

playing cards kept the young boys awake in the nights which was 

good for the safety of the area. “This single Go Bag, I had stored, had 

been so useful to many of us. I thought what if everyone had their 

own Go Bag?” asked Sita rhetorically. (Source: NSET) 


More simplistically put, let’s recall the 

moments after the first tremor on 25th 

April 2015; what could be the critical items 

that we would need to spend a few nights 

out in the open? Although basic supplies 

required might be similar for all, there 

could be many different preferences or 

needs depending on the individual or the 

family. If you really think, you will realize 

that the ‘Go Bag’ is the most customizable 

emergency kit that we could build on our 

own. Ultimately, it is not about the shape, 

size or color of the bag but the contents, 

we think are critical and must be stored 

inside it. 

Go-Bag: Points to ponder 

First of all, maintaining a ‘Go Bag’ is not a 

rule rather a moral responsibility towards 

one’s own safety. Secondly, a disaster 

such as an earthquake can strike any time. 

Thirdly, this is about exercising one of the 

best known practices in the world to get 

prepared for a disaster that can create 

havoc in no time. People may argue that 

the concept is purely western and the 

luxury of a ‘Go Bag’ does not gel with our 

culture. You may ask “What good a ‘Go 

Bag’ alone could bring when my house 

just turned into rubble?” Of course you 

cannot save the world with a ‘Go Bag’ but 

it certainly can keep you safe and thus 

help save your family or neighbors in those 

critical hours of extreme need. 

We need to understand the fact that ‘lifeor-death’ 

situation is same everywhere 

irrespective of one’s culture or social 

background. In the event of turmoil, three 

seconds without hope, three minutes 

without air, three hours in extreme 

temperature, three days without water and 

three weeks without food are the acute 

conditions which can threaten anyone’s 

life no matter which corner of the world 

one belongs to. Therefore, in the event 

of a massive disaster such as the recent 

Gorkha earthquake, ‘Go Bag’ can really 

be a life-saver and thus tagging ‘Go Bag’ 

a mere luxury might just be a reflection 

of our own ignorance towards inevitable 

disasters that sometimes can kill us. 

Mr. Hariman Singh Dangol, who lives 

nearby the renowned Nuwakot Palace in 

Nuwakot District, is an elderly local priest 

at the Bhairavi Temple close to the palace. 

Recalling the learnings from his old folks, 

Mr. Dangol actively demonstrated his 

earthquake-safe behavior that he applied 

inside the temple when the ground started 

shaking on that fateful day of the Gorkha 

Earthquake. (Source: NSET) 

DCH 

By now, it is a well-known fact that 

the shaking of earthquake itself does 

not injure rather the objects that the 

earthquake puts into motion are scary 

and harmful. Anything that can fall, move 

or break can be an earthquake hazard. If 

inside a building, upstairs and away from 

the exit door, “Drop, Cover and Hold On” 

(DCH). If outside or close to an exit door, 

find an open space outside and stay away 

from large falling objects. Imported from 

the west, although the DCH recipe may 

not exactly rhyme with our socio-cultural 

backdrop, the concept clearly holds its 

ground worldwide with scientifically 

researched facts. 

Looking back into the past, we find that 

our forefathers responded to earthquakes 

by immediately dropping down and 

maintaining the duck-posture by pressing 

the ground with both hands. As big 

earthquakes strike after long intervals, the 

knowledge went into oblivion and was not 

appreciated enough by its own people. 

Not very long ago in the US, the space 

under the doorway was considered safer 

during an earthquake as adobe buildings 

would crumble, leaving only the doorways 

standing. Later, as the living standard of 

the people and the structural safety of 

the buildings progressed, the level of risk 

tolerance diminished greatly. Nowadays, 

when the building structures are built 

stronger, people are advised to stay away 

from the doorways to avoid the risk of 

jamming their fingers. Here, it is important 

to note that over a long period of time, 

as technology evolves, the risk and the 

safety behavior also changes or improves 

along with it. Looking forward in Nepalese 

context, as pursued by many earthquake 

prone countries around the globe, we could 

either use light materials to build our houses 

or make earthquake resistant structures to 

withstand earthquake shakings. Both are 

major preconditions which can set ground 

for successful DCH practice. 

DCH: Points to ponder 

In the aftermath of the Gorkha Earthquake 

and the controversy around DCH practice, 

it is quite relevant to mention two critically 

salient factors that influence people to do 

what they do during an earthquake as far 

as DCH is concerned. Firstly, the process of 

knowledge dissemination and secondly, the 

human psychology while implementing the 

acquired knowledge. 

While some were able to save their 

lives, It is unfortunate that many school 

children, had to lose their lives to one of 

the world’s best known practices during an 

earthquake i.e. DCH. People might be clear 

in their head about the literal meaning of 

DCH but do they really know why, where, 

when or under what other circumstances 

they should or should not perform it? In 

another words have people been taught 

DCH effectively? The action of DCH takes 

several factors into consideration such as 

the strength of building, infrastructures 

& non-structural items, the number of 

people inside the building or room, number 

of floors in the building, proximity of exit 

doors, etc. Spreading DCH information may 

be one part of the story while grasping or 

internalizing the same by the listeners or 

learners may be completely different story, 

as far as an effective teaching methodology 

is discussed. Somewhere it seems, the 

Surana Enterprises, located at Gokarneshwor Nagarpalika, Jorpati has been dealing with construction material for more than 10 years. 

“In these years, there has been a promising demand of Jagadamba cement'', recalls Mr. Rajan Shrestha, Proprietor of Surana Enterprises. 

Further he adds, in terms of quality too Jagadamba cement is reliable. 

Surana Enterprises, Gokarneshwor Nagarpalika, Jorpati Tel: 01-4912808 


Mr. Manoj Tamang, a local resident of 

Laharepauwa VDC in Rasuwa District, 

mentioned that his younger brother was 

studying in the ground floor of a two-story 

house on the day of the Gorkha Earthquake. 

“He could run and go out but he chose to 

go under the bed during the earthquake; 

he learned this at his school” said Manoj 

painfully. On that day, Manoj lost his 

brother to the quake as the house collapsed 

and crushed the bed. (Source: NSET) 

From Bidur Municipality-3 in Nuwakot 

District, Ms. Samita Dangol, a local 

shopkeeper, revealed her brave story 

and how she was able to rescue her two 

younger sisters even after the two-story 

house collapsed miserably. “The two school 

girls saved their lives taking shelter under 

the bed on the 2nd floor. This wouldn’t be 

possible if the bed was fragile or box-type” 

said Samita convincingly. (Source: NSET) 

teachers are missing the opportunity to 

verify or evaluate the actual learning or 

understanding of people who are loaded 

with DCH information. It is quite possible 

that the spreading of instructions might 

got limited to mere informing rather than 

teaching in real sense. 

Our state of psyche greatly influences 

our immediate actions when something 

happens to us all of a sudden. During a 

surprise event our subconscious mind is 

more reactive than our conscious mind 

such as jamming the car brakes when 

someone suddenly appears in front of 

our vehicle. In this regard, earthquake 

is no exception and can occur when we 

least expect it. This is the reason behind 

encouraging and conducting frequent 

earthquake drills in offices, organizations, 

factories and schools. After repeated 

practice drills, it is expected that earthquake 

safe behavior gets implanted into people’s 

subconscious so they would know exactly 

what to do when the ground really starts 

shaking next time. 

Here, we should keep in mind that child 

psychology is different from that of adults. 

Children often think straight forward 

and take directions literally. Since young 

children need clear instructions to perform 

a task adequately, the DCH teaching 

methodology for this age group might 

be different than that for adults. Again, 

as discussed earlier, effective teaching 

would often include all three components; 

informing, learning as well as evaluating or 

verifying. 

Final thoughts 

Even if we have the right knowledge, 

we might need customization time-totime 

to suit our existing socio-economic 

environment. Although DCH methodology 

has numerous scientific theories and 

data to back it up internationally, in the 

coming days, we could sincerely direct our 

research to investigate the feasibility of 

DCH or such in our own soil. The outcome 

would then demonstrate the validity 

by developing suitable methodology 

to address the issues pertaining to 

our knowledge dissemination process, 

psychology of learning as well as 

infrastructures that surround us. 

In future, we would need to devise better 

and more improved techniques of disaster 

preparedness to suit our social, cultural 

and economic conditionings we inherit. 

As we evolve in this direction, we might 

be able to think beyond ‘Go Bag’ or 

‘DCH’, inventing more socially inclusive 

disaster preparedness model which 

would be able to address the needs of our 

elderly, children, differently abled and the 

community as a whole. However, in the 

meantime, we cannot afford to just sit 

there and disregard some good ideas just 

because it originated somewhere in the 

west and not in the east. 

The author serves as a PPP-Specialist for 

promoting Public Private Partnership for 

Earthquake Risk Management (3PERM) 

program at National Society for Earthquake 

Technology-Nepal (NSET). This article does 

not reflect the views of the organization. 


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Architecture 


Paltan 

Ghar 

House of Warrior 

PALTANGHAR, THAT ONCE STOOD IN ITS 

ENTIRE SPLENDOR NOW LOOKS LIKE ANY OLD 

STRUCTURE; THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO NOTICE 

THE 72 ENGRAVED TROOPS ARE EITHER TOURISTS 

WITH ANINTENSE CURIOSITY OR ANYONE WHO IS 

ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH IT. 

TEXT: Swati & Mohein photos: mohein ranjitkar 

A 

midst the systematic chaos of Ason, a door 

camouflaged by the busy shops goes unnoticed by 

many passersby. PaltanGhar, that once stood in 

its entire splendor now looks like any old structure; the only 

people who notice the 72 engraved troops are either tourists 

with anintense curiosity or anyone who is already familiar with 

it. After you know such a structure exists, it is impossible to 

walk through the streets of Keltol without taking a glance at it. 

After two decades of battle, Prithivi Narayan Shah captured 

Kathmandu, and moved into to the capital along with his 

subordinates where he resided at the Hanuman Dhoka 

Palace. After the last of his conquest on the west,Abhiman 

SinghBasnyat was promoted to Kazi and returned to 

the capital to build Man Mandir,whish also known as 

TilangaBhawan. Abhiman Singh was given the land as a gift 

for conquering Kathmandu. 

PaltanGhar was built in circa 1833 BS. Abhiman Singh 

Basnyat supposedly conquered Kathmandu with 72 soldiers 

hence you can see the engraving of these soldiers marching 

forward as a tribute to those brave 72, who led him towards 

victory. Abhiman Singh Basnyatresided one of the inner 


PaltanGhar was 

the first private 

building, after the 

Hanuman Dhoka 

Palace itself,that 

was allowed 

to use glass 

windows. 

chowks while the anterior building, (the actual 

PaltanGhar) was used for the accommodation 

of soldiers for his protection;whichis how 

PaltanGhar got 

its name. 

PaltanGharis the perfect combination of 

Mughal and Newari architecture.The exteriors 

of PaltanGhar is influenced by Mughal 

architecture with its large, arched windows 

with tinted glass, while the interiors of the 

house and chowks are influenced by Newari 

architecture with Newariaakijhyaals – the 

difference in the architectural style simply 

cannot go unnoticed. The main entrance to 

the structure is known as the KhishiDhokha. 

KhishiDhokhaliterally translates to ‘a door 

through which an elephant can enter’. 

Whether it be an old or new structure, no 

two buildings look similar, and different 

chowks have a different ambience to them. 

While there are only 3 chowks accessible 

today- Narayan Chowk, Ganesh Chowk 

and the KumariChowk- allegedly 7 chowks 

connected the whole structure. Pathways 

to the other chowks have been blocked off 

and eventually added to a different set. The 

7 chowksof PaltanGharwere integral parts of 

the structure. Not only did they connect the 

structure, but also were used as platforms 

for ‘Kushti’ or wrestling matches. 


Low height partitions host horizontal 

elements that harmonise with the building. 

The use of elements, colours and materials 

has been closely monitored to create this 

atmosphere, promoting openness and 

encouraging interaction among all. 

PaltanGhar was the first private building, after the 

Hanuman Dhoka Palace itself,that was allowed to use 

glass windows. The arched Mughol style windows are 

placed on the first floor of PaltanChhe, decorated with 

the 72 soldiers each marching with muskets. According 

to some, the paltans are engraved holding different 

objects to portray individuality of each troop. In the row of 

soldiers, you can also find that one of them is on a horse, 

it is assumed that this is the engraving is of KaziAbhiman 

Singh Basnyat himself, leading his troops. 

The Baithak or the living room was the most spectacular 

room of the PaltanGhar where official meetings with the 

kings and international delegates were supposedlyheld. 

The prizedpossession of the baithak was a three-piece 

crystal chandelier brought in from Britain. However, the 



The inner chowks are 

degraded with the 

filth of the current 

shop tenants. The 

previously jhingati 

placed roof is now 

replaced with CGI 

sheets. The walls 

and windows of 

the inner chowks 

are degrading, with 

bricks falling off and 

graffiti on the walls. 

The design of the 

building permits 

maximum intake 

of natural light and 

breeze, thus cutting 

down on artificial 

lighting and cooling 

requirements. 

current whereabouts of 

the spectacular chandelier 

is unknown. Most say 

that it was sold back to 

the British.DibyaUpadesh, 

written by Prithivi Narayan 

Shah, was found in the 

Baithak of PaltanGhar and 

was presented to King 

Mahendra by the Basnyat 

Family. 

The PaltanGhar, which once 

stood in all its glory, doesn’t 

look as spectacular as it did 

before and is now a wreck. 

Parts of the engraving of 

the 72 paltans,which was 

one of the most important 

parts of the house, have now 

beendestroyed. The Mughal 

styled stained glass windows 

are broken and lay in ruin.The 

inner chowks are degraded 

with the filth of the current 

shop tenants. The previously 

jhingati placed roof is now 

replaced with CGI sheets. The 

walls and windows of the inner 

chowks are degrading, with 

bricks falling off and graffiti 

on the walls. The previously 

extravagant baithakis now 

a storeroom for the shops 

inhabiting the house and is 

divided intosections. Looking 

at its current state, it is hard 

to imagine that kings and 

international delegates used to 

reside there. 

There is no one really to 

blame for the horrible state 

that the once spectacular 

structure is now in. The 

government has done little 

to nothing to preserve the 

building by declaring that no 

one is allowed to modify or 

sell the house. It is difficult to 

do anything to preserve the 

building because of multiple 

owners. Such a historical site 

should be preserved and given 

the attention that it deserves; 

it is one of the buildings thattie 

back to the unification of 

our country, which is a very 

important event in the history 

of Nepal. One of the possible 

solutions could be to turn 

PaltanGhar into a museum. 

The Basnyats are an important 

family in historic Nepal and 

this house can play the role 

of a Basnyat Family Museum, 

helping conserve both the 

family name and historical 

value of the structure. 


views 

Earthquake 

in nepal 

VIEWS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE 

TEXT: Dristi Manandhar 

IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESPOND TO THE DEVASTATING 

EARTHQUAKE THAT STUCK NEPAL ON THE 25TH APRIL 2015, 

WE TALKED TO A PANEL OF PROFESSIONALS FROM DIFFERENT 

SECTORS IN ORDER DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING 

ON THE ISSUES THAT HAVE SURFACED AFTER THE RECENT 

DESTRUCTION. THE PANEL OF PROFESSIONALS CONSTITUTED 

OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS: 

Mr. Badan Lal Nyachhon 

(Multidisciplinary Pvt. Ltd.) 

Mr. Jagdish Man Shrestha 

(Department of Irrigation) 

Dr. Jagdish Chandra Pokhrel 

( Former Vice Chairperson - 

National Planning Commission) 

Mr. Kishore Thapa 

(President - SONA) 

Mr. Sanjay Lal Shrestha 

(Outer Design) 

Dr. Rohit Ranjit 

(Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust) 

Mr. Rajendra Prasad Kayastha 

(Akara Materials Testing 

Laboratory Pvt. Ltd.) 

Mr. Pawan Kumar Shrestha 

(Green Tree Developers 

Pvt. Ltd.) 


1 

Many houses in Gangabu bus park, Sitapaila, Swayambhu areas have collapsed. 

But, those from highly vulnerable such as Asan, Indrachowk and many other densely 

populated areas remain unaffected. What could be the reason for this? Could it have 

been bad engineering, lack of skilled manpower or possibly the oil condition? 

“It’s not just a single aspect but a 

combination of the above mentioned factors. 

The quality of the building material and 

the designated use of the building after its 

construction also play a pivotal role. For 

example, a building designed as a residential 

building would not be structurally safe to be 

used as a commercial building etc.” 


If you look at the trend of the damaged 

structures during this earthquake, there are 

three things we must understand. Firstly, this 

earthquake was of a lesser magnitude than that 

of the 1990’s. Secondly, it is either due to the 

soil conditions or the structures’ deficiency that 

have caused the buildings to collapse. Thirdly, 

it is also due to the type and intensity of the EQ 

waves that have hit these different places that 

have caused such varying results. 

Mr. Jagadish Man Shrestha 

The damage caused during this earthquake 

is mainly due to the fact that people do 

not take proper care of their buildings. 

People here do not consider for the soil test 

before construction, selection of qualitative 

material during the construction phase and 

proper restoration of the structures post 

construction. It is essential for people to 

understand that after a certain period of time 

our buildings start ageing too. Their strength 

slowly starts to disintegrate and it was these 

types of buildings that were very vulnerable 

to damamge during this EQ. 

Mr. KishoreThapa 

“The damages to structures during the recent 

earthquake are due to multiple reasons such as, 

design deficiency, poor construction practices, lack 

of proper soil investigation etc. There is definitely 

a lack of professional and qualified engineers and 

supervisors with the experience of having worked 

as a contractor. Private builders of residential 

buildings rarely employ competent engineers or 

contractors for construction. 

In Gongabu, Swayambu area where many building 

have collapsed, one of the main reasons appears to 

be the bad soil condition. These places are highly 

susceptible to “liquefaction” during sudden shocks or 

vibration because of the loose alluvial deposit from 

the Bishnumati River. In areas like Asan, the buildings, 

as old as they may be, are clustered together and act 

as a single unit, having a very large combined base in 

relation to their height. This adds to their stability and 

hence little or no damage occurs. 


The factors that mostly lead to these 

discrepancies are: 

1. Soil Condition 

2. Building condition- Generally structures 

constructed in a row or constructed during 

the same timeline have lesser tendency 

to succumb during EQ since they act as a 

single entity 

3. The way the structure has been 

constructed- this includes the building 

materials used, building codes followed, 

design conditions and basic engineering 

Dr. Jagdish Chandra Pokhrel 

The fact that Sitapaila and 

Gongabu are located in an 

uphill area where the soil 

conditions are not suitable 

for construction makes 

the building here weaker 

and more susceptible 

to damage during 

earthquakes. In contrast 

as the soil conditions at 

Ason and Indrachowk 

are more habitable, the 

buildings have also been 

built in clusters making 

them comparatively less 

vulnerable to the shakes. 

Mr. Pawan Kumar 

Shrestha 

We have heard that the 

soil in areas around 

Gongabu, Sitapaila and 

Kalimati are not suitable 

for building construction. 

This land was previously 

used for farming. In some 

cases the engineering of 

the structure also plays 

a key role but as far the 

above area is considered, 

it is the soil conditions 

that led to such hazardous 

results. 


The soil condition is one of the main reasons. Even though the houses along the ring road area are recently built, there are lot changes of 

ownership of these properties. As the demand for rentals increased the new owners kept adding more floors without considering the original 

structural design considerations, which lead the buildings to be more vulnerable to the earthquake. The lack of quality works, curing and quality 

material are also reasons for the collapse of a lot of the houses. 


2 

Most of the apartments were affected. There are has been whole lot of negative impact 

on general public regarding these structures. Does that imply our soil is too weak to hold 

high-rise buildings? Or, are we lacking in engineering knowledge? 

Most of the damages to apartments are only 

cosmetic damages. But we cannot deny the 

fact that these mega structures are the best 

example of our engineering designs. There 

maybe a place to improve our technology as 

far as our filler walls and minor structures are 

concerned. We should try to create an example 

for the general public by demonstrating a more 

safe and sound engineered structure. 


I feel the future of high rise buildings in 

Kathmandu is quite challenging since the soil 

conditions at some places of Kathmandu is not 

suitable for them. We need to have a separate 

design standard for high-rise and low-rise 

structures. There is definitely a need for a new 

and improved high-rise technology that is both 

light weight and stable. 


We cannot deny the fact that a great amount of 

engineering input is required to build structures 

like apartments. This is the reason why although 

some of the apartments in the valley have 

experienced aesthetic damage none of the 

apartments have completely toppled down. 

But there are still a lot of structural and design 

improvements to be made. Here, people have 

already developed a negative outlook towards 

these buildings and now it is the responsibility of 

professionals (engineers, architects, planners) to 

regain their confidence in these tall structures. 

Mr. Kishor Thapa 

Buildings of any height (say 40 or 50 floors) can also be built in bad soil conditions 

provided the foundations are designed accordingly. Our construction industry 

lacks the necessary technology to go for deeper foundations and to build high-rise 

structures with steel. We still do not have steel-pile deep foundation system and 

steel sheet pilling practice for bracing deep excavations. 

The damages seen in brickworks are mostly due to simple reasons like laying 

bricks in dry state, mortar not covering the entire joints, poor quality of mortar, and 

not having any structural connection between the brick wall and concrete columns 

and beams. Such a requirement is generally ignored either due to ignorance or due 

to cost considerations. Load-bearing walls must have reinforcements as well, in 

areas like corner and wall intersections. 


We cannot say that we lack 

engineering knowledge; if it had been 

so none of the high-rise buildings 

would have survived the earthquake. 

Our technical knowledge is based on 

international standards and it definitely 

needs some minor adjustments for 

Nepali standards. 

Usually contractors are solely 

responsible for building these 

structures, and are not often 

supervised. The quality of materials 

used during its construction and 

its care post construction is also 

responsible for the overall structure. 

It needs timely maintenance and 

care to keep it structurally sound and 

aesthetically appealing. 


While designing apartments you need to consider the structural design, the expenses for 

it and most importantly its ability to withstand natural disasters. In our case most of the 

structural part of the existing apartments are intact, there has only been slight damages in 

the non-structural elements, perhaps due to the negligence of technical experts. However if 

certain precautions are taken, high rise buildings can work well in Kathmandu. 

Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokharel 

In most cases the structure of the 

apartments / high-rise buildings are 

pretty much intact however the infill 

walls have been severely damaged. 

We, as engineers and architects 

concentrate heavily on the structural 

design and making buildings safe 

during earthquakes but completely 

ignore the vulnerability of the infill 

walls like brick works in the super 

structure. The details between the 

walls and RCC frame structure are 

rarely addressed properly. 


It is not the lack of engineering 

knowledge or designing techniques 

but more of the compromises during 

the construction phase that has 

caused significant damages this 

time. Out of 15-16 apartments only 

one or two have had structural. It is 

perhaps essential to focus on detailing 

during construction and have proper 

supervision by experts at the time of 

its construction. 

Mr.Jagadish Man Shrestha 


3 

Do you think it is high time that Nepal should focus on geotechnical and anthropological 

research so that we can rebuild after the earthquake? (For example- Langtang Village 

where an unusual collapse of an entire village was reported). 

Definitely, its high time we focus on research works. The 

government should certainly prioritize this. We are all ready to help 

with our technical knowledge and experience. It is not that we lack 

manpower we just need to have a common goal and purpose. 


This type of research is very important. It will assist architects, 

engineers and planners to design better and understand the soil 

conditions of particular areas. It is extremely essential to have 

experienced experts who can work together and come up with 

improved and original plans that focus on these issues. 


Research work is definitely very important. The government should 

set up more schools and laboratories that could be used for research 

purposes. We should understand that it is better to take precautions 

before hand to make our structures safe. And after analysis, proper 

building regulations can be made, which could guide our building 

practices. 


This earthquake has definitely been an eye opener for Nepal in 

many different ways. Researches in the above fields have proved 

to be a necessity in today’s time. Hopefully we can learn from our 

past and look forward towards a brighter future. 

Mr. Kishor Thapa 

All the works should actually be research oriented because without 

proper knowledge in a particular field we cannot excel in it. Here 

we lack proper information in the geotechnical aspect. Initial 

investigation of soil and geography is essential for the preparation 

of building codes itself. 


Of course we need research on geotechnical and anthropological 

research as settlements in Nepal are developed without knowing 

about the geotechnical condition of the land and surroundings, 

which is highly risky during earthquakes. This can also make it 

very difficult to provide basic services such as water, transport and 

electricity to the people. The research will help to develop a proper 

land use plan for new settlements and also help provide a guideline 

for proper design of buildings while knowing the geotechnical 

condition of ground. Doing soil tests are usually very costly, which 

is why many people are very reluctant to so before construction. 


It is only when people become conscious about the importance of 

geological and soil researches, that there will be positive changes 

towards better structural designs. But that would only be possible 

when soil tests and research laboratories are accessible to the 

general public at cheaper and feasible rates. This would also help 

create a general topographical map of a certain area, which will 

prove beneficial for a very long time. 



4 

Do you agree that some of the damages caused during the recent earthquake are due 

to the lack of implementations of rules and regulations as specified by the byelaws? 

What could be done to ensure that this would not happen in the future? 

Yes, definitely. Even when proper design has been 

done, the major problem here is ensuring that 

it is constructed as per the design. There is no 

provision to check for the ongoing construction 

and moreover no rules and regulations if anybody 

is found guilty of not following the plan or taking 

cheaper or faster routes. 

Mr. BadanLalNyachhon 

Only when the people become conscious about 

the importance of byelaws, can this be ensured. 

It is necessary for all of us to realize that the 

byelaws should be followed and should not 

be tampered with. The government authority 

should categorize structures according to its 

cost estimation and then propose specific 

plans accordingly. Also, strict rules regarding 

supervision of structures during and post 

construction should be made. 


This earthquake has definitely been an eyeopener 

for most of the people of Kathmandu on 

so many levels. They have finally understood 

why byelaws should be followed and safer 

buildings should be prioritized. Now it is the 

responsibility of professionals, registered 

contractors and masons to take liability for 

what they design and make sure that it is 

properly deliberated at site. 

Mr Kishor Thapa 

I haven’t yet come across a structure, neither 

traditional buildings nor modern structures that 

has considered all the byelaws. More than 90% 

of the structures that collapsed during this recent 

earthquake were ones that were either improperly 

built or ones that had been neglected after 

construction. Proper quality check of building 

materials and construction technology during 

building design must be given priority. 

Dr Rohit Ranjit 

The main aim is to educate the common people. To let them know the 

importance of building insurance and all the available building resources. It is 

essential for people to understand that various building materials are available, 

each with their own specifications and age limits. The government should also 

conduct researches on building responsibly and efficiently. Non-engineered 

buildings should not be given permission to be built. 

A proper archive should be made of all the buildings constructed with all the 

details including the drawings and information of technical advisors. 

But it is not just the responsibility of the government to enforce these rules; 

the public should also cooperate and understand how these aspects will be 

beneficial for them in the long run. 


Our government is already aware of our 

systems drawbacks and the sectors 

that need improvement. Now it is high 

time that the people become aware this. 

Additionally, strict legal policies regarding 

building construction should be made. 

Provisions for a third party to file a 

complaint should be included because 

it is only when complaints are filed that 

specific actions are taken. And this is only 

possible when people start being aware 

about these things. It is not only essential 

to keep your own house safe but also to 

make sure your neighbors structure are 

safe, because in the end it has a huge 

role to play in your safety as well. 


Implementation of rules and 

regulations is less important than 

implementation of professional 

supervision for quality construction. 

Nevertheless, rules and regulations 

must be strongly implemented 

against those who build structures 

deviating from the approved 

drawings for monetary gains, e.g. 

there are many cases where they 

show large void areas (empty spaces) 

inside the building just to cheat on 

FAR. These “Voids" later become 

covered areas during construction. 

Appropriate actions must be taken 

regarding such structures. 


It is partly because of ignorance or taking the regulations lightly. People often 

choose to ignore the importance of structural design for an earthquake prone area 

like Nepal. The biggest problem here is that we do not need to obtain permit to 

occupy newly built buildings like we do abroad. In most cases we need to obtain 

permit (temporary occupation permit) from municipal before one moves into a 

newly built home. These permits are given based on the certification either by a 

registered architect or consultant on the habitability of the building. We should 

follow these examples. Another aspect is change in the use in building type. We 

do not need permission from any authority to convert a residential building into a 

commercial structure or a school and this is very dangerous as residential buildings 

are not designed to handle the load of a commercial building or the flow of people. 



5 

In your view what are the lessons to be learnt from the recent earthquake? 

We must first understand that the 

damages caused during this earthquake 

were due to our negligence. Traditional 

buildings were not renovated on time 

and given proper care. In the case of new 

constructions the use of good quality 

building materials and byelaws have been 

compromised. It is also time for us to 

practice various safety measures that 

could help us during epidemics like this. 


There is always something new to 

learn from your past experiences. We 

are following technology that has been 

internationally developed and that is best 

suited for them. Saying that, our local 

technology is suitable for Nepal and 

addresses the aspect of earthquakes during 

construction as well .Now it is time for all 

the architects, planners, engineers and 

government officials to work together to 

come up with better and improved ideas. 


Preparation is the main key. Now we 

must all realize the importance of 

earthquake resistant homes, not just 

for your own safety but also ultimately 

for the entire neighborhood. Just 

making our home safe and sound 

would not fend us from the damages; 

we are only safe when the entire 

neighborhood is. 


Nepal is an earthquake prone zone and 

it must be our upmost priority to build 

safer structures. Also open spaces must 

be identified for the safety of locals in all 

communities in case of emergencies. 

It is necessary to make the whole 

neighborhood safe. 

After the post disaster assessment 

has been done, it is necessary for us to 

understand that only the combined effort 

of NGO’s, INGO’s, government, civic 

society and most importantly the public, 

can help us get through this disaster. 

Mr Kishor Thapa 

This earthquake has definitely made us aware of the importance of structural design and 

soil investigation in the building industry. We definitely need to make people aware about 

following the code and byelaws for building construction with the message that those are 

developed for them and not for the authoritative body. Similarly, Importance of Disaster 

management and preparation is another aspect. I think people have realized it and are 

slowly becoming aware of it. 

Mr.Sanjay Lal Shrestha 

The following lessons if learnt will help construct buildings that can withstand large earthquakes. 

i) Proper soil investigation of the building site. 

ii) Layout and design of buildings to suit the soil conditions rather than the other way round. 

iv ) Standard design and building codes to be brought about 

v ) Encourage local construction industry to introduce new technology 

vi) A fresh approach to award of contracts. Present system guarantees the award to the 

lowest bidder even if everybody realizes that the price is impossibly low. Such projects are doomed to fail. 

It is very important to educate the local 

people about the importance of correct 

construction practices. This earthquake has 

shed light on the significance of building 

documentation and archive. Reconstruction 

process should be started in a planned way 

targeting the focused areas and considering 

the overall analysis of an area. 

Proper awareness programs and drills should 

be organized within the community levels to 

help people tackle any problems that they 

might experience during an earthquake. 


There are definitely a lot of lessons to be 

learnt. Mainly we have got to look at things 

positively. This earthquake was definitely 

an eye opener for us, either we take this 

negativity and fret over what we have lost 

or we look at all the new opportunities this 

event has opened up for us. We should now 

look forward to building better earthquake 

resistant homes. Ignorance is our greatest 

enemy; it is necessary for every individual to 

know the importance of building better and 

taking precautions prior to the disaster. 


Even though we have not been able to find 

any definite answers regarding what our 

future has in store for us, we believe that 

with the combined effort of every hopeful 

Nepalese we shall overcome this difficult 

time and come out stronger. We have 

everything from competent professionals 

to native building technologies, the only 

thing we need right now is not to give up 

and keep working for the prosperity of the 

country and its citizens. 

vii ) Construction of private buildings also must come under some sort of regular checks by competent authority if there had been any 

deviation from design and building codes of practice. 



Architecture 

Early Historic City 

Planning in South Asia 

a fresh perspective from 

Tilaurakot 

TEXT & photos: Provided by the archaeological team of the Project 

Strengthening the Conservation and Management of Lumbini; 

the Birthplace of Lord Buddha, Phase 2: Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu 


C 

urrent archaeological 

investigations 

sponsored by the 

Government of Nepal and 

UNESCO at Tilaurakot, the 

primary candidate for ancient 

Kapilavastu - the childhood 

home of the Buddha, are 

unearthing exciting new 

discoveries that are re-writing 

the history of this important 

ancient site. Under the codirection 

of Professor Robin 

Coningham of Durham 

University and Kosh Prasad 

Acharya of the Pashupati 

Area Development Trust, 

the multidisciplinary team 

of Nepali and international 

archaeological experts have 

been applying a variety of 

traditional and cutting-edge 

archaeological techniques 

to explore the ancient city. 

Building on previous work at 

Lumbini, where we identified 

the earliest Buddhist shrine in 

Asia - constructed of timber and 

dating to the sixth century BCE 

- we are beginning to provide 

an enhanced understanding 

of the development of ancient 

Tilaurakot, including its 

sophisticated urban layout. 



Excavating 

the central 

trench

1 

2 

1. Wall with in situ carved 

brick in the trench next to 

the Samai Mai Temple 

2. Wall of the central pond 

3. Detail of carved brick 

in the trench next to the 

Samai Mai Temple 

Introduction 

After his birth at Lumbini, Siddhartha 

Gautama lived a princely life at 

Kapilavastu, the capital of the 

Shakya Kingdom. After a prophecy 

that Siddhartha would either become 

a great king or religious teacher, 

his father - King Suddhodana - 

confined the young prince within 

the palace, surrounded by luxury. At 

the age of 29, Siddhartha ventured 

out and viewed Four Sights: an 

old man, a sick man, a dead man 

and an ascetic. Following these 

observations, he renounced his 

family and worldly life and, departing 

through Kapilavastu’s Eastern Gate, 

began a quest for enlightenment. 

At the end of his existence, the 

Gautama Buddha instructed his 

followers that pilgrimage should 

be undertaken to the key sites 

associated with his life; Lumbini, 

where he was born; Bodhgaya, 

where he achieved enlightenment; 

Sarnath, where he preached his 

first sermon; and Kusinagar, where 

he passed away. Although not 

3 

explicitly cited as a place of 

pilgrimage, monks and lay folk 

also began to visit and venerate 

Kapilavastu and it featured 

within the travel itineraries of the 

Chinese monks Faxian, Xuanzang 

and Yijing. However, the location 

of the city was lost towards the 

end of the first millennium CE and 

its monuments were reclaimed by 

the jungle. 

Using the descriptions contained 

within the accounts of the Chinese 

pilgrims, archaeological pioneers 


Postholes at the 

base of the trench 

next top the Samai 

Mai Temple 

began to rediscover long-lost sites in the 

nineteenth century, including the four 

major Buddhist destinations of Kushinagar, 

Sarnath, Bodhgaya and Lumbini. Exploring 

a wooded mound to the west of Lumbini in 

1899, P.C. Mukherji of the Archaeological 

Survey of India reported the discovery of 

a rectangular fort. Having cleared much 

of the site of jungle, Mukherji began to 

trace and plan the remains of a major 

walled and moated city, measuring 518 

by 396 metres, complete with a hinterland 

of monuments including Buddhist stupas 

and viharas. Comparing the monuments 

and their locations with the descriptions of 

ancient Kapilavastu by the Chinese pilgrim 

monks he asserted that “no other ancient 

site has so much claim...as being situated 

in the right position and fulfilling all other 

conditions". 

Despite being accepted by most of his 

contemporaries, Mukherji’s identification 

did not lead to sustained campaigns of 

excavations at the site, rather three separate 

periods of investigation over the last 116 

years, including excavations directed by 

Debala Mitra of the Archaeological Survey of 

India, Zuiryu Nakamura of Rissho University 

and Nepali archaeologists including B.K. 

Rijal and T.N. Misra in the 1960s and 

1970s. These scholars prepared more 

detailed topographic maps of Tilaurakot 

as well as defining new structures to the 

complexes already identified. Despite the 

new knowledge presented by these projects, 

little more has been revealed about the 

actual town plan of the ancient city with 

more focus on the depth and antiquity of the 

site, which is under the management of the 

Lumbini Development Trust. 

Overview of 

rectangular 

structures in the 

central trench 


Multi-disciplinary archaeological 

investigations at Lumbini and 

Tialurakot 

In 2011 an international team of 

experts, co-directed by Professor Robin 

Coningham of Durham University 

and Kosh Prasad Acharya of the 

Pashupati Area Development Trust, 

was invited to undertake archaeological 

excavations at Lumbini, the birthplace 

of the Buddha. In partnership with 

the Lumbini Development Trust and 

the Department of Archaeology, 

Government of Nepal, and sponsored 

by the Japanese-Funds-in-Trust 

through UNESCO, with additional funds 

from the National Geographic Society, 

one of the team’s most spectacular 

discoveries was the identification of 

a previously unknown sequence of 

early timber and brick structures within 

the Maya Devi Temple. The earliest 

of these dated to the sixth century 

BCE beneath the foundations of the 

Emperor Asoka’s own temple. This 

success led to an invitation to apply a 

similar multi-disciplinary archaeological 

approach to the nearby site of 

Tilaurakot. Funded by the Japanese- 

Funds-in-Trust through UNESCO as 

well as the Hokke Shu, the team has 

begun to answer a number of research 

questions through a combination 

of archaeological excavations, and 

cutting edge techniques such as 

geoarchaeology, topographical 

mapping and geophysical survey. 

One major aim was to provide a 

scientifically dated sequence for 

Tilaurakot to understand when human 

settlement began and also when the 

site was abandoned. We excavated 

deep sequences near the Samai Mai 

Temple and across the northern 

rampart but are currently awaiting the 

results of the analyses from scientific 

dating samples, which are now being 

processed in the laboratory. Similarly, 

processing of geoarchaeological 

samples within these sequences will 

soon unlock evidence from the soil 

about the types of activities people in 

the past were undertaking at various 

times and places across Tilaurakot. 

The other major aim was to understand 

the urban plan of ancient Tilaurakot 

and its immediate environs. Ancient 

planning treatises, such as Kautiliya’s 

Arthasastra, suggest that a city should 

be rectangular, surrounded by moats 

and a rampart, with gates at each 

cardinal direction. Internally, the city 

should have cardinally-orientated roads, 

a central palace area, with religious 

institution located outside the ramparts. 

We wanted to investigate whether such 

descriptions were ideals or a reality 

and our multi-disciplinary approach at 

Tilaurakot is helping us to answer this 

from above and below the soil. 

Overview 

of the 

Wastern 

Gate 


Overview of 

the central 

structural 

complex 

Tilaurakot’s Urban Plan 

During our project the team have 

completed the most comprehensive 

mapping of Tilaurakot ever conducted. 

This has been undertaken through total 

station survey in combination with 

photogrammetry through airborne drone 

mapping. This has provided detailed 

measurements of the topography of the 

site and its hinterland, which has been tied 

to our archaeological discoveries as well as 

previously exposed remains at Tilaurakot. 

With this detailed base-map in place we 

conducted geophysical survey across the 

entire interior of the city, as well as several 

locations outside the ramparts. 

Archaeological geophysics was first 

developed in the 1970s and now is 


frequently utilised by excavations teams 

across Europe, the Middle East and 

the Americas. Particularly favoured by 

commercial units in the UK to evaluate 

the potential of subsurface archaeological 

remains prior to planning development, 

magnetometry offers a quick and relatively 

cheap alternative to the excavation and 

processing of extensive trial trenches. 

This technique is particularly successful 

as it measures the magnetic properties 

of the underlying soil. Material that has 

undergone a firing process, such as brick, 

usually provides a more positive magnetic 

signal compared to the surrounding soil so 

by taking readings every 50 centimetres 

and downloading the results onto a microprocessor, 

it is possible to record and 

present the subsurface features of an area 

as large as four hectares a day if suitably 

cleared of vegetation. Often penetrating to a 

depth of one metre, alignments of walls and 

streets can be discerned within urban areas. 

Through geophysics, spectacular 

discoveries were made at Tilaurakot without 

needing to dig into the ground. Projecting 

the results of geophysical survey onto our 

detailed topographic base-map we have 

revealed a grid-iron city layout. A clear 

network of cardinally-oriented roads, lanes 

and buildings throughout the walled city 

that link-up with a number of the larger 

conserved monuments, such as the Eastern 

and Western Gateways are identifiable. 

The streets were not paved but appear to 

have been unmetalled and probably served 

an additional function for drainage during

The archaeological component 

of the project Strengthening the 

Conservation and Management 

of Lumbini; the Birthplace of Lord 

Buddha, Phase 2: Tilaurakot- 

Kapilavastu, comprisesexperts 

from the Lumbini Development 

Trust, Department of Archaeology 

(Government of Nepal), Pashupati 

Area Development Trust, Durham 

University, the University of Stirling 

and the University of the Highlands 

and Islands. The team have been 

working at Tilaurakot since 2012 

and in addition to previous work 

at Lumbini are investigating other 

sites within the Natal landscape 

of the Buddha through their 

multi-disciplinary archaeological 

approach. The current project 

is generously sponsored by the 

Japanese-Funds-in-Trust through 

UNESCO, the Lumbini Development 

Trust, the Hokke Shu and Durham 

University and would not be 

possible without the support of 

the UNESCO Kathmandu Office, 

the Risshon Shanti Vihar, the 

staff and students of Tribhuvan 

University and the communities of 

Tilaurakot. For more information 

about the Project please visit: 

http://community.dur.ac.uk/arch. 

projects/lumbini/ 

The monastery 

trench with 

the Eastern 

stupa in the 

backgound 

the monsoon. There is also an apparent 

variation within the breadth of streets 

with some, such as that running from the 

Eastern Gate westwards, measuring at 

least 10 metres wide whilst others were 

narrower. The street plan also appears to 

have included the provision of a 20 metre 

wide space between the fortification wall 

on the eastern and southern sides of the 

city and the buildings within. 

In addition, the resultant geophysics was 

used to target the placing of exploratory 

excavation trenches, including across 

several cardinally-orientated brick 

structures with internal divisions and 

courtyards. As many of these brick built 

complexes are located only 20 centimetres 

below the ground surface, larger portions 


The rampart 

trench illustrating 

the early palisade, 

clay rampart and 

brick fortification 

of their layouts were successfully exposed. 

Offering insights into their architectural 

construction, many of these buildings 

used low brick foundation walls, with slots 

cut into these for timber superstructures. 

The absence of roof tile also suggests 

that most of these structures were 

thatched. The team also successfully 

identified previously unknown monumental 

constructions, including a 30 by 30 metre 

quadrangular feature to the centre west 

of the site. Fitting into the grid-iron layout 

revealed by the geophysics, a portion was 

excavated and revealed a large brick-faced 

pond within the city. With 26 surviving 

courses of individual bricks measuring 42 

cm in length, this feature is reminiscent 

of the central water tanks of the later 

medieval cities of the Kathmandu Valley, 

which might suggest that such features 

developed in the Terai as an integral part 

of city planning before moving up to the 

Valley. Most intriguingly, a large walled 

compound, measuring 100 by 100 metres 

has been identified in the centre of the site, 

with curved edges to its exterior walls. 

Representing a walled enclosure within 

the walled city, we suspect that it may 

represent a central palatial complex and we 

will investigate this further during our next 

field season in 2016 through excavation. 

We have also focused on the cardinallyaligned 

outer walls of Tilaurakot, first 

surveyed by P.C. Mukherji and then 

excavated by Debala Mitra. Famously 

dismissed by Mitra as being a relatively late 

addition to the settlement and no earlier 

than the third century BC, we opened a large 

trench across the city’s northern rampart 

and identified four major construction 

phases. The earliest two were represented 

by timber palisade, wooden fence-lines 

of large timber posts on an east to west 

alignment, which were later replaced by 

a smoothed clay rampart running on the 

same orientation. This clay rampart was 

later embellished with a brick fortification, 

much of which has been conserved by the 

Lumbini Development Trust. As earlier 

noted by Mukherji, the monuments and 

structures extended far beyond these 


ramparts and include several archaeological 

features, intrinsically linked to the ancient 

settlement. An area outside the northern 

rampart has been identified as a suburb and 

a little further to the north are the Twin brick 

stupas. Outside the Eastern Gate a further 

stupa is located and to the south of the 

city, beyond the rampart, is a large mound 

scattered with waste from iron-working. 

Investigations were directed to this southern 

mound and around the Eastern Stupa. 

On the southern mound, the excavations 

highlighted that this was a major industrial 

zone with almost 8 tonnes of slag from iron 

smelting recovered from trench measuring 

4 x 3 metres, providing evidence of large 

scale smelting, dating to 400 BC based on 

radiocarbon determinations. Furthermore, 

between the industrial mound and the 

southern rampart we conducted a series of 

soil cores and this profile revealed a second 

moat running to the south of the rampart 

and previously identified moat. Geophysical 

survey around the Eastern Stupa 

demonstrated that this was not an isolated 

monument but formed one part of a vast 

monastic complex. Excavations conducted 

in 2015 evaluated the geophysical 

signatures and we identified monastic walls, 

just below the ground surface, including the 

edges of formalised tanks that would have

provided water for the monks that inhabited 

this ancient complex. Also excavated 

was a hoard of 497 silver punch-marked 

coins sealed below a pavement within the 

monastery, which we believe represents a 

foundation deposit and demonstrates the 

sanctity and importance of this location to 

the ancient communities of Tilaurakot. 

Future Perspectives 

It is immediately apparent from our new 

fieldwork at Tilaurakot that the city plan is 

remarkably similar to that recommended 

by texts such as the Arthasastra. On 

reflection, it is also extremely reminiscent 

of Faxian and Xaunzang’s descriptions of 

ancient Kapilavastu. Indeed, the Chinese 

pilgrim monks recorded a central palatial 

complex and a city defined by a rampart 

and moats, with gates at the cardinal 

directions. Furthermore, they noted stupas 

to the north of the city in addition to a 

stupa located adjacent to the Eastern Gate. 

Such features have been identified during 

fieldwork at Tilaurakot and further the 

claims of Tilaurakot as Ancient Kapilavastu 

but future work is still required to confirm 

such an assertion. This is particularly 

important as the brick built structures on 

the surface date to the later occupation 

of the settlement and post-date the life 

of the Buddha himself by many centuries. 

Irrespective of these debates, our research 

has shown that Tilaurakot exhibits a shared 

concept of pan-South Asian urban design 

with other ancient city sites, such as 

Mahasthangarh, Bhita and Sisupalgarh. 

The Project 

team comprises 

archaeologists 

from the Lumbini 

Development 

Trust, Department 

of Archaeology 

(Government of 

Nepal), Pashupati 

Area Development 

Trust,Durham 

University,the 

University of Stirling 

and the University 

of the Highlands and 

Islands. The Project is 

generously sponsored 

by the Japanese- 

Funds-in-Trust 

through UNESCO, the 

Lumbini Development 

Trust, the Hokke Shu 

and Durham University 

and would not be 

possible without the 

support of the UNESCO 

Kathmandu Office, the 

Risshon Shanti Vihar, 

the staff and students 

of Tribhuvan University 

and the communities 

of Tilaurakot. For more 

information about the 

Project please visit: 

http://community.dur. 

ac.uk/arch.projects/ 

lumbini/ 

these settlements to major religious sites, including 

Lumbini, Kudan and Ramagrama, providing a 

regional view for the development of society in the 

Natal landscape of the Buddha. 

Whilst the making discoveries about the past, 

we are also aware of the need to protect and 

promote heritage for the present as well as for 

future generations. At Tilaurakot, archaeological 

remains were usually encountered only 20 cm 

below the soil and whilst this can be managed by 

the Lumbini Development Trust in governmentowned 

land, this is a challenge outside such 

jurisdictions. For instance, in the governmentmanaged 

land, mainly defined by the ancient 

ramparts of the city, enhanced management 

plans can be introduced, such as the new nonintrusive 

and reversible walkways that are being 

created to protect sub-surface archaeological 

remains, whilst also guiding visitors around the 

site to areas of interest. However, the majority 

of the monastery discovered around the Eastern 

Stupa is within private fields rather than under 

government stewardship and therefore at risk 

from unchecked development. Rather than 

blocking all development, the internationally 

significant heritage of Tilaurakot and the Natal 

landscape provide an opportunity for sustainable 

development as long as it is sympathetic to both 

the long term preservation of the heritage and the 

needs of local communities. 

The multi-disciplinary archaeological 

approach has begun to successfully identify 

the urban layout of Tilaurakot during its final 

phases of occupation and we hope to expand 

these investigations to further sites. This 

includes Araurakot, a fortified settlement to 

the north east of Tilaurakot which has never 

been excavated. We hope to explore its 

urban plan through a similar methodology 

and see how this relates to Tilaurakot, textual 

descriptions contained in treatises such as 

the Arthasastra, and other ancient urban 

forms in South Asia. We will also seek to 

relate our findings from investigations of 


Interior 

IDC 2015 

Design 

Competition 

“Visualizing a transitional restaurant” 

I 

nitiated by SPACES magazine 

and NFFA (Nepal Furniture and 

Furnishing Association), the first 

Interior Design Competition (IDC) took 

place in 2014 during the exhibition on 

furniture and furnishing FURNEX NEPAL 

2014. IDC 2015 is the second competition 

of its kind, helping the participants 

broaden their wings and raising the scope 

and standard of interior design in Nepal . 

The primary objective of Interior Design 

Competition is to provide an arena for 

students aiming to pursue a career 

in interior design to showcase their 

innovative design ideas. IDC 2015 has 

taken one step forward this year by 

incorporating students from different 

Architecture Colleges along with Interior 

Design Institutes and Colleges. IDC aims 

to gradually raise the standards of the 

interior design curriculum and prepare the 

students to compete on an international 

level. 

To provide a realistic scenario for the 

participants to work on, the project theme 

for IDC 2015 was transitional restaurant 

design with a fusion of traditional touch 

and modern etiquettes at the BBQ 

Courtyard, Jhamsikhel. By means of the 

Induction Programme organized at IOE, 

Pulchowk Campus on 2nd August 2015, 

interior designer Sabin Shakya, member 

of the Working Committee guided the 

sixty-seven participants from various 

institutes through the competition 

process. The participants were to submit 

their design concept and branding, floor 

plans with layout, exterior and interior 

design and furniture design and mood 

boards with the help of 2D drawings and 3D 

renders. 

The Advisory Committee comprised of 

members from diverse backgrounds- 

Ar. Salena Sangachhe from Society of 

Nepalese Architects (SONA), Ar. Pawan 

Shrestha from Green Developers Pvt. Ltd. 

and Mr. Ashesh Rajbansh from SPACES, 

Mr. Sujil Shrestha from NFFA and Mr. 

Troilokesh SJB Rana- product designer and 

wood expert. The jury panel consisted of 3 

members: Ar. Sanjay Pradhan from Design 

Cell, Interior Designer- Sabita Sakha from 

Space Design and Mr. Pravin Chitrakar 

from Yala-Handicraft Museum. After the 

careful judgment by the distinguished 

jurors, on 2nd September 2015, 11 

participants were selected on the basis of 

their outstanding designs. The following 

day, the selected participants were given an 

opportunity to best elucidate their concept 

through presentation at Moksh Restaurant, 

Jhamsikhel, on the basis of which the 

Top 5 were selected and declared on 7th 

September. 

As the final phase of the competition 

was to be judged on the basis of a 


Concept Board, an Induction Programme for the 

top 5 finalists was conducted on 5th November at 

Yatkha Baha.Mr. Trilokesh SJB Rana, Wood Expert 

at Tridevi Designs and Builders, explained how to 

use a concept board to visually represent an idea 

and further showcase their design. Each finalist 

came up with an exceptional concept board which 

was thoroughly evaluated by the panel of jury at 

BBQ Courtyard on 18th December. Ninety per cent 

of the marking is from project submission and 

presentation, while the remaining ten per cent from 

the Concept Board. The winners of the competition 

will be declared on the Closing and Award Ceremony 

of IDC 2015. 

The Concept Boards were planned to be showcased 

at the forthcoming FURNEX NEPAL exhibition at 

Brikutimandap, but due to the current unpredictable 

scenario of the country the event is postponed by 

NFFA till further notice. 


Art in times of 

chaos 

Text by: Saroj Bajracharya 

Photos : Prithivi Shrestha 


Walking to Basantapur always 

brings old memories. When 

memories are asserted by 

objects or physical reality, one 

would feel that even though 

times and situations change, 

there is always something 

to look back to and confirm 

that whatever one had 

experienced, there are some 

testimony to it. 

P 

re 25th April 2015 was a routine, 

plain assertions of memories; my 

experiences and the experiences 

of all those who lived before me from time 

immemorial. Particularly of the place that is 

well known by the name of Kasthamandap 

or MaruSatal believed to have been built 

from a single tree trunk. This place used to 

be a precious momentary abode for many 

and artists were no exception. A perfect 

location for quick sketches of the passing 

pedestrians and old architects, young artists 

saw this place as their shelter. More than a 

decade ago, I also used to sit in the steps 

mapping the lines of movements of people 

passing by. Now as I roam around that 

place; there is no shelter built from a tree 

trunk; the tree has fallen. The testimonies of 

memories are dust, gone. 

All the traditional art we have or that we 

are losing; what is the mechanism to 

keep it alive? The direct answer might be 

to renovate it or by preserving it. Taking 

care of it and handling it in such ways that 

increases their longevity. But even if we 

do all that, will these old arts transform? 

Should the arts of the ancient be kept as 

they are or should they be transformed with 

time? Should it be evolvedfor the newer 

generation? What is that mechanism then 

which will interpret it through modern 

understanding giving newer possibilities for 

its survival and existence? 


They say that history cannot be altered, but 

our perspective towards history sure can 

be expanded through which we can draw 

new meanings and purposes of our history 

so that our present could be more relevant 

for future. The essential way is not only to 

preserve or document rather transcend our 

traditional and historical art by interpreting 

them through the contemporary arts of 

today. 

Artof today or of any generation is quite 

difficult to imagine without colors; colors 

can be mode of celebration, but the same 

colors can be pensive that germinates 

concentration to our contemplation. History 

is a testimony that humans expressed 

celebration via art; however, in times of 

suffering too, art has been seen to become 

solace that actually dug deep within 

to confront the pain. It was not merely 

bandage, rather a healing process itself. 

In the depth of it all, this healing art was 

human consciousness itself. 

In the wake of the Nepal’s current 

devastating earthquake, many Nepali 

artists went to the ruins of the quakes 


All the traditional art 

we have or that we 

are losing; what is the 

mechanism to 

keep it alive? The 

direct answer might 

be to renovate it or by 

preserving it. 

to build momentary shelters orconduct 

workshops with children or decorate 

temples and fallen houses; but very 

few searched deeper meaningsbehind 

these architects. The demolition in the 

earthquake was the affect but the cause 

of their creation is subtle, deep and 

sensitive. And art and philosophy are 

such interpretations of life and its diverse 

reflections that they can bring these 

diversities into singlesurface displaying 

its viewer its significant continuum. This 

surface restores calm even in storm, for 

instance the Kasthamandapthat persists 

within is never shaken no matter how is 

big the earthquake. Because even though 

the testimony of history persists on the 

outwards, history actually continues within 

giving us our own sense of personal and 

collective evolution. And that is being 

shown to us by the light of art. Was such 

art thought of or came about in times of 

chaos in Nepal? 

How can art be inherited from one 

generation to the other? What is the art 

of Nepal, especially in times when the 

specific definition is much needed in order 


The activities artists are 

commencing from days 

of the earthquake are 

mostly social activities; 

building temporary 

shelters and using the 

skills of art trying to 

provide temporaryreliefs 

to the victims. 

to get connected to our roots in times 

of natural instability? Is this debate even 

necessary? Natural calamity is sudden that 

brings down old architects, so do artists 

need to be involved in the recovery or is it 

categorized to engineers and technicians 

only? And merely by resetting the visuals 

is enough or shall we understand that 

exists beyond our eyes? Art is the state 

of mind and this state of mind makes 

the Nepaliness alive; if so then werethe 

artists truly involved in the making of the 

architects that were devastated by the 

earthquake? 

There were times when artists were 

involved in almost everything; be it 

establishment of religion (creating Pauwa 

or religious sculpture) or building of 

architectures (temples to houses); however 

in these ancient times artists were not 

credited. And today they are beginning to 

be seen as social icon yet there presence 

in times of necessity appears limited. 

There is a difference between art and 

social activities. The activities artists are 

commencing from days of the earthquake 

are mostly social activities; building 

temporary shelters and using the skills of 


art trying to provide temporaryreliefs to 

the victims. This maybe legitimate act of 

kindness from artists; but what is equally 

or even more important is to contribute 

in the deeper recuperation of the fallen 

houses, cultures, beliefs, hopes and 

dreams; all are but scattered haphazard. 

Because art and philosophy has a power 

to bring the scattered into a single 

surface to bring forth the bigger picture 

and simultaneously focus on the minute 

details. 

Art has a capacity to take us beyond the 

known periphery of our surroundings 

into the realm we have seldom explored. 

If an artist claims that he is painting 

abstract merely by compiling colors 

and envisaging design on the canvas 

(abstract art will largely remain mystery 

to onlookers because it is the journey 

of an artist to his self explanatory yet 

collectively unexplained territory; that’s 

the nature of abstract art) or if one asserts 

that he is bringing out the serious social 

issues through his art and as a matter of 

fact he is just depicting what is in the air 

and not where actually that air is coming 

from, then what’s the point? 

Art is not limited to being cultural poster 

or social statement. There are other 

mediums for that.Art is more about 

making a personal statement; eventually, 

and if art lacks that then can that be 

termed art? It’s rather not just about 

appreciation and opportunities the artists 

are getting; it’sabout getting familiar with 

the known periphery in order to expand 

your opinion to the unknown or uncharted 

territory. This might just help the creative 

opinion of the artist to become an 

example making that work of art stand 

out in any crowd, not merely visually or 

emotionally but intellectually as well and 

artistically. Merely bringing out the affect 

and not journeying towards the cause 

only goes on to show superficiality of an 

artist, especially when one is dealing with 

serious and sensitive issues. 

I believe it’s necessary to have a belief or 

an opinion of your own in life, and since art 

is a special personal moment for artists 

and if artists lack opinion in art, then that’s 

an irony and in a long run it surely will 

become a tragedy to that artist. And here 

we are talking about a country underthe 

nature’s wrath where artists were largely 

involved in helping the victims out; and 

indeed it was a commendable job. But to 

most, the art that persisted within was 

untouched.How can I be the extension or 

the preservation of my extensiveculture 

some of which now is lying in ruins? This 

question is locked deep in the unconscious 

that not even the reoccurringshake of the 

earthquake could bring out.Or maybe it is a 

preparation phase for some artists; maybe 

the plates within are getting stable. Maybe 

now it is the contemporary art that will 

redefine and rediscover the things we think 

we have lost. Maybe it is all just right here. 

Maybe it is just the matter of seeing: by 

finding the art within! 

And whenever I walk to Basantapur, I am 

walking into my memory lane as well; I 

can still have a sense of Kasthamandap 

which is no longer thereyet has risen within 

me… some portion of me has transformed 

with it and I hope soon it will stand again 

at Maru as well as on my canvas; maybe 

not realistically but in its essence, because 

art and culture is the state of mind that in 

time becomes our attitude and thought 

process... 



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Interior 

L 

ooking around and imagining the world 

in black and white makes us thankful 

for the rainbow of colors that surround 

us. The color of the sky changes from deep 

blue to fiery red through the day; whereas the 

color of the leaves change from green to yellow 

depending on the time of the year. Living in 

a colorful world, it may surprise us that our 

surrounding is actually said to be colorless 

and it is not the eye that perceives color. Color 

is not associated with the physical aspect of 

an objects, but rather the effect of light waves 

bouncing off or passing through the objects. 

Although color originates from light, there 

would be no color if the light did not contain 

wavelengths. 

The impact of the wide spectrum of colors 

is infinite; whether it is from the natural 

environment or confined inside a space. Color 

has a manipulative role in the human perception 

of a space, resulting to alteration in our moods. 

The same space may appear to be different 

by the application of different colors, and the 

respective colors may ignite different feelings 

and mood. 



Application of colors in Architecture and Interiors 

Ceilings 

One of the best ways to illustrate the effects of warm, cool or neutral colors in a space are 

ceilings. The color of the ceiling which comprises almost onesixth of the space in a room also 

has a visual effect on the space. As a general rule, ceilings that are lighter than the walls feel 

higher, while those that are darker feel lower. For example, having a darker color on the ceiling 

creates an illusion of a much lower ceiling height than what it normally appears to be. 

Picture 3 : The variation of color in the ceiling of the same room shows that the deep violet 

(warm THE CLASSIFICATION color) walls seem OF COLORS higher when white ceiling is used NEUTRAL while the COLORS tan walls seem lower when 

To understand how colors affect our 

The variation 

the ceiling is colored dark violet. Photo courtesy: 

Neutral colors are sometimes known as 

mood, we have to further break it down to of color in the 

Benjamin Moore 

earth tones. These consists of brown, 

ceiling of the 

understanding the classification of colors 

beige, grey, black and white. The following 

same room 

and its application in architecture and 

pictures illustrates a spectrum of warm 

shows that 

Color interiors. and Colors mood are used strategically 

the deep violet 

and cool neutral colors. These are usually 

for creating levels of proximity. In 

(warm color) associated for a calming environment. 

Now architecture that and we interiors, know how colors colors are are responsible walls seem in creating illusions of proximity and igniting 

different most simply emotions, classified as it warm, will be cool easier and to understand higher when the relationship APPLICATION of color OF COLORS and mood. IN ARCHI- Generally, 

neutral colors. Warm colors are gravitated white ceiling is TECTURE AND INTERIORS 

perceptions 

towards reds and 

of color 

yellow, 

are 

whereas, 

somewhat 

cool 

subjective, used while but the there are some colors which have a universal 

CEILINGS 

effect. colors are Warm gravitated colors towards (such greens as red, yellow, tan walls orange seem and combinations One of the best ways of all to illustrate of them) represent 

lower when the 

and blues. Neutrals are grey, black and 

sunlight and heat and make us feel warm 

effects of warm, cool or neutral colors in a 

ceiling by is colored increasing the heart rate and temperature. Cool 

browns. 

space are ceilings. The color of the ceiling 

colors (such as blue, green and light purple) 

dark violet. 

characterize sky which and comprises water and almost have one-sixth reverse of the effects. 

Photo courtesy: 

They WARM make AND us COOL feel COLORS cool by lowering our Benjamin temperature Moore and have space the in a ability room also to has create a visual tranquility. effect 

Warm colors appear as though they 

on the space. As a general rule, ceilings 

Because come closer ofwhich the is direct why they're correlation often between our emotions that and are lighter colors, than wethe experience walls feel higher, different 

used to make large rooms look cozier 

while those that are darker feel lower. 

stimulations in different colored spaces. Learning how a color influences our emotions can help 

and sophisticated, for example, applying 

For example, having a darker color on 

better a warm understand color like orange their can psychological make a effect and use it effectively the ceiling to creates design an a illusion space. of a much 

bedroom feel more intimate. Cool colors 

lower ceiling height than what it normally 

are light, expansive and airy and they 

appears to be. 

recede or look farther away making a 

room feel larger and brighter. To visually 

COLOR AND MOOD 

enlarge a confined space, adding a cool 

Now that we know how colors are 

color such as light blue can make it look 

responsible in creating illusions of 

more spacious as they reflect light. 

proximity and igniting different emotions, it

will be easier to understand the relationship 

of color and mood. Generally, perceptions 

of color are somewhat subjective, but there 

are some colors which have a universal 

effect. Warm colors (such as red, yellow, 

orange and combinations of all of them) 

represent sunlight and heat and make 

us feel warm by increasing the heart rate 

and temperature. Cool colors (such as 

blue, green and light purple) characterize 

sky and water and have reverse effects. 

They make us feel cool by lowering our 

temperature and have the ability to create 

tranquility. 

Because of the direct correlation between 

our emotions and colors, we experience 

different stimulations in different colored 

spaces. Learning how a color influences 

our emotions can help better understand 

their psychological effect and use it 

effectively to design a space. 

ACTIVE, PASSIVE AND NEUTRAL COLORS 

On the basis of behavior, colors can be of 

three types: active, passive and neutral. 

Warm colors (pink, red, orange and yellow) 

are active, cool colors (green, blue and 

violet) are passive while black, white and 

brown are neutral. 

Active colors are vibrant, bold and instantly 

raise our energy level. Often associated 

with joy of sunshine, they evoke feelings 

of warmth, cheerfulness and enthusiasm. 

However, active colors can overstimulate 

emotions when used in excess triggering 

negative emotions such as frustration and 

fury. Associated with health and well-being, 

passive colors are soft and soothing and 

make us feel tranquil, serene and relaxed. 

These colors have the ability to increase 

our mental focus, relieve stress and help us 

relax at the same time. Neutral colors act 

as the area between the active and passive 

and are neither loud nor calm. These colors 

are muted and flexible and are used to 

create a natural comfortable atmosphere. 

Picture: Color Wheel of Emotions; The above colors are supposedly associated the following 

moods, behavior, etc. 

We have an innate reaction to color that 

has been influencing our mood, feelings 

Active, passive and neutral colors 

and the human behavior as well. Color can 

alter our mood- bring rage or tranquil, evoke 

emotions 

black, white and 

stimulate 

brown are neutral. 

our senses. It can 

directly affect our brain’s functionalityeither 

by increasing focus and stimulating 

productivity or rapidly increasing or 

decreasing our energy. 

On the basis of behavior, colors can be of three types: active, passive and neutral. Warm colors 

(pink, red, orange and yellow) are active, cool colors (green, blue and violet) are passive while 

Active colors are vibrant, bold and instantly raise our energy level. Often associated with joy of 

sunshine, they evoke feelings of warmth, cheerfulness and enthusiasm. However, active colors 

The multiple roles of color in architecture 

and interiors is not limited to the emotional 

tone of a space, but also responds to the 

wellbeing of the respective inhabitants. The 

correlation between colors and our mood 

may have been an underrated subject, 

however, we do have the power to guide our 

emotions through sensitive selection and 

application of colors and their tones and 

tints.

UNESCO’s 

fight against 

illicit trafficking 

of cultural property and questions relating 

to restitution 

TEXT: Christian Manhart photos: Osmund Boppearachchi 

W 

ith globalization, the legal and 

illicit trade in cultural property 

has become a major, and 

growing, international business, affecting 

museums, public, private collections, 

religious monuments, cultural institutions 

and archaeological sites worldwide. 

Therefore, the importance of the 1970 

convention on the means of prohibiting 

and preventing the illicit import, export and 

transfer of ownership of cultural property, is 

also growing significantly. The Convention 

provides its states parties with measures 

for preventing the import and trade of stolen 

artefacts, restitution provisions, inventories, 

export certificates, monitoring trade, the 

imposition of penal or administrative 

sanctions, training, and an international 

cooperation framework. To date, 128 

countries have ratified the convention, and 

UNESCO is now glad to have on board 

such countries with important art markets 

such as the United States, Canada, the 

Russian Federation, Germany, France, the 

United Kingdom, Australia and Japan, as 

well as most of the countries of origin, 

such as Nepal. The newest state party is 

Luxemburg, which just ratified in February 

of this year. 

UNESCO expert 

(right) had 

the chance to 

examine the Mir 

Zaka treasure 

for a few hours 

Bags with 

corroded 

silver coins 

from 

Mir Zaka 

The 1970 convention is however insufficient 

by itself as it does not include civil law 

provisions and because of this, it was 

necessary to develop other instruments. 

UNESCO therefore strongly promotes the 

UNIDROIT convention of 1995 on stolen 

or illegally exported cultural objects, which 

considerably improves the chances of 

restitution and which is complementary 

to the 1970 convention from a private law 

perspective. Unlike the 1970 convention, 

the 1995 UNIDROIT convention focuses 

on a uniform treatment for the restitution 

of stolen or the return of illegally exported 

cultural objects. Claims are processed 

directly through states parties’ national 

courts or other competent national 

authorities. In case of theft, claimants may 

be individuals or entire states, however 

in the case of illicit export, claimants 


are exclusively States. The UNIDROIT 

convention is not limited to inventoried 

objects as is the 1970 convention, covering 

instead all stolen and illicitly exported 

cultural objects and requiring their return. 

Cultural objects that have been unlawfully 

excavated are to be considered stolen and 

have to be restituted. The 1995 convention 

gives a right to indemnity or compensation, 

not to the thief or to the receiver of a 

stolen object, but only to a third party 

that acquired the object in good faith (i.e. 

without knowledge of its illicit provenance) 

and conditional compensation to due or 

reasonable diligence. 

There is some controversy surrounding 

the 1995 convention and strong lobbying 

against it, particularly in the ‘receiving’ 

countries. Therefore, to date, only 36 

countries have ratified this Convention. 

UNESCO urges those countries that have 

not yet done so, such as Nepal, to ratify it. 

In many cases, bilateral negotiations for 

returns are successful. However, because 

the 1970 convention is not retroactive 

before ratification by the concerned states, 

another body had to be created in 1978 for 

mediation and state to state cooperation: the 

intergovernmental committee for promoting 

the return of cultural property to its countries 

of origin or its restitution in case of illicit 

appropriation. There are twenty-two 

members of this committee elected every 

second year during each UNESCO general 

conference. So far, the committee has 

not achieved many cases of restitution, 

however two cases have been resolved in 

recent years: The Makonde Mask returned 

from the Swiss Barbier-Muller collection to 

the National Museum of Tanzania, and the 

Bogazkoy Sphinx was returned from the 

Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany, to 

Turkey. Some cases have gone on for many 

years; the cases of the Parthenon Marbles, 

for example, have been presented before 

the Committee for three decades. Therefore, 

discussions are held about strategies to 

increase international cooperation for 

The looting of Bamiyan’s mural paintings is also a cause 

for concern. In addition to the famous Buddhist statues 

blown up in March 2001 by the Taliban, Bamiyan has 700 

caves carved in the rock cliffs by Buddhist monks between 

the second and ninth centuries AD. 

restitution, as well as alternative solutions 

when pure restitution is impossible, such as 

long-term or permanent loans. 

Of course, the purpose of this 

intergovernmental committee is not to 

empty all western museums or to bring 

all cultural objects to their countries of 

origin. It is intended only for some very 

significant objects and for those that were 

stolen or illicitly exported, although the 

definition of illicit export is often a point 

of contention in itself. This can be seen in 

the case of the Parthenon Marbles, where 

there is no consensus by the two parties 

involved as to whether or not the marbles 

were illicitly exported by Lord Elgin in the 

nineteenth century. 

Today’s looters are less glamorous than 

Lord Elgin. In Afghanistan, for example, 

many extremely poor villagers living in 

miserable conditions have no source of 

income other than to dig. To them, there 

is no difference between digging for 

antiquities and digging for potatoes in their 

soil. It is difficult to explain the difference 

to people in their situation. They are paid 

very little for the hard and often dangerous 

digging work and are mostly exploited by 

the warlords holding the power over the 

territory concerned. 

In Kharwar, formerly a large Buddhist city 

in Afghanistan, the Minister of Culture, 

Makhdoum Raheen, requested UNESCO’s 

assistance. He was very concerned 

about the ongoing looting of the site and 

asked UNESCO to conduct preventative 

excavations on the site. The hope was that 

the presence of an international team could 

bring an end to looting. This would also 

have provided employment to the villagers 

and the possibility to create awareness 

for the protection of the remains of their 

past. Unfortunately, UNESCO’s efforts 

were unsuccessful. An Italian team that 

was sent in first was threatened by the 

warlord and forced to end its excavations 

immediately. A Japanese team was sent 

next, extremely keen to excavate this 

Buddhist site. However, after three weeks, 

the situation proved too dangerous for 

them as well, and they had to return. This 

is very unfortunate, as this site has never 

been researched and no archaeologist 

has yet had the opportunity to see, study 

or document it. Now its structures are 

systematically being destroyed solely for 

the objects being removed from them. 

These objects lose their historical context 

and value. For example, artefacts from the 

Graeco-Buddhist culture that emerged 

following the third century BC can originate 

from what are now several countries in 

Central Asia: from northern Pakistan and 

Afghanistan, to southern Uzbekistan and 

Tajikistan. When items from sites such 

as Kharwar appear on the art market, it is 

almost impossible to determine their exact 

provenance and they become useless for 

historical research. 

Another example of illicit excavations is 

the area of the Minaret of Jam, also in 

Afghanistan, the second tallest minaret 

in the world. In the eleventh and twelfth 

centuries, this was the site of an important 

Muslim city, which is not yet sufficiently 

researched. Dug into the slopes next to 


the minaret are countless holes, created 

by the illicit excavation of local villagers. 

Here, UNESCO’s preventative excavations 

employed these villagers to work alongside 

Italian and British archaeological teams in 

order to safeguard and conduct research 

on these structures. Another aim of this 

project was to create awareness among the 

villagers for their cultural heritage, which is 

their cultural identity as well. 

An important numismatic treasure 

consisting mostly of silver coins was 

discovered in 1947 by the French 

archaeological mission in Afghanistan 

at Mir Zakah, a small village in southern 

Afghanistan near the Pakistani border. 

Half of the coins were sent to the National 

Museum in Kabul while the other half came 

under legal contract to the Musée Guimet in 

Paris. While the portion that went to France 

still exists, most of the coins in the Kabul 

Museum were looted in the early 1990s. 

Villagers in the same place found a 

spectacular and much larger second 

treasure in 1992, during the roughest phase 

of the Mujahideen war in Afghanistan. It 

contained three tons of silver coins and 

some gold jewellery and statues, which 

went to several important hubs of the art 

market. UNESCO was first offered the 

treasure in 1993 through an Afghan art 

dealer in Peshawar (Pakistan), for the 

amount of US$600,000. As custodian of 

the 1970 Convention, UNESCO is unable 

to make such purchases, as they may be 

seen to validate looting and illicit trade. 

Also, it lacks the necessary funding and 

has neither storage nor conservation 

facilities to care for such items properly. 

So, while UNESCO was unable to purchase 

the collection itself, it tried to identify a 

museum that would be willing to take the 

coins and safeguard them. However, no 

museum approached was ready to do 

this, even secretly. The coins disappeared, 

Gold and silver 

objects from 

the Mir Zaka 

treasure 

re-emerging on the market several years 

later in Switzerland. Again they were 

offered to UNESCO, this time for US$1 

million, and again UNESCO could not 

make the purchase and the silver coins 

disappeared. 

Recent reports place a large number 

of them still in Switzerland. A smaller 

percentage was sent to the United States, 

where several hundred kilograms were 

melted down in order to produce fake 

jewellery. Jewellery made from old silver, 

dating in this case from the second 

century BC, is desirable for forgers, as it 

confuses dating techniques that would 

normally identify pieces as fakes. This is a 

tremendous loss for historical knowledge 


Mir Zaka 

originally 

was a well, 

it has been 

extensively 

excavated 

to become a 

small lake. 

This is very 

unfortunate, as this 

site has never been 

researched and no 

archaeologist has yet 

had the opportunity 

to see, study or 

document it. 

of the Central Asian Region. Professor 

Osmund Bopearachchi, a specialist in 

Central Asian numismatics, teaching at 

the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, 

discovered on these coins, the heads of 

unknown kings from kingdoms installed in 

Central Asia by Alexander the Great. These 

coins would have enormously expanded 

our knowledge of the history of Central 

Asia and Greece. 

The looting of Bamiyan’s mural paintings 

is also a cause for concern. In addition to 

the famous Buddhist statues blown up 

in March 2001 by the Taliban, Bamiyan 

has 700 caves carved in the rock cliffs by 

Buddhist monks between the second and 

ninth centuries AD. Of these caves, twenty- 

six still contain mural paintings. These 

are frequently targeted by looters whose 

efforts to cut them out often results in 

large pieces falling down or breaking into 

rubble. When the UNESCO team entered 

the caves, a layer of broken plaster with 

paintings often covered the ground. In 

the 1970s, Japanese specialists made an 

extensive inventory of these paintings. 

Disappointingly, the assessment by 

professors Miaji and Maeda revealed 

that 80 per cent of them had disappeared 

within the last thirty-five years, through 

neglect, theft, and also through deliberate 

destruction- first by the Russian army, 

then the Mujahideen and finally by the 

Taliban. 

UNESCO worked to safeguard the caves 

with a Japanese team, financed by the 

Government of Japan, in hopes to be able 

to one day, restore these paintings. In 

2002, UNESCO took the very simple step 

of installing locking doors on the caves 

with paintings. This has proved effective 

and since then no thefts have taken place 

from the Bamiyan caves. 

UNESCO has also concluded contracts 

with several institutions to locate and 

safeguard looted Afghan cultural property, 

with the aim of returning them to their 

country of origin as soon as the security 

situation permits. The Japanese Cultural 

Heritage Foundation was very efficient 

in finding important and particularly fine 

pieces, mostly stolen from the Kabul 

Museum. A contract has also been 

signed with the Bibliotheca Afghanica of 

Bubendorf (Switzerland), whose director, 

Paul Bucherer-Dietschi, in 2007 retuned 

all cultural objects he had found in 

Switzerland. However, UNESCO is currently 

not in favour of such returns, as the 

situation is deteriorating in Afghanistan, 

and this is not thought to be the right time 

for restitutions. 

UNESCO also works frequently with 

INTERPOL, New Scotland Yard and 

other police forces, in order to identify 

looted cultural objects. This is done by 

contributing information about stolen 

objects to their respective databases, 

provision of specialists who can identify 

seized objects and establishing contacts 

with the relevant antiquities authorities 

of the country of origin. Additionally, 

UNESCO maintains a database of national 

cultural heritage legislation. This resource 

is on the UNESCO website, accessible to 

everyone, and includes more than 2,000 

acts or pieces of legislation from some 180 

countries. 


From the Shelf 

Man and His House in 

the Himalayas 

GERARD TOFFIN 

MAN AND HIS HOUSE IN THE HIMALAYAS PROVIDES AN OUTLINE OF 

RECENT RESEARCHES IN THE FIELD OF HIMALAYAN ARCHITECTURE 

AND ANTHROPOLOGY. THE BOOK AIMS ALSO TO DRAW ATTENTION 

TO THE MOST FRAGILE, HUMBLE AND DOMESTIC ASPECTS OF THE 

CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THESE REMOTE REGIONS. 

F 

or around two decades, a small 

group of ethnologists of the 

Centre National de la Recherche 

Scientifique (France) has been working 

in the Himalayas. This rich collection of 

data has been further supplemented by 

a series of studies of a more specific 

nature devoted to the construction 

sphere. Undertaken within the framework 

of the G.R.E.C.O. Himalaya-Karakorum 

(C.N.R.S.) by architects and construction 

specialists—sometimes in close 

collaboration with ethnologists—these 

studies bring out other aspects, more 

technical, more functional perhaps, of the 

house, enabling a better comparison of 

the different types of architecture in the 

zone under consideration. 

At a time when, under the patronage of 

the U.N.E.S.C.O., an exhaustive inventory 

of the national Nepalese heritage is 

being drawn up, covering the most 

representative edifices of the Himalayan 

civilisations, it seemed desirable to draw 

attention to another kind of heritage, 

more modest, more familiar, more fragile: 

domestic habitat. This task is all the 

more necessary as "vernacular" forms of 

architecture are very much the order of the 

day. Architects and ethnologists now realise 

that the house is as much a part of the 

culture of a given population as the palace 

or the temple and tells us as much about the 

religious representations of its inhabitants 

as the most sacred monuments. 

The Himalayas are the ideal place to study 

such domestic architecture. Stretching 

Remains (silos) 

of the house 

after a fire 

(Cl. M. 

Gaborieau) 

between the high Tibetan plateau of 

Central Asia and the tropical plains of the 

Indian sub-continent, they offer an infinite 

variety of house types. Double sloping 

roofs, inclined to varying degrees, or flat 

roofs; roofing in thatch, tiles, roofing stone, 

shingle or mats; mud, brick or stone walls, 

simple mat or thatch screens; single level 

horizontal buildings or vertical buildings 

with two, three, four storeys, etc.: the 


House 

elevation 

differences within this single zone 

are immense. 

The transition is so rapid that 

although the traveller approaching 

Nepal from the South arrives in a 

hot, flat and humid region, already 

he is able to perceive the snow-clad 

Himalayan chain in the distance. 

Cultural reasons also contribute to 

Transverse 

section of 

the house 

(scale 3/100) 

this diversity. For these ecological 

zones, with such highly contrasting 

bio-climatic conditions of life, are 

inhabited by populations who 

differ from each oilier linguistically, 

culturally and physically. Between 

strictly ecological and cultural 

factors, it would appear that more 

often than not, it is the latter which 

prevail and which give to the 

house its originality. Terrains 

displaying similar characteristics 

like the Terai give rise to very 

different house types and similar 

house types are built on varying 

terrains. Transplanted outside the 

Kathmandu Valley to which they 

originally belonged, the Ncwars 

reconstructed for example exactly 

the same house type as the one 

they left behind. This uniformity 

would become even more evident 

if one were to examine religious 

edifices: the Tibetan monasteries 

are built in identical fashion, be they 

at an altitude of 4000m or 1500m 

in the Kathmandu Valley, or even 

at sea level (Buddhist buildings of 

Bodh Gaya and Sarnath in India). 

And "Nepalese" style temples can 

be found both in the Kathmandu 

Valley, where this style originated 

as well as in the Nepalese hills. To 

come back to domestic habitat, 

the cultural milieu influences not 

only the psychological and cultural 

values attached to the house, 

but also its form and internal 

arrangement. Everything proceeds 

as if a certain "cultural model" was 

associated with the habitations, a 

model difficult to dissociate from the 

other socio-rcligious institutions of 

the considered group. Culture thus 


takes precedence and chooses its path from the range of options provided by the physical 

environment, altering in some cases die primary forms. 

Organisation of the 

habitat in storeys 

superimposed on 

a steeply sloping 

terrace, Braga village 

This book consists of thirteen contributions written by anthropologists, architects and a 

member of the Guild of Carpenters dealing mainly with popular forms of architecture in 

the Himalayan regions, particularly in Nepal. Chapters on the house of the Tharus from 

Terai, Newars from the Kathmandu valley, a Tibeto-Burmese linguistic group who created a 

highly developed and urbanised civilisation in the Middle Ages, the Limbus, the Majhis, the 

Tamangs and Sherpas, transhumant cattle breeders, and the Thakalis are very informative 

and the last part of the book is devoted to the description of houses in ihe area inhabited by 

Tibetan-speaking populations at high altitudes in Nepal and in India (Ladakh). 


ARTScape 

Identity and Development 

Talking about identity and preserving traditions, 

Mekh Limbu tries to show the contrast disturbance 

of tradition and modern buildings from the Changu 

Narayan village. Changu Narayan temple, one of the 

World Heritage Site of the Kathmandu Valley is losing 

its traditional architectural beauty where a cluster of 

concrete modern houses isolated the temple as well as 

losing the traditional houses and question us about our 

own identity, existence and chronological development. 

ASHA DANGOL 

Mekh Limbu 

A winner of Prashanta Scholarship Award in 2009, Mekh 

Limbu is the upcoming visual artist who expresses 

his experiences and ideas through narrative forms on 

contemporary socio-political issues. Masters in Fine Art 

from Central Department of Fine Arts, Tribhuwan University, 

Mekh Limbu is now lecturer at Fine Art College in Bhotahity. 

In 2012 he got fellowship in Artist-in-Residency at KCAC, 

Patan Museum and received “Sitashree Talent Award” from 

Pant Memorial Trust in 2007. His works have been exhibited 

in the show “Artists from Roof of The World, Contemporary 

Work from Nepal at Rosl Gallery in London and “Namaste 

Nepal- Contemporary Artist Voices, in Philadelphia USA. He 

is involved in activities of LASANAA- an alternative art space 

and with Artree Nepal. 


SPACES 

Photo 

Contest 

P 

hotography is a portrayal of a 

vision, an imagination or simply 

one’s perspective in seeing 

the word. It has been the best way to 

express one’s vision & imagination with 

something tangible, in a way that taps 

into the viewers’ emotions. 

SPACES, a magazine that provides its 

readers with articles on the meaning and 

way of life, believes that photography 

has always been successful in touching 

the hearts & souls of any human 

being. Considering the importance of 

photography, SPACES accepted to bear 

the responsibility to establish a path 

for new and upcoming photographers 

through a monthly photo contest called 

“SPACES Photo Contest”. SPACES 

believe that this contest will motivate 

amateur photographers to work with 

more devotion and encourage them to 

develop and expand their photography 

skills. The competition that started in 

July 2015, has successfully completed 

two sessions and introduced two 

new talented faces into the world of 

photography. 

SPACES Photo Contest July 2015 (Subha Gopal Naychhyon) 

SPACES Photo Contest August 2015 (Lajana Shrestha) 

Please share your short introduction and 

your experience with the SPACES Photo 

Contest. 

I’m from Hetauda, Makwanpur and I work 

as an administrative officer in a reputed 

company. Photography is my passion. I 

knew about the SPACES photo contest 

via Facebook so I decided to submit my 

photos in and I was pleasantly surprised 

when I found out I had won! It really feels 

special to be the winner of the contest and 

I must say it has inspired and motivated 

me to continue to develop my skills in 

photography. I would like to thank the 

SPACES Magazine for this incredible 

opportunity. I believe that competition such 

as this should be held more often. 

What factors that motivated you to pursue 

photography? 

Pictures, pictures and more pictures. I 

used to look at the photos from National 

Geographic, Photo Society, Times 

Magazine and wonder when I would be 

capable of taking photos that would be 

worth publishing. The thought of one day 

having my pictures published in the one 

of the aforementioned magazines is what 

mostly motivated me. 

How are you feeling being a winner of 

SPACES Photo Contest? 

One word, Awesome! 

A brief interview with Lajana Shrestha 


connects 

29 Aditya Hardware Enterprises 

Bluestar Complex, Room # 522, Thapathali 

Ph: 9851007818 

sanjay_kyal@yahoo.com 

25 Asian Paints 

Balkumari, Lalitpur 

ccm@asianpaints.com.np 

Ph: 977-1-5203045 

www.asianpaintsnepal.com.np 

35 Agni Enterprises 

Kupondole, Lalitpur 

Ph: 977-1-5529526 

info.agnienterprises@gmail.com 

adhikari.agni@gmail.com 

www.agni.com.np 

29/35 ATC Pvt. Ltd. 

336/21, Ganesh Man Singh Path-2, Teku Road 

Ph: 977-1-4262220 

info@atc.com.np 

84 Berger Jenson & Nicholson (Nepal) Pvt. Ltd. 

Berger House - 492, Tinkune, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4466038 

info@bergernepal.com 

www.bergernepal.com 

3 Furniture Land 

Blue Star Complex 

Tripureshwor, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4224797 

sales@furnitureland.com.np 

www.furnitureland.com.np 

2 JK White Cement 

14 Kuleshwor, NayaBasti, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-9851050650 

prashant.chaturvedi@jkcement.com 

www.jkcement.com 

59 MD Furniture 

Maharajgunj (Opp. U.S. Embassy, Nabil 

Bank Building, 2nd Floor) 

Ph: 977-1-4721484 

mdfurniture@snet.com.np 

www.mdfurniturenepal.com 

22 Nagrik - Nepal Republic Media Pvt. Ltd. 

JDA Complex, Bagh Durbar 

Ph: 977-1-4265100 / 4261808 

circulation@nagariknews.com 

31 Skylight Pvt. Ltd. 

Naxal (Opp to Police HQ), Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4423851 

info@skylight.com.np 

www.skylight.com.np 

4 SubisuCablenet Pvt. Ltd. 

148 ThirbumSadak, Baluwatar 

Ph: 977-1-4429616 

info@subisu.net.np 

www.subisu.net.np 

13 Technical Associates Services Pvt. Ltd. 

Thapathali, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4219999 

sktulshyan@gmail.com 

www.tas.com.np 

66 Worldlink Communication Pvt. Ltd. 

Jawalakhel, Lalitpur 

Ph: 977-1-5523050 

sales@wlink.com.np 

www.worldlink.com.np 

45 Red Paper Designers 

Lampati-14,Kalanki, Kathmandu 

Contact No. 9843376000,9813900416 

Idsushovit2015@gmail.com 

www.facebook.com/redpaperdesigners 

83 Fotohollywood 

Classic Complex,Kamaladi, Kathmandu 

Contact No. +977 1 2004774 

info@fotohollywood.com.np 

fotohollywood123@gmail.com 

www.fotohollywood.com.np 

9 Home Furnishers 

Tripureshwor, Kathmandu 

Ph: 4254601 

bath@wlink.com.np 

67 Triveni Byapar Co. Pvt. Ltd. 

Putalisadak, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4242317 

info@trivenitrade.com 

32-34 Jagdamba Cement 

Neupane Tower, 6th Floor 

Tinkune, Kathmandu 

Ph: 977-1-4111500 

jcement@wlink.com.np 

5 Evershine Marketing Nepal (P) Ltd. 

Kalanki, Kathmandu 

Contact No. 01-4037260 

evershinenepal1@gmail.com 

www.evershineworld.com 


Open 

Spaces 

The School of Creative Communications is a unique 

blend of creativity and communication. We provide 

a platform for those who dream of nurturing one’s 

creativity through communication. We offer training 

programs on art, photography, writing and languages. 

We have been conducting SCC Explore Photography 

workshops since its establishment in 2009. We have 

been organizing SCC Blue Bag, a sharing program with 

scholar once a month. It is located at Kupondol, Lalitpur, 

Nepal. (Link road to Bagmati River) 

www.scc.org.np 

facebook.com/scc.kathmandu 

The photo was taken at 

Swoyambhu Maha Chaitya. 

An eye of peace and harmony. 

THE PHOTOGRAPHER 

Madhu Krishna Shrestha is engaged in marketing in a 

business organization. For him, Photography is one of 

the addictions which make him keep on clicking every 

time he is out with his camera. He is a SCC alumnus.

SPACES_16Feb_016_A

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