Panauti’s world heritage dream remains unfulfilled

By Kedar Timalsina

Kavrepalanchowk, Sept. 8: The early medieval architectural complex of Panauti was put on UNESCO’s tentative lists for World Heritage Sites in 1996. Yet, nearly three decades on, it is still waiting to be inscribed on the official World Heritage List, partially due to a lack of initiation from the federal government.

The then His Majesty’s Government declared the then Panauti Village Development Committee (VDC) as an ‘Ancient Monument Area’ in 1996 and submitted it as a “cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value and therefore suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List” to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as a part of the tentative list. 

The same year, the VDC became part of wards 5, 6 and 7 of the Panauti Municipality and Mayor Saptakaji Buddhacharya took it upon himself to get the ancient Panauti complex enlisted as a World Heritage Site. However, the municipality did little to move the process forward after his term came to an end.

It was only after 2017’s local elections that the newly-elected local government began focusing on Panauti once again. It reinitiated the process to get Panauti declared a world heritage and also made a documentary in collaboration with the Rabindra Puri Foundation to shed light on the historical and cultural significance of the city.

Ram Sharan Bhandari, current mayor of Panauti Municipality, said that the local level was working to meet UNESCO’s standards and put Panauti on the prestigious list. 

Senior Administrative Officer Indra Prasad Adhikari informed that the municipality had forwarded all the necessary documents relating to the city to the Council of Ministers months ago and was waiting for a cabinet decision. “The cabinet has the sole authority to nominate Panauti to UNESCO,” he said.

“Had the government taken the decision and made the nomination to UNESCO, things would have progressed. But because it has not, we are at a standstill,” complained Mayor Bhandari.

However, it must be noted that UNESCO has objected to modern construction in the proposed Panauti complex and has asked the municipality to provide clarification about 28 houses that it considers “particularly objectionable.”

 After a site is declared an ‘Ancient Monument Area,’ individuals and organisations are required to follow strict heritage-friendly standards when constructing and reconstructing buildings. They are not allowed to use concrete and are not allowed to build structures taller than 35 feet. UNESCO claims that this has not been followed in Panauti.

“We acknowledge and share these concerns which is why we have begun making public and private buildings, schools, temples, rest houses and other structures heritage-friendly,” Adhikari said. “We have also been providing incentive money to encourage people in the proposed complex to build houses in line with the monument code,” Bhandari added.