Yomari officially listed in intangible cultural heritage

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug.20: The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has officially listed Yomari, a traditional dish of the Newar community, as an intangible cultural heritage.

This recognition follows the efforts of the Newar community in Lalitpur, which was coordinated and facilitated by the Lalitpur Metropolitan City. The Ministry stated that after the Newar community completed all necessary procedures and submitted supporting evidence, Yomari was included in the intangible cultural heritage list based on recommendations from the evaluation and recommendation committee.

According to a call made by the Ministry last year for the listing of intangible assets, approximately 105 applications were received. The Ministry clarified that, due to incomplete procedures for other applications, only Yomari was listed this year.

The Ministry further stated that the application submitted by the Newar community of wards 1 to 29 of Lalitpur Metropolitan City was approved on July 8, following evaluations and recommendations from two committees.

Chiri Babu Maharjan, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the process through an official statement.

In the statement, Mayor Maharjan said, “I would like to thank the Newar community, various groups, and all communities for their tireless efforts and positive thinking, which have made this achievement possible.”

Mayor Maharjan added that the municipality hopes for continued support and cooperation from all to have this intangible cultural heritage recognised on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The Ministry further added that starting this year, efforts have begun to list intangible cultural heritage items to preserve such assets through identification and documentation by the respective communities themselves.

In the Nepali language, ‘Yomari’ means “favoured bread.” Over the past decade, the Newar community’s preparation and consumption of Yomari have gained significant popularity in Kathmandu. According to legend, Yomari was originally made in Panauti, Kavre district.

A farmer couple used rice flour and Chaku (Molasses) at home to prepare a tasty dish for their son-in-law from Kathmandu. He enjoyed it so much that, according to the legend, the Newars began referring to it as “favoured bread.”