Costly Cultural Dabalis become useless

By Our Correspondent,Tansen, Oct. 6: A Cultural Dabali (open-air theater), built at a cost of over Rs. 10 million, has now become useless. Completed three years ago, the Cultural Dabalis in Kailashnagar of Tansen and Tinahu of Nuwakot have not been able to operate.

A total of Rs. 16.6 million was invested to build the cultural dabalies located in Kailashnagar and Tinahu. More than Rs. 10 million worth of physical structures have now become useless and dilapidated due to neglect by the provincial government and local authorities.

The Tansen Dabali was handed over to Tansen Municipality on March 3, 2025. Although the municipality was given the responsibility to operate the Dabali, no programmes have been performed here in the past seven months.

Even though a committee was formed to operate the Dabali, the municipality stated that due to a lack of budget, it has not been able to operate it.

The purpose of constructing the Dabali was to entertain tourists visiting Tansen, Palpa, by showcasing the cultures of various local communities. Local residents have become disappointed as the Dabali has not been functional.

Mahendra Khati, a local resident, said that Tansen Municipality should immediately start operating the Cultural Dabali. The dance area, tea-making house, and the house for security personnel have now fallen into a dilapidated condition.

Bharat Prasad Acharya, an officer of Tansen Municipality, said that a committee has been formed for the operation of the cultural stage and internal discussions have been conducted, but no final decision has been made.

Similarly, the Dabali completed in Ward No. 2 of Tinahu Rural Municipality, Nuwakot, has also been neglected for three years.

The Dabali was constructed to attract tourists from places like Bhairahawa, Butwal, and Kapilvastu to escape the summer heat.

Rajesh Shrestha, a local resident, stated that the structure has weakened because it has not been operational for three years.

Prem Shrestha, Chairperson of Tinahu Rural Municipality, said that although the municipality requested to operate the Cultural Dabali, the provincial government delayed handing it over.

He further stated that it was only after one and a half years of submitting the application to operate the Dabali that the provincial government made a decision. Only two months ago, Lumbini Province decided to hand over the Dabali to Tinahu Rural Municipality. However, the handover process has not yet been completed.