Inventory of historical monuments to be collected

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, January 18

The Department of Archeology (DoA) is all set to collect the data of historical and archeological monuments, temples, monasteries and cultural sites of 72 among 75 districts first time in its history across the nation by the end of the current fiscal year.

Although the Culture Division (CD) was established 50 years ago to look into preservation, excavation and research of heritages in the country known as temples and diverse culture, the DoA is yet to enrich it with data of its historical monuments and assets. The CD was later incorporated with the ministries in line with culture.

"We are working to collect the data of historical monuments and sites throughout the nation," said Bishnu Raj Karki, Director General of DoA under the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture. "The data of the heritage in the 72 districts excluding three districts in the Kathmandu valley will be collected by mid-July this year," he told this daily.

KATHMANDU: The website--http://www.doa.gov.np/index/about.html-- of MoFACAPAC, which was named as the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in 2000, is yet to be completely updated. The ministry got a new nomenclature--the Ministry of Culture and State Restructuring on August 31, 2008 just after the abolition of monarchy. It was restructured as MoFACAPAC in mid 2009. However, the website still contains the name of MoTCA and 'His Majesty'. The officials expressed ignorance over it. --

The classification of the historical monuments was started in the fiscal year 2007-2008. The classification of 39 districts was already completed in the last two consecutive fiscal years. Only 437 historical monuments, temples and sites in 39 districts of four zones in the country have been recognised through the classification, said Mohan Singh Lama, research officer, DoA.

 Lama said Rs 3.3 million has been allocated for the project. "The census will begin in about a month through the selected bidder," he added. "It will be categorised in three groups based on religious, cultural, historical, artistic and archeological aspects with focused importance on construction material, style, form and cultural value."

There are about 1,300 historical monuments including private buildings in the seven world heritage sites located in the Kathmandu Valley. The DoA authority claimed that they had already collected the data of monuments in the three districts of the valley.

However, the DoA could not furnish the total historical monuments in the three districts of the valley. "We are under process to collect the data," said Bharat Raj Rawat, Division Chief at the Monument Protection Zone, DoA. "The government has neglected this sector," he said.

Jala Krishna Shrestha, spokesperson for the MoFACAPAC, said that it was the responsibility of DoA to keep the up-to-date records. A total budget of some Rs 180 million has been allocated for the DoA in the current fiscal year.

No significant work has been performed in the department, according to Rawat. "The rampant culture of manipulation instead of dedication in performance of the government offices has resulted into poor outcomes," he added.