A First Glance at Cultural Heritages in Nepal

Let me first define what cultural heritages are. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has rightly called it "creative genius of the humankind."1 To add to this further, the heritages as I see are any invaluable tangible or intangible assets inherited today as a result of the grandeur and magnificence of the knowledge and lifestyle of many generations from distant (maybe unknown) past as they learn their livelihoods.

As in many other parts of the world, Nepal too has maintained many of such heritages, which are far beyond documented (as of this day the post is made). UNESCO identifies following tangible cultural heritages in Nepal, into the UNESCO World Heritage Site List, viz.

1. Kathmandu Durbar Square


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2. Patan Durbar Square


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3. Bhaktapur Durbar Square


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4. Changu Narayan Temple, Bhaktapur


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5. Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu


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6. Swoyambhu Stupa, Kathmandu


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7. Bouddha Stupa, Kathmandu


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8. Lumbini (Birthplace of Lord Siddhartha Gautam Buddha)


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I will be posting more of these heritages sites in my later posts, so please do watch out and support by your constructive remarks as well.

In addition, a lot of intangible heritages can be identified in Nepal. This is further enriched by the presence of numerous ethnic groups in Nepal. My focus in this blog shall also be in the intangible aspects of our Nepalese cultural life, and often a combination of both of the tangible and intangible aspects.

Look forward for cultural blogging.

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1. op.cit. Joshi, Satyamohan at National Stakeholder's Workshop 2013. Lalitpur, Nepal. Organized by Worldview Nepal.
* All maps courtesy of Google Maps.