Speaker: Shobhit Shakya

Research Fellow, Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance, TalTech Estonia 

Awareness of the concept of heritage has increased among the Newars, largely since the earthquake of 2015. Newar activists in Nepal and abroad have engaged in a “heritage movement” that has significantly impacted the rebuilding of historical monuments – not just those destroyed by the earthquake but also those encroached upon by people or the state long before. Additionally, this movement has facilitated the repatriation of heritage artefacts that were stolen and ended up in foreign museums. Newars have increasingly embraced the conservation of their intangible heritage as well. There is a noticeable rise in the number of people, particularly the younger generation, learning traditional art forms and participating in cultural activities. Meanwhile, traditional elements have become more integrated into popular culture. These recent developments testify to the growing “heritage” mentality among the Newars, which has facilitated the resurgence of their culture’s centrality as part of Nepali identity—a status that diminished decades ago due to the Rana and Panchayat era policies. However, much of the Newar adoption of heritage narratives reflects the dominant global discourse in heritage conservation, which sometimes lacks local nuances. If heritage is defined as “our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations”- which are, according to UNESCO, “irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration”- the legacy of the Newars and their current experiences should be far more nuanced than what is apparent. The extraordinary monuments listed as World Heritage sites are the product of historical governance capacities and policies. The skills, institutions, and sources of ingenuity that enabled the creation of these remarkable structures form an integral part of heritage, perhaps even more so than the monuments themselves. To pass on something truly significant to future generations, heritage should be perceived through an “ecological approach.” The temporal nature of all human-made objects and the environments in which they exist must be taken into account. At the same time, they should inspire future generations in ways that reflect contemporary realities. Heritage is not about stagnation but rather about progress and adaptability while preserving the knowledge and lessons from the past and looking towards the future.