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Lists and why we love them
| FROM ISSUE # 122 (February 2006) | IN THIS ISSUE | |||
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You have a million things to do and you can't work out which is the most important, so you make a list. The idea of creating lists of important things is not new. The ancient Greeks ranked the Seven Wonders of the World as: The Pyramids of Egypt, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, The Colossus of Rhodes, and The Pharos of Alexandria. 
The ancient Greeks considered these seven sites to be the best examples of cultural monuments in the Mediterranean world, yet they STILL failed to protect them. Only the Pyramids remain standing: the other six have almost completely faded away, leaving faint archaeological traces.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) World Heritage List includes cultural and natural heritage sites from all over the world, and most importantly, the World Heritage Convention provides a legal tool for their protection. This precious legislation will protect both natural and cultural sites that are nominated and accepted onto the list, long into the future. Of the 812 World Heritage Sites, four are located in Nepal. We can call them our 'Four Wonders of Nepal': The Sagarmatha National Park (Natural Site), Royal Chitwan National Park (Natural Site), Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha, and The Kathmandu Valley.
The World Heritage List recognises the link between culture and its environment. Think how much your environment influences you, how you feel 'Nepali' because of where you have grown up or because of the festivals your parents took you to, and that you now enjoy. All these places and experiences are amazing not because of the temples and wildlife but because of the everyday traditions, architecture, festivals and people that make them unique. Next time you have a free afternoon, walk to your nearest Kathmandu Valley Monument Zone and ask yourself why it is worth protecting. www.unesco.org
Along the banks of Bagmati
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Bagmati, the holy river that originates from Shivapuri, is in a state of deterioration due to organic wastes, plastic, metal, and glass. First on our agenda was the Chintamani Lokeswar temple, where Hindus and Buddhists worship. We reached Laxmeswor Mahadev temple built in the 18th Century by Chandra Shumsher. A team of Japanese experts visited the site to learn the Nepali way of farming. As heritage expert, Anil Chitrakar told us, their report stated, "There is nothing Nepal has to learn from Japan." We went to Pachali Bhairab and Teen Deewal temple, built in the 1850s. Huts, tents, and playgrounds surrounded them. Only a few years ago, Teen Deewal was the bank of Bagmati itself. At Jogi Akhada, we talked of different things: sages and Shivaratri to marijuana and alcohol. Thus the fifth episode ended, with us learning more about preservation and heritage promotion.
DIPIKA SHERSTHA