Historic Jyeshtha Varna Mahavihar in Lalitpur Receives UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Merit

Lalitpur. The historic Jyeshtha Varna Mahavihar in Lalitpur, reconstructed with the grant assistance of the Government of India, has received the 'Award of Merit' under the prestigious 2025 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Conservation Award. The award was handed over in a special ceremony organized on the Mahavihar premises. The UNESCO Representative to Nepal, Yaco Du Toi, handed over the metal plaque and official certificate to the Jyeshtha Varna Mahavihar Consumer Committee in the presence of Lalitpur Metropolitan City Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Dr. Rakesh Pandey. Members of the local community, representatives from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), heritage conservationists, and government officials from Nepal participated in the event. The Mahavihar was conserved at a cost of 137.8 million rupees under the Government of India's post-earthquake reconstruction grant in Nepal's cultural heritage sector. For the reconstruction, the Government of India appointed 'INTACH' of India as the project management consultant to provide technical expertise. INTACH worked in coordination with the Central Project Implementation Unit of the Government of Nepal and the local community. The inauguration of this project was jointly done by the Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, and the then Minister of Urban Development, Dhan Bahadur Buda, on April 12, 2024. UNESCO has presented this award for the exemplary community-centric approach of this conservation project, successfully balancing the conservation of complex historical Newari woodwork and traditional architecture with modern seismic safety reinforcement. During the conservation process, the vibrant heritage, daily rituals, and cultural practices of the Newar Buddhist community continued to operate without any disruption. The Government of India had committed aid worth 1 billion US dollars to assist in the reconstruction after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Under this, 50,000 private houses, 70 schools, one library, 122 health facilities, and 17 cultural heritage sites have been reconstructed and handed over to the Government of Nepal so far. Currently, 14 more schools, 11 health facilities, and 13 cultural heritage projects are in various stages of reconstruction. The Government of India is supporting the conservation and restoration of 30 cultural heritage projects in 8 districts of Nepal (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Dhading, and Gorkha). This includes notable heritage sites such as the Seto Machindranath Temple in Kathmandu, Kumari Ghar and Jyeshtha Varna Mahavihar in Lalitpur, Jangam Math in Bhaktapur, and Tarkaghyang Monastery in Sindhupalchok. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy, Dr. Rakesh Pandey, congratulated the stakeholders and stated that the success of the Jyeshtha Varna Mahavihar project clearly demonstrates the deep cultural and historical relationship between India and Nepal. He reiterated that the Government of India remains committed to partnering with Nepal in the conservation of shared cultural identity. Similarly, Lalitpur Metropolitan City Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan discussed the role of the Government of India in the conservation of Jyeshtha Varna Mahavihar, stating that it reflects a strong India-Nepal development partnership. He expressed gratitude to the Government of India for providing financial assistance for the restoration of other heritage sites in Lalitpur. Representatives of the Jyeshtha Varna Mahavihar Consumer Committee also expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India for providing timely financial and technical assistance, noting that the restored Mahavihar stands as a proud symbol of community resilience and bilateral friendship.