It is important to ask whether people really know the importance of the temples and historical buildings, as lately people have been known to turn their backs on the cultural value and have a disregard for the ancient rites and rituals. Luv Shakya, 34, is a craftsman based in Patan. He makes sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist Gods and Goddesses for a living. Though his works largely relates with the Gods, he says that he rarely delves into the stories and myths surrounding them.
"I make sculptures of Gods and Goddesses, but rarely do I have the time to know more about the history of the idols and shrines," he says. He admits that though he makes the idols, which have their own stories and myths surrounding them, he doesn't have a keen interest in knowing more about them. "My father and grandfather were in this profession and not once did they tell me why we do what we do, so my indifference towards it shouldn't be much of a surprise," he says.
In any locality, there are certain myths and folklore that are orally passed down from one generation to another. This is also the idea behind the rituals of the festivals that Kathmandu is famous for. But recently, it seems that there is a break in this oral tradition.
Prajwal Bajracharya, 27, owns a handicraft store in Patan Dhoka. He admits that he was never interested in learning about the myths that his culture consists of, but that he does keep track of the local ritual in the newspapers and any that he finds in the media.
"I sell many artifacts that are very fascinating and wonder about the story behind it. I do ask the elders, but unfortunately, they have never come up with an answer that satisfies me. I ask about the traditional and historical value of an artifact, but because they don't have a satisfying answer, I don't inquire any further. I leave the topic there and forget about it," he says.
But this hasn't stopped him from believing that the old temples that got damaged in the earthquake should be reconstructed. "Of course I think that it's very important for the temples in the old squares, and elsewhere that got damaged in the quake to be reconstructed, but if you ask me the history behind those temples, I wouldn't be able to give you any answers," he says.
However, there are some who keep a keen interest in the history of the temples in their localities. Anil Tuladhar, 25, an architect by profession, is one such person. "I was initially mapping Bungamati as a part of my work. But then, I have always been interested in the local history, as I've heard many myths about the place. So while I did an architectural survey of Bungamati, I also probed my neighbors and locals to tell me what they knew. I collected it all and compiled it," he says.
His survey has made him believe that more people should be aware about the importance of the temples, especially because there is a temple for every house. "People, especially youths, need to know the importance of a temple so that they will be aware of the spirit of the place where they live. I believe that if a place doesn't have spirit, then that's only space. It may sound weird, but I have been researching so much about the temples that it must be true. Else what is the difference between a shopping mall and a temple?" he says.
This is the reason why he has been hoping that they make the Machindranath temple in Bungamati that was completely destroyed in the quake. "Not only Machindranath's temple, I hope that the concerned authorities rebuild the historical buildings as soon as possible," he says.
While Anil is hopeful of the reconstruction phase, he also seems to know the importance of why the temples should be rebuilt. After all, temples are the evidence of the cultural and religious events that would otherwise be dismissed as myths. Knowing these stories and their importance will keep a person in check with their roots.
Amidst all the talk for reconstruction of the fallen structures, Dharma Ratna Shakya, 59, a resident of Patan, is suspicious of the fact that people are interested in why the temples should be rebuilt. "I think they're afraid that the tourism industry will suffer if the temples aren't rebuilt. But that is a totally wrong reason to want the reconstruction. Modern life has made people totally apathetic about the state of such historical monuments. Else, why would the issue come only now, when most of the temples have been destroyed? Every year, I go to many temples, and see their dwindling condition. People aren't even sensitive enough to keep the temples clean, how can you expect them to understand the importance of the steps the government and the concerned departments take now?" he says.
While this is a valid question and makes one guilty of being ignorant of the temples and the history they possess, we can see the people learning about the importance after the disaster. Anil Shakya, who is a wood carver in Bungamati, helped in clearing the debris from the destroyed Machindranath temple. Since the time he's been volunteering for cleaning, he has learnt a lot about the temple.
"I used to come to the temple a lot to hang out with my people, but seeing the sorry state of the temple makes me feel as if I didn't do enough to help conserve it," he says. While he is happy to hear that a foreign government is interested in helping to rebuild the damaged Machindranath temple and two other temples in the premises, he also hopes to do his part in rebuilding.
It is evident that rebuilding the temples is important, but if one knows the history of the important monuments, it will be even better. This is a tough time to start expecting such an interest from the people, as they have the own problems to deal with because of earthquake, nonetheless, it is a great time to at least start being inquisitive about our history.
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