If such is the case, why then are the cities in the Valley moving away from the trails and traces of paramparik architectural forms and their formalistic features at a dangerously-fast pace? Why haven’t we shown any resentment against the current mode and manner of urbanization that is taking place in our cities? Why haven’t any major political party and their ideologues articulated or shown their concerns about the dwindling architectural heritage of the Valley? Importantly, why haven’t Nepali architects created any ideological force to condition the concerned governmental bodies to launch smarter and culturally-viable architectural urban policies? Why haven’t they realized that they can become probably the most powerful cultural and aesthetic force as there are millions of lovers and friends of traditional architectures of the Valley living in this country and abroad? Why haven’t Nepali architects become ‘political’ professionals so that they remain one of the most important and powerful creative forces of this country? Why haven’t students of performing arts and cultures of the Valley, especially those studying architecture as the subject of academic degree, realized the urgency of creating an intellectual force to secure a safe future for their career as well as architectural arts and cultures of the Valley?
I may sound harsh to several creative architects who have remained keen and dedicated to the making of the best use of traditional Nepali architectures in modern times and contexts. But the reality is that architects in this country have not defined themselves as ‘political’ minds. This is already a great loss to the heritage of art and culture of the Valley.
Most of the recently-built apartment buildings are very indifferent to the traditional architectural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley. They look arrogant and culturally-alien.
At a talk program titled “Restoration of Newari Architecture” organized by the Indian Cultural Center recently, Rabindra Puri, a creative Nepali architect narrated his achievements and the obstacles that he has faced while moving down the difficult terrains of restoring old buildings and temples. Puri, a humble and dedicated creative architect, someone “who combines humanities with aesthetics” in the words of documentary director and journalist Shekhar Kharel, is a trendsetter in the domain of not only constructing houses in traditional Nepali architectural styles but also in restoring old buildings in stronger and dynamic architectural forms. His creative works have given him worldwide recognition as his “Namuna Ghar”, an old dilapidated house now restored in a smart traditional architectural look, was recognized by UNESCO with an award a couple of years ago.
Senior cultural critics and historians of the Valley’s performance arts and cultures hold the view that Puri’s works need to be read in the context of history and heritage of restoring culturally-important houses and spaces once set and nurtured by the German architects especially those who worked in Bhaktapur and Patan in the 1980s and the 1990s. Major part of the Bhaktapur city work went through a process of renovation during the period. Abhi Subedi, a playwright who has written over half a dozen plays about cultural and architectural issues of the Kathmandu Valley, argues that Puri’s works should be considered remarkable especially at a time when the government is pathetically relying on donor nations to conserve and restore culturally- and architecturally-important buildings and spaces. Puri has created a ‘cellular’ force that has given us a hope that the beauty and the meanings associated with the traditional architectural poetics and practices are here to stay.
To the questions put by this scribe on how Nepali cultural policymakers, entrepreneurs and his fellow architects and their organizations have responded to his works, Puri pointed out that the Nepali cultural policymakers, especially the bureaucrats of the present times, have been giving an impression that they have been given the post and position to harass minds and dampen energies involved in this creative yet challenging mission of restoring old buildings and spaces. He further said that none of the banks offered him any loan though he approached them to help him in his project of the famous “Namuna Ghar’. On the occasion, he humbly thanked the Nepali media for recognizing his works and providing remarkable publicity.
Most of the recently-built apartment buildings are very indifferent to the traditional architectural heritage of the Valley. They look arrogant and culturally-alien. It seems as if they have come from a distant land to humiliate the soul and spirit of Nepali paramparik architectural arts of this land. This supports the logic that the businessmen and the bankers working in the Valley of our times are not culturally- and architecturally-educated.
Though I am just a student and researcher of the performance culture of the Valley rather than an architect, I would suggest the architects to feel the urgency of combining their professionalism with humanities and aesthetics that are local and meaningful. They can produce discourses about the urgency of designing and constructing houses, lanes and public spaces in the structures or poetics warranted by the Valley’s paramparik architectures, and circulate them among the architects, politicians and the so-called important people.
To put it in simple words, they need to speak in favor of paramparik Nepali architectures by creating dialectics between it and other forms of architectures that are being practiced these days. They have to convince the politicians, bureaucrats, bankers and real estate wallahs that paramparik architecture needs to be part and parcel of the development efforts, which take place in the cities of the Valley on a daily basis.
Several culturally- and architecturally-important monuments, traditional lanes and streetscapes in the cities reveal that architects were the major fundamental creative powers behind the saga of the prosperity of art and culture of this Valley. Therefore, architects of our times need to evoke that particular history and heritage that their ‘forefathers’ carved out long, long ago in a very powerful and creative manner in the present contexts and times. And, for this, they need to roar like lions sending chills down the spines of those who are deliberately indifferent to and naive about the beauty and importance of paramparik architecture of the Valley.
rijalshiva@gmail.com
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