KATHMANDU, Jan 21: The local government’s initiative to list Panauti, a historical, religious, cultural and archaeological city of Kavrepalanchowk, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, has reached its final stage.

Panauti Municipality had initiated the process to get the city listed in the World Heritage Site since 2052 BS, but the work could not proceed due to various reasons. However, preparations have been expedited lately to list Panauti in the World Heritage at the initiative of the local government.

Ram Sharan Bhandari, Mayor of Panauti Municipality, said that the Panauti area was declared a monument area in 2058 BS. However, the initiative to list it in the World Heritage List has not been successful yet because of reconstruction with the help of the French government.

Bhandari said that the municipality is currently making final preparations to have Panauti listed in the World Heritage Site.

He said that the city has fulfilled most of the criteria set by UNESCO and preparations are now underway to fulfill the remaining criteria and send them to UNESCO through the Department of Archaeology.

Mayor Bhandari said that the municipality is now creating a management plan for conservation. The city will make a formal request to UNESCO through the Department after making the management plan.

Bhandari added that the management plan will be prepared within the next two months. 

The mayor added that they are having some problems with the initiative due to lack of relevant laws.

According to the mayor, there is a need for a collective thinking that cultural heritages are the common property of all.

Similarly, Purushottam Karmacharya, president of Panauti Tourism Development Center, said that Panauti is a city of heritage with historical and archaeological significance.

He said that Panauti has 42 tangible assets within one kilometer area. He said that this city is an open museum as there are more than 70 tangible and intangible heritages in Panauti alone. 

Legend has it that the King of Heaven and Gods, Indra, visited Panauti to free himself from a curse and succeeded after observing a penance. The famous Makar Mela, which is held once in every 12 years, is held in Panauti along with many other cultural festivals, said Karmacharya.

Similarly, Ramesh Prasad Jangam, priest of Indreshwar Mahadev Temple in Panauti, stressed that Panauti city should be listed in the World Heritage Site as it is a very ancient city.

He said that more than 80 modern properties in the city should be built in the old style. Jangam said that it is necessary to make the locals aware about this. According to him, 90 percent of the tourists visiting Panauti are from France.

According to the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 2031 BS, the government has already declared Panauti as a 'monument area' in 2058 BS. In 2052 BS, UNESCO's Nepal-based body proposed to list Panauti as a world heritage site as a medieval architectural area.

 
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