UNESCO, Lalitpur Mayor Discuss Heritage Preservation and Disaster Preparedness

Kathmandu: Jaco du Toit, UNESCO Representative to Nepal, met with Chiri Babu Maharjan, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, to discuss collaborative efforts in cultural preservation and disaster preparedness.

During their meeting, Mayor Maharjan outlined the municipality’s initiatives to safeguard cultural heritage, including post-2015 earthquake rehabilitation work at Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The meeting also explored potential cooperation in disaster risk management and preparedness, safeguarding living heritage, and providing support to practitioners in the Cultural and Creative Industries within Lalitpur.

Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, showcases Newari culture and architecture style with its ornately carved shrines, Buddhist monasteries, the Krishna Temple built entirely of stone, a stone-paved courtyard, and historic temples. While several of its structures were damaged during the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, restoration efforts have since been undertaken to preserve its heritage.