Inside the effort to digitise and translate centuries-old Newa manuscripts

As manuscripts face threats from disaster and neglect, youth volunteers and heritage experts are working together to revive Nepal’s historical scripts.

Nepal is home to an estimated 180,000 manuscripts . Only around a quarter of these manuscripts are housed in public institutions such as the National Archives. The rest remain with local custodians who have safeguarded them for generations. They include religious and philosophical texts, narrative and devotional literature, ritual manuals and bhajan manuscripts that continue to shape living Newa traditions.