Panauti’s long quest to be enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage site fills the locals with hopes

In April 2001, the Nepal Gazette declared Panauti a protected monument zone, under the A n cient Monument Preservation Act, 2013 . By doing so the aim was to back Nepal’s proposal, sent in 1996 , to enlist the old Newa town along with landmarks such as the Rosi-Punyamati confluence, the Triveni ghat, Indreshwar Mahadev temple, and Bramhayani Temple, among others as UNESCO World Heritage Site .

“There were 15 proposed sites in total,” says conservationist Rabindra Puri. “But even after two decades, we have not been able to enlist any one of them.”