The
recently restored Newa Chen (otherwise known as
Shrestha House), has now added an art gallery on its
premises. The Newa Chen Gallery, as it is called,
exhibited artist Manish Lal Shrestha’a works in
January 2007, and a press meet was organized on the
24th of the same month to inform about the same.
Located at Kulhima, Kobahal, of Lalitpur, Newa Chen
is just a five minute walk away from the Durbar
Square towards Baglamukhi Temple. The art gallery
will not only serve as one more place to hold art
exhibitions, even if in a setting different from the
mode, it will also be useful in making more people
more aware about restoration of traditional
architecture as exemplified by Newa Chen itself.
UNESCO NEWS
CULTURAL PORTRAIT HANDBOOKS
The
handbooks include photographs and practical maps, as
well as informative texts concerning the varied
architecture, craftsmanship, festivals and way of
life of the valley’s inhabitants. Through linking
tangible heritage to the living and historic
experiences of people at these sites, the handbooks
portray the unique realities that make these sites
so precious. The Cultural Portrait Handbooks were
prepared as one of several projects under an
awareness raising campaign, funded by the National
Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ).
This programme was designed to promote World
Heritage issues to different groups of people
involved in their preservation through various
channels of communication. Accordingly, the newly
produced handbooks highlight for both local and
international visitors, the incredible heritage of
the Kathmandu Valley and the importance of its
preservation, while also serving as a useful guide
with which to deepen ones understanding and
enjoyment of the sites. Besides promoting heritage
conservation, the handbooks support an integrated
approach to tourism within the Kathmandu Valley,
encouraging visitors to go beyond the main squares
and to experience the cultural heritage of the
valley in its entirety.
