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Jestha Varna Mahavihar in Lalitpur has received a UNESCO conservation award after its post-earthquake restoration. The honour highlights a community-led rebuilding effort backed by Indian assistance and shared heritage ties.
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Kathmandu,UPDATED: Jul 3, 2026 16:32 IST
A 17th-century Buddhist monastery in Nepal that was damaged in the 2015 earthquake and rebuilt with Indian assistance has received a UNESCO award for conservation. Jestha Varna Mahavihar at Lalitpur was given the recognition under the 2025 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
A metal plaque and an official certificate were handed over on Thursday by Jaco Du Toit, UNESCO Representative in Nepal, to the Jestha Varna Mahavihar User Committee at a ceremony in Lalitpur. The Indian mission in Kathmandu said the monastery was reconstructed with Nepalese rupees 13.78 crore under the Government of India’s post-earthquake reconstruction grant in Nepal’s cultural heritage sector.
The ceremony was attended by Rakesh Pandey, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, and other dignitaries from Nepal. Pandey congratulated the user community and other stakeholders, and said the success of the project reflected the deep-rooted cultural and historical ties between India and Nepal. He also reiterated India’s continued commitment to working with the government and people of Nepal to preserve and restore their shared cultural identity.
The Indian mission said UNESCO had recognised the conservation project for its community-centred approach. It said the work combined modern earthquake safety upgrades with the preservation of traditional architecture and detailed historical Newari woodcarvings.
The rebuilt Jestha Varna Mahavihar was inaugurated on March 22, 2024, by Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava and Nepal’s then Urban Development Minister Dhan Bahadur Budha. The Indian Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage provided technical expertise as the project management consultant, working closely with the Nepal government’s Central Level Project Implementation Unit and the local community.
The award marks international recognition for the reconstruction of Jestha Varna Mahavihar, which was restored after the 2015 earthquake through Indian assistance and in coordination with Nepali authorities and the local community.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 3, 2026 16:32 IST
