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1. Prince Charles comes to Nepal heritage
rescue
Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne,
opened the doors of his residence wide to help
out Nepal's exquisite yet endangered
architectural heritage, reports India enews
today. The Prince of Wales hosted a charity
luncheon at Clarence House, his London
residence, to launch an international campaign
to restore the Patan royal palace complex in
Kathmandu Valley, a chain of palaces and temples
built by Nepal's Malla kings, who ruled between
12th and 17th century.
The event, attended by 120 guests, including the
creme de la creme of Nepal's society, raised
$170,000 at $800 per plate. The guest list also
included Beatrix Ost, artist and filmmaker, and
her husband Ludwig Kuttner, who have pledged
$100,000.
The restoration project is the initiative of a
New York-based non-profit organisation, the
Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, founded in
1990 by an American architectural historian,
Eduard Sekler, who had first visited the valley
almost three decades before that and fallen in
love with the indigenous architecture. Since its
inception, the trust has been working to restore
over 20 buildings, including Buddhist and Hindu
shrines.
At the luncheon Charles, who had visited Nepal
in 2000 remembered his trip and expressed his
happiness to have been of help in supporting the
restoration work. The trust estimates that it
would cost about $2.3 million over eight years
to restore the remaining structures and extend
the museum at the royal palace complex. A major
grant is expected from the Robert Wilson
Challenge Grant Programme that would provide
matching funds of up to $400,000 for those
raised by the campaign. The luncheon was
followed by a small exhibition-'Selections from
the Nepal Architecture Archive'-that was on view
at Clarence House.
2.
Top Bollywood actress fascinated by Nepali
hospitability
"It's a lovely country with warm and friendly
people", she said just after the inaugural
ceremony. "I will be back soon, it's an
absolutely wonderful country," she remarked.
Urmila Matondkar, the Bollywood's popular
actress was in Kathmandu to open Casino
Shangri-la in the Nepali capital by lighting the
traditional lampoon August 13, 2006. "I would go
back and tell people of India and other artists
to visit this beautiful country," she said when
asked how she would promote tourism in Nepal.
She visited Swoyambhunath, the famous Buddhist
Stupa at the outskirt of Kathmandu and also holy
Hindu Temple Pashupatinath during her three-day
stay.
The newly opened Casino Shangri-la offers
entertainment and glamour besides a variety of
games such as Black Jack, Baccarat, Roulette,
Paplu, Flush.
The travel agencies (SATA) based at
Siddharthanagar are positive to make a visit
plan (package tour) including the Lumbini
village tour. The internal and foreign tourists
are increasing in Khudabagar village tour. A
visitor register is kept to maintain records and
to receive feedback. Several signages are placed
at appropriate places so that use of guides may
not be compulsory for leisure walk in
countryside of the Khudabagar especially in lake
area, Tharu village and museum, banana farm and
handicraft center which is an excellent
opportunity to roam and taste social and natural
attractions nearby Lumbini.
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