"In Search of Shambhala" art exhibition at Russian House
"In Search of Shambhala" an art exhibition by celebrated Russian artist Natalia Zaitseva-Borisova is underway at Russian House in Kathmandu.
The event was inaugurated by Alina Novikova, spouse of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Nepal, who lit the traditional panas to commence the exhibition.
Natalia Zaitseva-Borisova is an internationally acclaimed artist renowned for her works in the orientalist style, drawing inspiration from legendary Russian painters Vasily Vereshchagin and Nicholas Roerich.
With over 35 personal exhibitions worldwide, her work is praised for its ability to capture the essence of cultural heritage and natural beauty.
The exhibition features 24 captivating paintings created over several years, reflecting Natalia's extensive travels and her profound connection with Nepal and India since 2006.
Through her art, she brings to life the majestic landscapes of the Himalayas, intricate architecture, and the vibrant culture of the region.
This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Alexander Mikhailovich Kadakin, a distinguished Russian diplomat and former Ambassador to Nepal, India, and Sweden.
A great admirer of Natalia’s work, Kadakin played a pivotal role in supporting her artistic endeavors in South Asia.
Organized in collaboration with the Russian House, the event attracted prominent dignitaries, cultural figures, and art enthusiasts.
It stands as a celebration of the enduring cultural ties between Russia and Nepal and showcases the artist’s remarkable artistic journey.
The exhibition "In Search of Shambhala" will remain open for public viewing at the Russian House, Kathmandu.
Govt expedites reconstruction of quake-damaged cultural heritages
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has made notable strides in conservation and reconstruction of cultural heritages damaged by earthquake in 2015 and 2023.
The Ministry had set a target to carry out reconstruction of 25 such cultural heritages within the current fiscal year 2024/25.
By the middle of the fiscal year (mid-January), 27 such heritages have been successfully rebuilt and preserved, surpassing its target.
Progress relating to reconstruction of cultural heritages was, however, slower in the last fiscal year with 13 out of 24 planned stupas were completed across Dhading, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha districts.
This year, the Ministry attained an impressive progress in cultural heritages preservation efforts.
Joint-Secretary Ramkrishna Lamichhane informed that 20 heritage conservation works were scheduled for fiscal year 2023/24, a total of 40 have been completed so far.
Joint-Secretary Lamichhane further said that the Ministry has developed a concept paper for building eco-hill stations and establishing tourism spots in hilltops and thus has taken forward location selection process.
The Ministry has monitored three airlines companies to ensure compliance of safety standards.
Similarly, out of 50,000 pages that were to be collected, cataloged and preserved using chemicals, 10,000 pages have been collected and cataloged and preserved.
In a continuation of conservation work of heritage sites at Simraunagadh area in Bara district, the Ministry said that a notice of bidding has been published and evaluated and mandate has been given.
Also, the expansion of road network till eastern side of Bihar area in Bihar State of India under the Lumbini Master Plan recorded 68 per cent progress in the current fiscal year while electrification, road construction works at the cultural centre under the Lumbini Masterplan have been completed by 84 per cent till date, the Ministry added.
Schools closed due to cold in Nepalgunj
A three-day holiday has been declared in community and institutional schools in Nepalgunj due to the increasing cold.
The schools will be closed from today till January 24, said Gorkha Bahadur Thapa, Head of the Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City's Education, Youth and Sports Division.
He said this holiday has been given due to the excessive cold condition and it would be adjusted from the monsoon holidays.
It is difficult to run classes in schools due to the cold wave.
According to him, parents had also been informally requesting the schools and the local government for giving holiday in view of the excessive cold weather.
Sagarmatha Sambaad beckons. Will the world come?
In order to draw the attention of the international community toward the adverse impact of climate change in the Himalayas, Nepal has decided to organize Sagarmatha Sambaad, a global dialogue, on May 16-18 in Kathmandu.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli made this announcement at a special function organized in Singhadurbar in the presence of Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba and other high-level government officials. According to officials, the government plans to organize Sagarmatha Sambaad every two years to highlight key issues facing the country.
The theme for this year’s dialogue is ‘Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity’ and PM Oli has requested the international community to take part in the dialogue. Nepal plans to invite high-level government officials, representatives from multilateral organizations and other climate stakeholders for the dialogue.
Over the years, Nepal has tried to draw the attention of the international community toward the adverse impact of climate change on her Himalayas and beyond, with little success.
Nepal’s snow-capped mountains have shed a considerable mass of ice due to global warming, adversely impacting biodiversity, local communities, livelihoods and accentuating risks of water supply disruptions. The dialogue was initially planned in 2019 when KP Oli was in power, only to be postponed at the 11th hour due to the covid-19 pandemic. Successive governments after 2019 did not take any initiative to organize such a dialogue.
This dialogue, if it materializes, will be the first global dialogue with Nepal as the host at a time when countries across the world are organizing their own dialogues to raise their agendas in the global arena.
According to government officials, it is a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum committed to deliberating on the most prominent issues of global, regional and national significance. The dialogue is named after the world's tallest mountain Sagarmatha (Mt Everest), which is a symbol of friendship and is meant to promote the notions of common good and collective well-being of humanity, which relies heavily on freshwater sources like Sagarmatha and other Himalayas for survival.
