Fear of gods halt Mustang excavation

A research project that was to excavate some areas in Mustang district to look for human remains has been halted due to protests from residents.

The research team has decided to halt the excavation, mapping, photography, and documentation work in Lomanthang for now, says Subhadra Bhattarai, undersecretary at the Department of Archaeology.

The decision comes after a meeting between the officials, local representatives and the residents of the area failed to make headway on the issue, says Bhattarai. The residents believe that their gods will get angry if the area is excavated and for this reason, they don’t want us to continue the project, she adds. The official says whatever materials were recovered from the area have been handed over to the local government and all the dug pits have been refilled.

During the meeting, local residents said that the mound that was being excavated was home to their gods and if the gods became angry, the area could face hailstorms that in turn could damage crops.

A team of local and international experts arrived in Lomanthang earlier this month after receiving the necessary permits from the department, the Ministry of Home Affairs and local police. They dug the area for 10 days.

But the local government representatives say that they weren’t informed about the excavation work.