Dhaka topi sales affected by COVID-19 pandemic

Demand for Dhaka fabric usually increases during Dashain and Tihar festival and wedding season. But the business of Dhaka has been badly affected this Tihar because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, sales of traditional Nepali Topis used to be high with the arrival of Dashain and Tihar. But this year, most Dhaka Topi traders are spending their time waiting for customers. Dhaka Topi is one of the major items sisters buy as a present to their brothers for Bhai Tika day. Purbeli Dhaka Topi Fabric...

NAST-developed robot Yantrika draws wider interest

Demand for the highly advanced visitors’ service robot “Yantrika” developed by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) has increased both in the national and international markets. Yantrika 0.1 is the beta-version of the first-ever autonomous humanoid robot recently developed by NAST. NAST has developed the highly advanced visitor’s service robot for the first time in Nepal.

People set to avoid Tika visits this Dashain

Ganga Khanal, a resident of Kusunti, Lalitpur has asked all her relatives to not visit her home for ‘Tika’ this year. In the current unfavourable situation, health and safety are more important than celebrations. There is an ubiquitous fear of the pandemic. “Staying home and celebrating Dashain with family members is safer than visiting relatives,” Khanal, who lives with her husband and a young son, said. “I love to invite relatives and have gatherings at every big and small festival....

COVID-19 may curtail animal sacrifice in Dashain

The festival of Dashain is around the corner. During the festival, people offer worship to deities by visiting temples. However, this time all temples have remained closed since March 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first time that temples have remained closed for such a long time -- seven months. People are eagerly waiting for re-opening of temples. But owing to the alarming situation of coronavirus cases in the Kathmandu Valley and beyond, they are not likely to re-open even in Dashain. As...

Heritage reconstruction moving steadily

Reconstruction works of the cultural heritage, monuments, religious places, which were damaged in the 2015 earthquake, are moving at a steady pace. Gorkha earthquake had damaged 753 heritages across the country, of which 444 have been completed so far, historic Ranipokhari being one of them. Monuments, including World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley are under reconstruction.

Migratory birds get favourable environment amid the pandemic

The global COVID-19 pandemic has positive effects on migratory birds, as their activities are less disturbed due to sharp decrease in the movements of people and vehicles amid lockdowns and other restrictions. The limited movement of people means birds are less under human disturbance. Some rare migratory birds have been spotted in the Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the nation in recent weeks, said Hem Sagar Baral, a noted ornithologist of Nepal. In between the lockdowns in Nepal, some rare...

Heritage lovers restoring neglected hitis and falchas

Shreena Prajapati, 21, of Kamal Binayak, Bhaktapur has been actively working to conserve the heritages. She was busy cleaning and restoring hitis and falchas last month. She is one of the heritage lovers who joined the heritage campaign a couple of weeks ago. Some group of youths left with free time after the government imposed the prohibitory order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus are using it in heritage conservation by cleaning and restoring of hitis and falchas (rest houses). The...

NAST developing advanced visitor service robot

Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) has developed a highly advanced visitor’s service robot. The robot developed by engineer Roshan Pandey, faculty of technology of NAST along with technical experts called Innovative Group, is the first of its kind ever built in Nepal. “We are now developing the highly advanced robot in human shape (Lady Robot),” said Pandey. He further informed that the robot is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) with deep machine learning methods. It can...

Half sanitisers in market ineffective to kill virus

Nearly 45 per cent of 21 hand sanitisers tested in Kathmandu are completely ineffective to kill any virus, revealed a microbiology study conducted by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). Two microbiologists of NAST, Dr. Tista Prasai Joshi and Samikshya Kadel, carried out a month-long study, which showed that 45 per cent hand sanitisers were ineffective to kill even normal germs. Only 55 per cent hand sanitisers are effective against the virus, the report said.

Colourful Indrajatra ends up as a low key ritual due to COVID-19

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has cast its shadow on the celebration of Indrajatra, one of the most exciting and revered festivals of Newar community of Kathmandu, this year. Regarded as the hub of festivals and celebrations of the Newar community, Hanumandhoka and Indrachwok have witnessed negligible turnout of devotees this year amid the fear of coronavirus. Every year on the day of Indrajatra the city usually would have the streets abuzz with people, chariot processions, masked dances, religious...