By Laxman Paudel
Bhairahawa, April 1 : Experts have urged authorities to protect Lumbini’s heritage.
A three-day workshop of international heritage scholars concluded in Lumbini on Wednesday by calling on all three levels of government as well as the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) to protect the area’s monuments. They stated that the preservation of Lumbini’s heritage would make the birthplace of Gautam Buddha the best sanctuary of peace in the world and at the same time, warned that its damage and destruction would threaten the very existence of the World Heritage Site.

The workshop was organised to support the efforts being made to excavate and conserve the heritage of the Greater Lumbini Area (GLA), which includes Lumbini, Tilaurakot and Ramgram and develop the region’s tourism.

At the workshop, a panel of 15 foreign experts from the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Myanmar, Australia and Thailand, along with 25 Nepalis, working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and other organisations active in the field of archaeology reviewed heritage conservation activities carried out at Lumbini over the past year and outlined various areas for improvement.

They have suggested the concerned bodies to involve the locals in conservation works and prepare an integrated plan for the study and research of GLA.
Gyanin Rai, senior administrative officer at LDT, said that the suggestions were made to get Tilaurakot, the capital of the ancient Shakya Kingdom, included in the World Heritage List by 2024. Similarly, the workshop concluded the need to develop the area in line with international archaeological and conservation principles, he said.

The experts, LDT officials and local stakeholders formed four groups focusing on archaeology, sustainable development, tourism and environment and held discussions.
The workshop participants also expressed concern about the activities being carried out at Lumbini, particularly the construction of the new 5,000-seater hall and the road and structures currently being built within the GLA perimeter, and sought to learn if they were in accordance with the masterplan or not. They also observed the ongoing excavations at Chetradei, Kapilvastu and visited the Tilaurakot museum.

The first secretaries of the embassies of India, Sri Lanka and Thailand in Nepal also attended the workshop, as did representatives from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Oriental Cultural Heritage Sites Protection Alliance (OCHSPA).