What does Heritage Loss mean for us?
An elderly woman walks through her home, a brass plate in hand, carrying the sacred offering of tika, abhir, chamal. She begins her daily devotion to the pikhalakhu day right from her home. As she visits shrine after shrine, her face glows with a radiant energy fueled by her faith and devotion passed down through generations.
Then, one day, everything changes.
She enters the same shrine she visited yesterday, only to find the deity missing, lost or stolen. Her heart breaks. She stands in silence, unable to act and call for help. There are no words, only her helplessness and sadness. She stumbles to believe that such a sacred presence could simply be taken. What was once a place of devotion now feels hollow, echoing with loss.
Yes, this deity represents her living heritage and ours. The loss of this heritage challenges our belief system, reminding us that these deities are not mere art objects in shrines but vital to our daily rituals and identity.
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The booklet is dedicated to the Lost Arts of Nepal: In honour of a selfless commitment to illuminating Nepal’s Stolen Heritage through the voice of remembrance, justice and cultural revival. It is released digitally during the International Conference on Recovery of Heritage on June 18, 2025, at Yalamaya Kendra.