Reconstruction of heritage in Bhaktapur, Nepal: examining tensions and negotiations between the “local” and the “global”
Disaster Prevention and Management
ISSN: 0965-3562
Article publication date: 30 November 2021
Issue publication date: 22 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Cultural heritage, specifically built heritage – including monuments, urban ensembles, religious and palatial complexes – has emerged as a central focus of tensions and negotiations within the post-disaster recovery landscape in Nepal following the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. This not only reflects a growing recognition of heritage within international disaster risk management frameworks, but also responds to the critical role played by heritage at national, regional and local levels. The paper aims to examine the entangled realities of “local” and “global” operating in ongoing reconstruction of built heritage in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is an account of reconstruction practices observed in Bhaktapur between 2018 and 2020. It is based on data collected by layering ethnographic methods with textual and historical analysis. In seeking to analyse manifestations of global and local, the author presents reflections from fieldwork carried over seven months in Bhaktapur and describes the micro-politics enacted out between researcher, heritage custodians, translators, intermediaries and participants.
Findings
Reconstruction of built heritage in Bhaktapur negotiates between developmentalist-paradigms of post-disaster recovery, heritage conservation discourses as well as religious and quotidian practices of care. It is simultaneously informed by global institutions and policy and local politics and aspirations that operate in constant tension and negotiation.
Originality/value
The current study responds to the call for reframing research agendas and practices set out in the Disaster Studies Manifesto by critically engaging with ideas of local and global. The study builds on the growing body of research linking heritage with disaster risk management.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The article would not be possible without the assistance of Sahana Chitrakar, Samriddhi Prajapati and Suyog Prajapati, who were the author's gatekeepers and translators in Bhaktapur as well as the participants who gave their valuable time and insights. The author's doctoral supervisors Hayley Saul, Emma Waterton and Denis Byrne helped refine the arguments presented in the paper. A special thanks to Ksenia Chmutina, who offered constructive feedback across multiple drafts and to Kamal B Mahat with whom the author had a spirited exchange of ideas. The paper benefited tremendously from the comments and feedback of two anonymous reviewers.
Funding: This research has been supported by the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (2018-2021).
Citation
Arora, V. (2022), "Reconstruction of heritage in Bhaktapur, Nepal: examining tensions and negotiations between the “local” and the “global”", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-03-2021-0093
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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