Home in the valley

Manote Tripathi

The Nation

Nepal's twin traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism have fascinated wave after wave of visitors since 1951, when the country opened its doors. Most travellers come and go, but Briton Lisa Choegyal has made Nepal her home since 1974, entering her new career in eco-tourism with her Tibetan husband and their two sons.

Best known as the author of "Insight Guide South Asia" titles, Choegyal has become an expert in the art and architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. Life there is a matter of daily absorbing the natural and manmade beauty, and she's sharing that in her new book, "Kathmandu Valley Style" from Serindia Publications.

"It wasn't until last year that peace came to Nepal and tourists started coming back. This is the right time to do a book about Nepal," says Choegyal, whose previous release was "Offerings from Nepal".

The new book is a collaboration with two other devotees of Nepali art: Gautam SJB Ranam, an arbiter of Nepali style, and Craig Potton, who took the photographs (and who did special-effects work for "The Lord of the Rings").

After graduating in Europe with a degree in art and architectural history, Choegyal worked for 25 years as a marketing director of Tiger Mountain, Nepal's pioneer adventure-travel agency.

Currently she's a special consultant on in Asia-Pacific sustainable tourism that benefits the poor, is on the board of the Nepal Heritage Society and is a trustee of several conservation organisations. 

Her and Ranam's extensive network of contacts in Kathmandu ensured access to private homes and historic buildings about which nothing had thus far been published.

The book examines more than 40 old and new buildings and shows how various influences were incorporated, including the so-called "traditional" Tibetan Malla Newar and Rana, a mix of the traditional with Victorian British-Indian architecture.

One of the significant developments in style over the past three decades has been the adaptation of traditional Nepali architecture into modern living spaces.

Choegyal sees it as a crucial shift, with Nepal's dynastic formality being absorbed into urban pragmatism. It underscores Nepal's flexibility and openness, she says - quite a change from its past xenophobia.

Nepali xenophobia was so institutionalised that early foreign residents, including the British envoy, were barred from travelling beyond the confines of the Kathmandu Valley.

The hybrid style has always been part of Nepal's cultural life, however, due in large part to Kathmandu's location.

The valley, originally inhabited by the Newar, who were noted for their subtle art and workmanship, is a cultural crossroad between India and Tibet, with pilgrims and traders from the south mingling with travellers from the north.

"Kathmandu Valley is a melange, a kaleidoscope, a mosaic of cultures," Choegyal tells The Nation.

"Travellers used to have to come to Kathmandu by crossing the lowlands in the winter, and they had to wait until summer to be able to cross the mountains."

The era of Malla rule was one of peace and prosperity, and the Newar craftsmen were exposed to the talents of visitors from India, Tibet, China, Mongolia and Central Asia.

In the mid-19th century Rana royalty imported the style of white stucco palaces they'd seen in London and Paris.

The result, says Choegyal, is a country that is today "a distillation of foreign influences, races, religions and customs, fused with the artistic and religious heritage of the industrious and talented Newar people.

"Nepal is mainly known for the Malla-Newar style - you know, the tiered roofs, bricks and woodcarvings. But it's not only traditional mediaeval style. It's also the Tibetan and European style."

New houses are built showing these same influences. The real charm of the valley's architecture lies in the quality of the workmanship and the innate sense of style of the Newar, she says.

"During the time of the Malla kings in the 15th and 16th centuries, they had a very organic approach to architecture, whether it be buildings, palaces, temples or public squares.

"The valley alone has seven World Heritage sites."

With such cultural riches, it's little wonder that Nepal has been such a magnet for foreigners. American writer Barbara Adams, a self-styled "Maobadi Maharani" political activist and once a consort of Prince Basundra, has lived in Kathmandu since 1961, in a 100-year-old whitewashed Thapa house in Nazal.

Choegyal lives in a new house built of traditional materials that mixes mediaeval and European styles.

She still sees living there as a privilege, simply because Nepal is a very proud country.

"It's never been colonised. The British never got to Nepal, never conquered Nepal. And, actually, the homes of the British envoys are on the edges of the valley.

"Once a very xenophobic country, now it's a very warm, hospitable, welcoming country. The fact that there's spiritualism in the air in the valley I find very stimulating and attractive."

Choegyal notes, as well, that most of the heritage sites remain in active use and aren't "frozen monuments". This is, in part, thanks to tourism. The past two years have set new records in the number of visitors.

"It's the tourism that's really stimulated the traditional crafts of the valley - the thangka paintings, the woodcarvings, the metal work. They keep artisans and craftsmen employed, through the sale of souvenirs."

Choegyal hopes the book will deepen people's appreciation for the art and architecture. It can be taken seriously as an historical survey, but it will also appeal to those who just enjoy gazing at the photos.

"Many Thais will like this book because they love Nepal and visit the pilgrimage sites. They can learn here how the art and architecture has developed in the valley, how these traditional crafts are still alive."

Published by Serindia, "Kathmandu Valley Style" by Lisa Choegyal, Craig Potton and Gautam SJB Rana is available at leading bookshops.