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BHAKTAPUR, Nepal - In a arenaceous studio, Indra Kaji Shilpakar agilely carves intricate patterns into a board panel, one of a baby accumulation of highly-skilled craftsmen Nepal is relying on to clean its cultural ancestry afterwards April's above earthquake.
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Bhaktapur Craft Paper | Himalayan Paradise | bhaktapur craft paper ltdBut Shilpakar, a adept artisan who abstruse at the easily of his ancestor and uncle as a adolescent boy, is one of a dying breed.
The wood-carvers, stone-sculptors and metal-workers who created the amazing temples and palaces of the Kathmandu Valley were already feted as far abroad as China, and paid amply from the aristocratic purse.
But over the decades their amusing cachet has collapsed forth with the money they are able to acquire from their craft, and abounding adolescent Nepalis are now abnegation the ancestors barter to seek bigger paid work.
That has larboard the country abbreviate of abilities acute for rebuilding the centuries-old monuments of the Kathmandu Valley absent in the April 25 quake.
It is a botheration fabricated worse by the actuality that these crafts accept historically been the absolute and jealously attentive bottle of a few families acceptance to the Newar aboriginal accumulation aboriginal to the Valley.
Shilpakar, a slight, softly-spoken man of 52, says all his macho ancestors as far aback as anyone can bethink accept formed with wood, bearing the intricately carved panels that adroitness Nepal's temples and acceptable homes.
"But abounding in the new bearing appetite altered jobs, appointment jobs," he told AFP in his flat in the acclaimed burghal of Bhaktapur, area he is alive on the apology of a archetypal three-tiered board pagoda temple from the 17th century.
"Even in my own family, there are bodies who accept not connected with the assignment that requires a aerial akin of skill, because it doesn't pay," said Shilpakar, whose uncle's ancestors has confused to the added advantageous appliance business.
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Bhaktapur Craft Paper Limited - Paper and Paper Crafts - NepalB2B | bhaktapur craft paper ltd"There isn't abundant account in Nepal -- we are advised as workers, not artists."
Ancient kingdoms
That is not the appearance of the UN cultural bureau UNESCO, which describes the stone, balk and brownish adroitness of the Newars as amid the best highly-developed in the world.
Many of the palaces and temples they created date aback to the aeon amid the 12th and 18th centuries aback the Valley -- a Apple Ancestry armpit -- was disconnected into the three kingdoms of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.
Eager to allurement aback tourists, the government reopened the above Durbar (Royal) Squares of all three cities in June, admitting warnings from UNESCO that this could account added accident to the monuments.
They are home to some of the bags of monuments damaged in the 7.8-magnitude quake, which dead about 9,000 bodies and destroyed about bisected a actor homes.
The behemothic assignment of rebuilding has been delayed by the cloudburst rains and by a political crisis that has captivated up a $4.1 billion about-face fund.
When it does rebuild, UNESCO ancestry able Kai Weise believes a curtailment of accomplished craftsmen will be one of the key impediments.
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Bhaktapur Craft Paper | Himalayan Paradise | bhaktapur craft paper ltd"We are aggravating to get the government to accede the accent of artisans and set up some affectionate of system," he said.
"We charge to acquisition the adept craftspersons and get them to alternation new artisans."
Hereditary arrangement 'not practical'
The Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, a alms set up in 1991, additionally wants Nepal to set up a academic training arrangement to bottle its altered skills.
"Generation to bearing is not practical," Nepal country administrator Rohit Ranjitkar told AFP.
"If addition is absorbed in learning, they should be accustomed the opportunity. There should be a able academy for this affectionate of work."
Conservationists are optimistic that at atomic some of the monuments can be restored, as happened afterwards the aftermost above convulse that hit the Valley in 1934.
They are not aloof day-tripper attractions -- admitting the accelerated urbanisation of Kathmandu, the three Durbar Squares abide at the affection of bounded cultural and airy life.
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My Bhaktapur My Pride: Bhaktapur Craft Paper Community development | bhaktapur craft paper ltdBut it is not difficult to see why adolescent Nepalis are axis abroad from their ancestors traditions.
While the monarchs who adjourned this blooming of art and architectonics are acclaimed with statues, the artists themselves accept accustomed little acceptance in Nepal, whose aftermost baron larboard the head in 2008.
Nonetheless Indra Kaji Shilpakar is bent to do all he can to advice the country clean its architectural treasures.
"You feel pride aback you attending at a temple you accept formed on. There's a achievement in accomplishing article for your country," he said.
But he admits he can acquire added than alert as abundant abstraction awkward board Buddha active for shops to advertise to tourists, and wants his sons to accept a altered life.
UNESCO's Weise believes this abridgement of acceptance charge be addressed if Nepal is to rebuild.
"We are talking about millions of dollars, but after artisans we can't clean anything," he said.
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