National 10 (Spotlight Weekly)

Commitment for Preservation

Publicity-shy Shakya has made significant contribution in promotion of tourism and preservation of historic architecture

By A CORRESPONDENT

He did not imagine that one day he would shift his interest to renovation of traditional architecture of the valley. Born in a well known traditional family of jewelers in Kathmandu, Basanta Shakya, who is the father of well known tourism entrepreneur Yogendra Shakya, was one of the founders of renowned back-packers hotel Kathmandu Guest House.

Like all his parents, Shakya was known for his talent to identify quality of various kinds of jewelry including diamond, gems and gold. Shakya later gave up his family business and joined the tourism business.

Shakya has made a record and history but he has never claimed his contributions to the tourism sector. Although he is old, Shakya is nowadays in the area of preservation of ancient architecture.

Shakya : Preseverance pays

If a person has certain commitment, he/she can make a lot of differences in the society. Although he has made major contribution to restore and establish a new venture on the basis of tradition, Shakya, 72, has remained unknown for many.

There are few people who remember what contribution Shakya has made to turn Thamel into today’s hot list of world’s backpacker tourists. Thamel, which lies in the heart of the capital city, is one of the popular boarding place for backpacker tourists. But it was just like a ghost village on the outskirt of the main city till four decades ago.

“Actually, we were in no mood to buy old Rana’s house in Thamel since it was on the outskirts of valley and did not have economic value. We bought the house when the house owners offered us his palace to pay back his debt,” Shakya said about the house that was later turned into Kathmandu Guest House.

Shakya was one of the reputed jewelers of Kathmandu valley with flair at recognizing the quality of jewels. He had never thought that he would go for the tourist business restoring an old Rana’s house in Thamel. But what Shakya had never dreamt turned into a reality.

Had he not become color blind, he would not have switched to the hotel business to prove that the renovation and conservation of old palaces have their own values.

Shakya’s test for creativeness and innovativeness blossomed while working in jewelry. After buying the old house of Kumar Narshing Rana, whose own family members supervised the whole construction of Singh Durbar, one of the largest and beautiful palaces built on the modern neo-classic architecture, Shakya worked hard to renovate it.

After renovation and utilizing it for commercial purposes, Shakya restored another palace of another Rana family in Naxal where he lived for many years. He is now living in an old renovated house in Naxal, Nagpokhari, just on the east face of Royal Palace. Father of the prominent hotelier Yogendra Shakya, his spirit of renovation continues unabated. In 1990 he supported the renovation works of Shree Ghal Mahabihar.

“If I were given the palaces, I would not have minded renovating all of these traditional houses and palaces,” said Shakya. When Samrajya Sumsher’s palace was demolished, Shakya brought a big tree from that palace.

Although Shakya has already renovated some of the important old palace converting them into commercially viable business centers, his quest to renovate more such buildings continues. “I am frustrated to see the ruining of the old buildings, bahals, palaces and other monuments,” said Shakya.”

Shakya is frustrated when he sees collapsing old palaces and other monuments. He has proved what an individual can contribute. “We can dismantle any building and monuments on our own but it will take many years and talent to erect them. Our traditional architectures are much more scientific than any modern architecture,’ said Shakya. “Unfortunately, we do not understand what our heritage is worth.”