Dwarika's - the place is a gem

In 1952, the late Dwarika Das Shrestha was out jogging when he came upon some carpenters sawing off the carved portion of an intricately engraved wooden pillar. It had been part of an old building which had been torn down to make room for a modern structure. Amidst the rubble, lay the bits and pieces of exquisitely carved woodwork several centuries old, ready to be carted off as firewood as the carpenters were merely trying to salvage reusable wood.

As he stood amidst the ruins, Dwarika Das Shrestha experienced all the anguish that a sensitive soul feels when witnessing the destruction of the sublime and the beautiful by wanton and crass commercialism of modern times. He was confronted with the visible signs of destruction of an ancient culture which still lived in him as part of his heritage. Kathmandu's Newari art and traditions have a rich legacy of exquisite wood carvings, distinctive temples, sculpture, bronze works, terra-cotta work and the unique lifestyle of its people itself. Seeing the beautiful carvings destroyed, he could not control himself. Out of sheer impulse, he gave the carpenters the new lumber that they required and took the old ruined carved pillar.

This impulse, born from the inner anguish of his spirit, became progressively a hobby, a passion and a lifetime work. As soon as he heard that an ancient building was going to be torn down to make way for a modern structure, he would rush to the spot and buy as much of the ancient wood carvings as he could before they were sold as firewood or lost in other ways for ever. If he was able to buy only a part of an artistic work because other pieces had been lost or he did not have enough money, he would still do so and try to recover the missing parts later. Often he would discover their historic significance in the process. In one instance, he was able to trace and acquire a missing piece after twenty-five years.

As his collection grew, Dwarika Das Shrestha was faced with the problem of storing these bulky works of art which were scattered all over his garden in makeshift sheds. It was then he decided to construct a building in the old Newari style of Kathmandu using the carved doors and windows he had rescued from destruction. The edifice which was built to give the ancient works of art a new life is now one among several buildings of Dwarika's Village Hotel. These buildings contain some of the best woodworks of olden times restored to life and made to function for a modern age within the traditional architectural setting.

Dwarika's Hotel is a unique place in South Asia. It is a living example that tourism need not destroy heritage and the environment. On the contrary, it has demonstrated that a proper blending of cultural restoration and tourism leads to the preservation of historical artifacts and contributes to the growth of skills and culture that would otherwise have eroded from the crass commercialism of today. It has shown that heritage can be preserved and be used for further preservation works. In fact, it could be the model to demonstrate what must be done to preserve the look of Kathmandu Valley - a stepping stone towards the larger and more gigantic task of rehabilitating the uniqueness and beauty of Kathmandu currently experiencing severe environmental stress of uncontrolled modernization.