Spaces_is 9

formed an alliance with Gorkha to the east-northeast, which under Prithvi Narayan
Shah, conquered most of the country and roughly established the boundaries of
modern Nepal. Due to this alliance, Palpa escaped Shah rule until 1806 when it
became the last region in Nepal to be annexed. Tansen today is still the capital of
Palpa district, one of the 75 districts of Nepal, and retains much of its past
importance in west central Nepal with a university, one of the finest hospitals in
Nepal, and spectacular architecture dating back to the eighteenth century. It is indeed
a great tragedy that the country, and more so, Palpa, has lost one of its most precious
heritage recently. January 31, 2006 will henceforth be remembered as a black day in
Palpa’s history. It is also extremely ironic that a movement of which one of the top
leaders himself is an architect, should be so disregardful of the importance of
preserving the country’s noble heritage. One recollects that even during the bombings
of Europe during the Great Wars, commanders were mindful to make sure that
precious monuments were spared the wrath of war. We hope people here will do
likewise and keep the safety of such zones uppermost in their minds even while
planning wars.
It is also a matter of concern that many government offices are located within
heritage sites in Nepal. It would be right to point out the need for governments to
take into account the vital importance of ensuring their protection when doing so.
It would be much better to assure the same by making proper adaptive use of such
sites and refrain from turning them into targets of war. S
SPACES MAR-APR 2006 75