Reevaluating decentralization and community participation in Nepali heritage management: insights from Rani Pokhari and Boudhanath Stupa reconstruction

Along with the amalgamation of a federal republic governing structure in 2015, Nepal moved one step further in implementing decentralization philosophy in practice. The decentralization process, which primarily emphasizes the inclusive participation of the people in every development projects, started to allow local communities to enter into the heritage management process as well. Subsequently, local communities became more concerned about the ability to participate fully in the design and management of their local heritage. Using semi-structured interviews with the community stakeholders and heritage management authorities at the two case study sites in Kathmandu—‘Boudhanath Stupa’ (which was the first successfully reconstructed heritage site after the devastating earthquake of 2015) and Rani Pokhari (reconstruction process of which has been prolonged because of the debates and controversies in the process and finally completed in 2020)—this research investigates the role of decentralized grassroots engagement in shaping more effective and sustainable approaches to cultural heritage management in Nepal.