At a time when the country has drowned neck deep in political issues like the MCC and the time of holding the elections, the dumping of valuable inscriptions in the backyard of the Police Office at Swoyambhu of the valley has received incredible prominence in the media.

It all began with the finding of two of inscriptions in the nearby Swoyambhu police centre by Mahesh Raj Panta, a well-known historian. One of them was installed by Pratap Malla, renowned though lecherous king of the 17th century, near the Dallu River bridge.

The king, who constructed the famous Ranipokhari in the heart of Kathmandu, is said to have observed a long penance after having intercourse with a minor girl that led to her death.

This Ranipokhari Temple changed its form several times like the mutating coronavirus and now has been restored after its damage in the last earthquake to its original granthakut style, which was very much in vogue during its time of construction.

Inscriptions are stonemade upright objects standing on the ground and ending into a triangular or segmental top. They include some images and icons at the top, which is followed by a written text describing the incidence that generally, contain the date, the names of the ruler and the donor. The inscriptions thus describe the facts and figures as they existed during its erection.

They are thus a valuable source of information, the disappearance of which leads to an irreparable loss to the country.

The oldest inscription is said to be that of Jerusalem, now almost 3,000 years old, going back to the reign of King David. The inscription on the Lumbini pillar, installed by Emperor Ashoka in the year 249 BC, which gave the indication of the birth of the Buddha with the text hida Buddhe jate in ancient Brahmi script, is the oldest one so far found in Nepal. The one of Changu Narayan of the year 464 AD, which marks the coronation of King Man Dev, however, is the oldest inscription so far found in the Kathmandu Valley.

Inscriptions are made of stones in order to ensure their eternal continuity. But later, these were rendered in copper plates, so many of which, however, could not last long because of its misuse through its melting and selling by greedy persons.

As a result, many of the copper inscriptions, also known as tamrapatra, have been lost whilst the stone inscriptions continue to exist, some in their usual form while others in highly eroded state. This is one of the reasons why only four inscriptions exist belonging to the post-Licchavi and pre-Malla times, also known as transitional or Thakuri period, while there are innumerable of them belonging to the Licchavi and the Malla period dotting particularly all over the valley and even outside being rendered in stone.

The present scenario is that majority of the inscriptions are intact, in the place of their installation, but several of them have been removed and dumped in nearby police offices. Some of them undergo such a fate because of the road expansion and encroachment of the inscription premises. In such cases, many of them are relocated to a nearby space.

For example, a pati was relocated about 50 yards away to provide room for extension of the road in Bhaktapur by the Bhaktapur Development Project implemented with German assistance. This is recognised by UNESCO, the international custodian of historic objects around the globe, under the intervention measure known as Reproduction.

But not all monuments are lucky like the Ganesh Temple. One of the unfortunate ones is the Jaladroni, a drinking water stand built during the time of Licchavi King Baliraja, which graced the side of the Gwarko Lubhu road at Baddikhel in Motitar for nearly 1,200 years. This Jaladroni had an inscription dating from the year 826, and it was demolished during the extension of the road three years back. The inscription was put in a nearby police office. It is now impatiently waiting to be housed in the newly restored Jaladroni.

Its restoration is not at all difficult. This is neither costly as it can be restored for less than a million rupees because it is a modest brick and lime structure. Its photographs already exist.

There is also ample space towards the south of its original location. The location of a Shankar Temple adjoining this space provides the required ambience for its construction.

So, the Jaladroni could be reconstructed, and the 1200-year-old inscription put in its place. This is the only inscription belonging to the regime of the Licchavi King, Baliraja. If the inscription vanishes, one of the evidences of the king will be lost forever.

This is only a representative sample. Some of them are even vandalised for no rhyme or reason. The unfortunate victim is the inscription installed by Pratap Malla at Kathmandu Durbar Square in the year 1648, the year the Taj Mahal was built in India. This inscription was broken into pieces by unknown persons only last month. Locals had suggested taking care of this inscription that was lying in the open. But the authorities continued to turn a deaf ear to it. In fact, such inscriptions should be exhibited in a museum in case they have to be dismantled due to road widening and the likes. But our museums are yet to be very well managed.

As a consequence, very valuable monuments continue to languish in their murky store rooms.

Inscriptions are like the pages of the history book of the country. The disappearance of such monuments makes our history look like a book torn into bits and pieces. Moreover, it also erases part of our precious identity. Institutions like the local government, Department of Archaeology and the National Museum should realise their responsibility instead of stumbling and fumbling every now and then, leading to the sorry state of such inscriptions.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 1, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.