KATHMANDU:

It looks like the traditional is getting a good boost these days. A two-day exhibition of mukundos (traditional masks) was inaugurated on June 14 by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prithivi Subba Gurung at the Nepal Academy Hall.

The exhibition, organised by the culture preservation and promotion division of the ministry, has roped in a number of exhibitors from across the nation. The masks are mostly of various gods and goddesses, like Bhairav, Kumari, Lakhe and Bandevi. They range from more than a century old to latest ones. All the masks are just for exhibition, while some stone idols are up for sale too.

A seminar was also organised at the occasion to discuss ways to preserve the traditional mask. One of the oldest surviving mask-makers 88-year-old Kanchha Chitrakar was also felicitated on the occasion.

“This programme is an attempt towards the preservation and conservation of our traditional masks. Most of them have now been limited to festivals only, due to which they were on the verge of extinction,” informed the chief archeology officer at the culture preservation and promotion division of the ministry, Prakash Darnal.

The exhibition is on till June 15.