KATHMANDU, JUNE 2
Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No. 17 has launched a 20-day Ranjana script writing training programme for local residents from Jestha 13.
The training is being conducted daily at Shanti Shiksha Mandir Secondary School in Thahiti, where around 30 participants attend evening classes.
Ward Chair and Metropolitan spokesperson Nabin Manandhar, who regularly participates in the training sessions, said the initiative aims to promote Nepal Bhasa and preserve indigenous scripts.
"Ranjana script is a standard bearer that represents Nepal's originality at the international level. It is not just a writing system but an art form of letters," he said, adding that Nepal Bhasa is an official language of the province. He said the programme brings together participants aged between 7 and 60, and helps demonstrate that script learning is accessible to all age groups.
According to Manandhar, the initiative aims to promote language and script preservation while supporting the documentation of indigenous writing systems through community participation. He also said that Ranjana script and Nepal Sambat represent Nepal's unique identity, noting that the script was once presented internationally in efforts related to Nepal's recognition as a distinct nation.
The training includes Nepal Lipi, Ranjana script, numerals, and calligraphy skills.
Chief trainer and Nepal Lipi Guthi Chair Anil Sthapit said Nepal Bhasa contains 13 vowels and 41 consonants, formed through modifications of Devanagari characters.
He added that Nepal Bhasa has historically evolved as a flexible language incorporating transformed Sanskrit-derived words.
Experts said Nepal's earliest known script dates back to Brahmi inscriptions found on Ashokan pillars in Lumbini, while Nepal Lipi is believed to have originated around the 9th century.
Historical records such as the manuscript Lankavatar from the early 10th century and a large body of texts from the 13th century show strong development in literature, medicine, architecture, astrology and cultural practices.
According to Sthapit, around 15,000 manuscripts are preserved at the National Archives and 20,000 at the Asa Safu Kuthi, a community-based archive dedicated to preserving written heritage.
He added that with technological advancement, Nepal Lipi and Ranjana script have been digitised and can now be studied using Unicode systems since 2016.