KATHMANDU, MARCH 5

"I joined Nepal Sanskrit University in 2016 and finished my degree in architecture in 2023. I am the first Muslim woman in Nepal to complete a PhD degree from Nepal Sanskrit University," said Tabassum Siddiqui.

In addition to being the first Muslim woman architect and the first to finish a master's degree in interior design in Nepal, Tabassum Siddiqui is the only other Muslim woman doctorate in Nepal.

She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and a Master's Degree in Interior Design from National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan. She is currently the head of the Department of Architecture at

Kantipur International College in Kathmandu, as well as a part-time faculty member at the Institutes of Engineering in Pulchowk and Thapathali.

"Comparative Study of Hindu and Islamic Architecture in Nepal: Its Influence on Contemporary Nepali Architecture" was the topic of her doctoral dissertation.

"I have made Hindu and Islamic architecture a subject of study since there is a majority of Hindus in Nepal. There is a lot of potential to strengthen relationships with Islamic majority countries and develop tourism through Nepali architecture," she stated.

She shared that she studied Nepalese architecture, architecture, and its history while conducting research programs and attending seminars and conferences. Numerous studies on Buddhist and Nepalese architecture have been conducted in the country, but few have examined Islamic architecture or the buildings that are Islamic in Nepal. But there are not many published works on the subject.

Her community is a minority. "Although we make up only 9% of the population, there are many structures with Muslim influences. Thus, this constituted the initial stage of her research," she continued.

"Up to this point, very little research has been done on the subject of comparing Islamic and Hindu architecture. Thus, I wrote a research paper on the subject and published it before my PhD research.

Following that, I enrolled at Nepal Sanskrit University. And then I started my research on this particular topic."

In the area of education, Siddiqui's family is on top. According to Tabassum, she enrolled at Nepal Sanskrit University with the intention of writing her own unique history through a comparative analysis of Islamic and Hindu architecture in relation to Hindu Vastu Shastra. She was successful in achieving this goal.

On the other hand, her father, Salahuddin A. Siddiqui, had also completed his Ph.D. from Nepal Sanskrit University on the topic "Manu ko Pariwarik Byabastha ra Nepal ma Pariwarik Bibad."

Education is a strong suit for Tabasmum's seven-member family. She is the family's eldest daughter. She went to Pakistan to further her education because she had received an excellent education. Mohammad Asif Siddiqui, the elder brother, earned an engineering degree from Malelia and is currently employed in Qatar. Asif's second brother, Aamir Siddiqui, is a doctor. Amir, who holds an MBBS from Bangladesh and an MD from Egypt, previously worked at the Gangalal Cardiac Centre in Kathmandu and is now the Medical Director of Pacific International Hospital in Papua New Guinea. Her younger sister, Dr. Tarannum Siddiqui, is a senior physiotherapist and running her own clinic after completing an MPT from India.

Tabassum is currently the president of the Mother Foundation. The organisation's mission is to promote inclusive development and democracy in Nepal, as well as to strengthen international relations through art, architecture, and culture.

She stated that, in the future, she hopes to contribute to Nepal's international relations through Nepali artwork.

"The success of this campaign is dependent on the support of the Nepali government and society. Let us see how much importance and support a Muslim woman will receive from the Hindu majority society," she said.

She complained that, despite the fact that Nepal has a Muslim Commission, the Muslim community receives decimal benefits from it. She argued that modernising madrassa education is essential for educational reform in the Nepali Muslim community.