All over Nepal, older buildings incorporate intricately carved dark wooden shutters, doors and decorations. The city of Bhaktapur was - and still is - a center where woodcarvers congregate and practice their ancient craft.
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| Palace in Bhaktapur, Nepal |
Craftsmen operate out of shops where, if they are lucky and have commissions, they do their work. And, as sideline, they carve smaller pieces to offer for sale for tourists. The peacock is a typical design.
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| Peacock carving for sale on the street in Bungamati |
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| Woodcarver in Bungamati |
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| Original Peacock Carving on Second Floor of a Home in Kathmandu |
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| Original Peacock Close Up |
In the 1950s, a man named Dwarika Das Shrestha began to collect carved wooden doors and windows that were damaged or cast aside in renovations. Recognizing that the wood carvings were important cultural heritage, he undertook to repair and restore them, eventually leading to his decision to incorporate the carvings into a building. He established Dwarika's Hotel, calling it an asylum or hospital for wounded wooden masterpieces. Today, it is a luxurious, special boutique hotel, with an inner courtyard, swimming pool and spa.
Dwarika's vision is engraved on a plaque in the hotel's elevator.
"Dwarika's became an asylum and hospital for the care for wounded masterpieces in wood where they are restored to their original beauty, a school for training and practice of traditional arts and skills, a laboratory to research old techniques and a living museum where people may enjoy and understand this heritage which is not only Nepali, but that of the human race. Dwarika Das Shrestha (1925-1992)".
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| Courtyard of Dwarika's Hotel, Kathmandu |
