Kathmandu, July 3 -- The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu handed over the Award of Merit to the Jestha Varna Mahavihar in Lalitpur under the prestigious 2025 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

The metal plaque and official certificate were handed over by Jaco Du Toit, UNESCO Representative in Nepal, to the Jestha Varna Mahavihar User Committee in the presence of Chiri Babu Maharjan, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, and Rakesh Pandey, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of India, Kathmandu.

Speaking at the event, Rakesh Pandey congratulated the user community, CLPIU, INTACH, and other stakeholders. He highlighted that the success of the Jestha Varna Mahavihar project underscores the deep-rooted cultural and ...