CCO Awarded UNESCO Memory of the World Grant to Document Stone Inscriptions

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The Chiva Chaitya Organization (CCO) is delighted to share an exciting milestone in our journey of heritage preservation. This year (2025), CCO has been selected as a recipient of the Memory of the World (MOW) Grant, awarded by the Asia Culture Center (ACC) and the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP).

The Memory of the World Programme, launched by UNESCO in 1992, is a global initiative dedicated to safeguarding, preserving, and facilitating access to the world’s invaluable documentary heritage. By supporting projects that document and protect fragile records, manuscripts, and inscriptions, the program ensures that humanity’s shared memory is passed on to future generations.

With this grant, CCO will document 100 stone inscriptions across the Kathmandu Valley, working closely with expert epigraphists. These inscriptions, many of which are centuries old, are not only vital historical records but also reflections of the Valley’s diverse cultural, religious, and social life. Sadly, urbanization, neglect, and environmental threats have put many of them at risk of damage or loss.

Through careful documentation, translation, and preservation, CCO seeks to ensure that these inscriptions are safeguarded and made accessible for scholars, communities, and future generations. This work also aligns with our mission of “attending the unattended heritage,” bringing attention to monuments, inscriptions, and cultural assets that often remain overlooked.

We are deeply grateful to the ACC and MOWCAP, UNESCO and National Asian Culture Center, Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Republic of Korea for recognizing the importance of this project and for supporting CCO’s efforts to preserve Nepal’s living heritage. By recording and sharing these inscriptions, we not only protect historical memory but also strengthen the connection between past and present communities in the Kathmandu Valley.

Stay tuned as we share updates from the field—stories, images, and discoveries from these inscriptions that continue to speak across centuries.

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