NEPAL NOSTALAGIA AND MODERNITY , MARG HARDCOVER, 2011

When we speak of the arts of Nepal, we refer to the Kathmandu Valley, rich in art and culture. This tiny valley was and still is the hub of Nepal where 2,000 years of history has been frozen in time. Today, Nepal has become and will continue to become a modern nation. Yet its people and culture continue to evolve – conflating traditional as well as modern features that are uniquely “Nepali” in character.

Nepal: Nostalgia and Modernity brings together works of scholars from diverse fields to form a unified volume. Their different approaches are deftly married to provide an appreciation of Nepal’s art, culture, and religion. The style of art called Nepali is primarily produced by the Newars, the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, who shaped it since medieval times. The volume celebrates various artistic expressions of the Newars and other ethnic groups.

Deepak Shimkhada earned his PhD from Claremont Graduate University and taught courses in Asian religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism at Claremont McKenna College. He retired in 2008, and now teaches courses in Hinduism as an adjunct professor for the School of Religion at Claremont Graduate University.