In the city of Kathmandu, Nepal, Lalima Shrestha is dressed in traditional attire, including an orange kurta and a Nepali dhaka waistcoat. She is showcasing the ancient art of Ranjana calligraphy at the Narayani Square in Dhulikhel, a municipality southwest of the capital. The square is bustling with activity as students and adults gather for the annual dhimay jatra festival. Shrestha, a member of Callijatra, is working to preserve ancient scripts of Nepal through demonstrations like this one.
Ranjana Lipi, a script that means “delightful” in Sanskrit, is the focus of Shrestha’s demonstration. She carefully writes in this script, emphasizing the importance of stroke placement and size matching. The art of writing in Ranjana Lipi is described as therapeutic and meditative, offering peace of mind.
Callijatra, an organization dedicated to preserving Nepal’s ancient scripts, was founded to promote scripts like Ranjana Lipi and Nepal Lipi. The group collaborates with Nepal Lipi Guthi, an institute that teaches and promotes these scripts. Together, they conduct workshops and training programs to educate people about these scripts and ensure they are not forgotten.
The decline of Nepal scripts during the Rana dynasty is highlighted, as these scripts were suppressed in favor of the Devanagari script. Efforts are now being made to reintroduce these scripts into education curricula and promote their use in society.
Overall, the work of organizations like Callijatra and Nepal Lipi Guthi is crucial in preserving Nepal’s rich cultural heritage and ensuring that ancient scripts like Ranjana Lipi are not lost to history.