"Monasteries."

#13304676

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, attends a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304677

11 February 2026

Archaeologists from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University hold a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026, announcing the uncovering of the first apsidal Buddhist temple in Nepal. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncover Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304678

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, attends a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304679

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304680

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304681

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13195040

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195041

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195042

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195043

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195044

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195045

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195046

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195047

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195048

14 January 2026

Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, prayers for world peace, and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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#13195049

14 January 2026

Former living goddess Kumari of Patan, Chanira Bajracharya, plays the flute as Nepalese Buddhist devotees take part in a procession carrying painted idols of Lord Buddha during the Samyak Mahadan festival in Patan, Nepal, on January 14, 2026. The two-day-long Samyak Mahadan is a traditional alms-giving festival in which Dipankara Buddha idols are brought from various monasteries and temples for worship, offering prayers for world peace and human welfare. This year's Samyak marks the 100th anniversary of the tradition observed by the family of Bagh Narsingh Shakya (Lama Aju) of Nha Bahi Nyakhachok, Patan, originally begun in Nepal Sambat 1046 and reaching its centenary in Nepal Sambat 1146.

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