The rich heritage of inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley dates back to the 2nd century CE. To this day, inscriptions are ubiquitous in Nepal’s religious and public life. Written artifacts in Sanskrit, Newari, and Nepali—documenting grants, donations, the establishment of trusts, and ritual traditions—can be found on temples, shrines, wells, and rest houses alike. In the form of paper copies verifying property titles and revenue entitlements, inscriptions also entered archival records. Therefore, inscriptions not only serve as a link between tangible and intangible cultural heritage, monuments, and archives, but also reflect changing documentary practices in Nepal’s administrative culture. In addition to material microfilmed by the NGMPP, the present collection includes inscriptions documented and published in collaboration with the pilot project “Anthropology of Inscriptions: Memory and Cultural Heritage in the Public Sphere” (HCTS/Flagship Initiative “Transforming Cultural Heritage”) and the Nepal Heritage Documentation Project (NHDP).
NHDP_0001_0113: A stone inscription at Su Bahāḥ in Lalitpur regarding the installation of an image of Mañjuvajra (NS 644)
PN_0004_0062: A copperplate inscription recording a land endowment by Bhīma Malla for feeding foreign Brahmins and ascetics and for worshipping Paśupatinātha (NS 760)
NHDP_0001_0138: A stone inscription installed by King Śrīnivāsa Malla at Taḥ Bāhāḥ regarding rules for the chariot procession and other activities of Buṅgadyaḥ (NS 793)
NHDP_0001_0141: A votive inscription by Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā recording his donation of the present pinnacle for the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot (ŚS 1772)
NHDP_0001_0011: A stone slab inscription at Buinā Gaṇeśa in Lalitpur regarding the donation of a finial by Vīra Sāhi Kumharaju (801 CE)
NHDP_0001_0108: A stone slab inscription at Su Bāhāḥ in Lalitpur regarding Dhanajyoti and his wife Rukamanī’s installation of a Lokeśvara idol at a phalcā (NS 820)
NHDP_0001_0109: A copperplate inscription at Subāhāḥ in Lalitpur recording a donation of two windows by Buddharāja, Munivaṃśa, and Mahājyoti for the esoteric shrine (NS 842)
NHDP_0001_0026: A stone slab inscription at Si Bāhāḥ, Khāchẽ Ṭola, Lalitpur regarding the enforcement of regulations for saṅgha members by Dharma Siṃhaju (820 BCE)
NHDP_0001_0151: A votive inscription on a gilded copper flag recording the donation of the flag by King Vīra Mahendra Malla and Queen Regent Rājyeśvarī (NS 831)
NHDP_0001_0152: A votive inscription on a gilded copper flag recording the donation of the flag by King Vīra Mahendra Malla and Queen Regent Rājyeśvarī (NS 831)
NHDP_0001_0153: A votive inscription on a gilded copper flag recording the flag's donation by King Vīra Mahendra Malla and Queen Regent Rājyeśvarī (NS 831)
NHDP_0001_0154: A votive inscription on a gilded copper flag recording the donation of the flag by King Vīra Mahendra Malla and Queen Regent Rājyeśvarī (NS 831)
NHDP_0001_0114: A copperplate inscription at Su Bāḥāḥ in Lalitpur regarding the offering of various items by Ruhiṃju and Sirisiṃju (NS 853)
NHDP_0001_0010: An inscription on a stele at Triliṅgeśvara Mahādeva Mandira in Bahālukhā, Lalitpur, regarding the establishment of a guṭhī by Amara Girī Gosāīṃ (NS 863)
PN_0002_0002: A copperplate inscription recording the offering of two slave girls by Bālakṛṣṇa Upādhyā to serve at Paśupatinātha (ŚS 1695)
NHDP_0001_0136: A stone slab inscription at Seto Gaṇeśa Guṭhī Capāḥchẽ in Lalitpur regarding the construction of a three-bay phalcā and the installation of three idols by Lalita Siṃha Bhāro (NS 877)
NHDP_0001_0112: A stone slab inscription at Su Bāhāḥ in Lalitpur regarding the renovation of a phalcā by Kāsirāma Bhābo and others (NS 878)
NHDP_0001_0033: An inscription on a stone slab at Tāpāhiti Gaṇeśa in Lalitpur regarding the replacement of the old Gaṇeśa idol with a new one by Kṛṣṇa Siṃha Bhāro (NS 907)
NHDP_0001_0156: A votive inscription on the back of a moon image placed atop the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot, recording its donation by Dhiṃnara Noko and a clan of Deobhājus (NS 965)
NHDP_0001_0147: An inscription recording the manufacture of a silver pot for the bathing ceremony of Buṅgadyaḥ (NS 971)
NHDP_0001_0146: An inscription recording the production of five silver plates for the daśakarma of Buṅgadyaḥ (VS 1886)
NHDP_0001_0168: A votive inscription on a canopy for the sanctum of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot, recording its donation by residents from the vicinity of the Khācoche caitya (NS 989)
NHDP_0001_0140: A votive inscription by Harṣa Narasiṃha on the tympanum (prabhā) to be installed annually inside the sanctum of the Bungadyaḥ chariot [NS 990]
NHDP_0001_0158: An inscription, composed by Hemarāja Śākya and affixed to the right-hand railing of the balcony of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot, recording the history of donations for the various parts of the chariot’s sanctum (NS 1111)
NHDP_0001_0143: A votive inscription on the pinnacle of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot by Padma Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā recording the replacement of earlier donations made by his father (ŚS 1801)
K_0120_0020: A copy of a copperplate inscription recording the donation of land by King Gīrvāṇayuddha’s mother for the worship of Mahāmāyā at Gorkha (VS 1856)
PN_0002_0030: A copperplate inscription by Buddhirekhā Godārni recording a variety of implements offered to Paśupati and the emancipation of a slave (VS 1863)
PN_0004_0065: A copperplate inscription recording the emancipation of three women from slavery by Sundara Giri and his wife (VS 1869)
PN_0004_0060: A copper plate inscription of an order issued by King Rājendra to the Bhaṭṭa priests and other officials regulating entry into the Paśupatinātha temple (VS 1885)
PD_0001_0001: A stone inscription at Vajrayoginī Sankhu concerning the donation of a lion statue by Torādhara Lāota Tejanārāṃ (NS 966)
PD_0001_0002: A stone inscription at the Vajravārāhī temple in Sankhu commemorating the establishment of a rest house and a guṭhī by Vīra Bhāro (967 CE)
NHDP_0001_0091: A stone slab inscription at Śaṅkhadhara Bāhāḥ in Cvachẽ (Cyāsa), Patan regarding the establishment of Triratna Mahāvihāra (Śaṅkhadhara Bāhāḥ) and the consecration of a dharmadhātuvāgīśvaracaitya and a dharmadhātumaṇḍala by Śaṅkhadhara Prajāpati and his two wives (NS 988)
NHDP_0001_0110: An inscription on a vajradhātumaṇḍala at Subāhāḥ recording its endowment by Lakṣmīdhaṃ and his family (NS 1009)
NHDP_0001_0050: An inscription recording the construction of a shrine to Śākyamuni Buddha by Dhaṃcā Thakuṃ and her family (NS 1024)
NHDP_0001_0137: An inscription on a bell at the Karuṇāmaya Mandira in Bungamati commemorating the donation of the bell by Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā (VS 1927)
NHDP_0001_0142: A votive inscription on the pinnacle of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot by Kīrti Bhakti Kumārī Devī and Ḍamvara Jaṅga Bahādūra Rāṇā recording the donation of a Vajrasattva idol (VS 1937)
NHDP_0001_0144: A votive inscription by Jitajaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā recording his donation of a flag for the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot (VS 1940)
NHDP_0001_0145: A votive inscription by Commander-in-Chief General Deva Śamśera recording his donation of gold and silver in the name of his deceased wife (VS 1952)
NHDP_0001_0149: An inscription on a silver flag recording its donation by Commander-in-Chief General Bhīma Śamśera and his wife (VS 1960)
NHDP_0001_0139: The inscription on the brahmakõ of Buṅgadyaḥ recording the vessel's initial donation by King Viṣṇu Malla and its replacement by Juddha Śamśera (VS 1990)
NHDP_0001_0148: An inscription on a silver jar recording the vessel's replacement by Juddha Śamśera (VS 1990)
NHDP_0001_0069: A tablet inscription at the Kvayanā Sataḥ in Chobhar commemorating its renovation by Nārāṃ Govindadāsa (VS 1996)
NHDP_0001_0150: An inscription on a copper cover for the main beam of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot recording the year the cover was commissioned and details of its manufacture (VS 1996)
NHDP_0001_0001: An inscription on a stele at the Karuṇāmaya Mandira in Bungamati commemorating a bhajana for Kṛṣṇa performed by Guru Kavi Prasāda Gautama (VS 2008)
NHDP_0001_0157: A votive inscription on the front of an image of the sun and moon placed atop the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot, recording its donation by Daśa Nārā and his family (VS 2008)
NHDP_0001_0155: A votive inscription on the back of the Hayagrīva-Bhairava mask of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot by Samīrarāja Śākya (NS 1132)
NHDP_0001_0159: A votive inscription on the rim of a ritual tray recording its donation to Buṅgadyaḥ by a group of devotional singers (VS 2018)
NHDP_0001_0161: A votive inscription on a gilt copper flag recording the flag's donation by a group of anonymous individuals (VS 2029)
NHDP_0001_0166: A votive inscription on the front of a silver replica depicting the sun atop the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot, recording its donation by Kularatna and others [VS 2008]
NHDP_0001_0163: A votive inscription mounted on the railing of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot recording Sundaralāla Khaḍgī’s and Gītādevī’s donation for the luthāma (VS 2047)
NHDP_0001_0164: A votive inscription affixed to the threshold of the door to the sanctum of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot recording Sundaralāla Khaḍgī's donation for the luthāma (VS 2047)
NHDP_0001_0160: A votive inscription on the rim of a ritual tray recording the donation of silver and gold to Buṅgadyaḥ for its restoration by a group of devotional singers (VS 2070)
NHDP_0001_0162: A votive inscription on a gilt copper flag recording the flag's donation by a Maharjana family (VS 2070)
NHDP_0001_0165: A votive inscription engraved on a metal plate hung on the front of the Buṅgadyaḥ chariot, recording the object’s donation by an Ācārya family (VS 2072)
Inscriptions from Vaṃ Bāhāḥ, Patan
PCVAM_0001_0001: A copperplate inscription recording the roofing of Vaṃ Bāhā's main shrine and the offering of Buddha statues to a caitya (NS 716)
PCVAM_0001_0002: An inscription recording the dedication of the tympanum and a religious song by a group of eight people (NS 754)
PCVAM_0001_0003: A stone inscription recording the construction of the shrine and donations made to Sūrya Varṇa Mahāvihāra by Bhāsiṃdeva and other members of the bāhāḥ (NS 778)
PCVAM_0001_0004: A stone inscription commemorating the donation of banner paintings and a gilded umbrella by Narasiṃha Bhāro to the principal deity of Vaṃ Bāhāḥ (NS 798)
PCVAM_0001_0005: An inscription spanning six struts installed by Ciṃtāmani Vajrācārya and others at Vaṃ Bāhāḥ (NS 800)
PCVAM_0001_0006: A stone inscription commemorating the preparation of a banner painting, the creation of a Ganesha idol, and the establishment of a guṭhī by Cintāmaṇi Vajrācārya and his associates (NS 803)
PCVAM_0001_0007: A stone inscription documenting the donation of the digiche to the western side of Vaṃ Bāhāḥ, led by Devaratha (NS 820)
PCVAM_0001_0008: A stone inscription recording the construction of a caitya in honor of the deceased Devajoti by his sons and wife (NS 847)
PCVAM_0001_0009: A stone inscription recording the paving of Vaṃ Bāhāḥ using oiled bricks, overseen by Amittajoti, alongside his wife and other family members (NS 848)
PCVAM_0001_0010: A stone inscription recording the paving of the floors of digicheṃ in Vaṃ Bāhāḥ, the establishment of a caitya, dharmadhātu maṇḍalā, and a Vajrayoginī idol by Amṛtajyoti Vajrācārya and his wife, and the donation of land for annual rituals (NS 848)
PCVAM_0001_0011: A stone inscription recording the donation of a caitya by Kṛṣṇamuni and his grandmother Jñānadharī in honor of his late father Dharmadeva, and the offering of a golden idol in memory of his late uncle (NS 854)
