Heritage and communities of compassion in the aftermath of the great earthquake, Nepal: A photographic reflection

This photo essay explores intimations of Nepal’s heritage–tangible, intangible and ‘living’–with a focus on the earthquake-ravaged city of Kathmandu. Linking heritage with wider observations about social and cultural resilience, the photos and accompanying text draw attention to the complex processes of social dynamism and cultural resourcefulness unfolding in Nepal. Adopting an auto-ethnographic approach, supplemented with on-the-ground witness statements gathered from displaced friends, blogs and survivor accounts, we use this photographic reflection to document how small groups, individuals and local businesses in Kathmandu have offered aid in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In so doing, our aim is to provide a first step towards rethinking the notion of intangible heritage in Nepal, one that centres on assistance, compassion and care, and should not be subdued in favour of international guidance and policy in the reconstruction process.