Madhyapur Thimi, Sept. 21 -- A few months ago, when Madan Sundar Shrestha, the mayor of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, announced that Falcha Pine Hiti Dune, located in Thimi, Bhaktapur, would be rebuilt keeping intact its original location and design, heritage conservationists breathed a sigh of relief. The 251-year-old hiti was an important piece of heritage for the local people of Thimi but it fell in the way of a road expansion project and thus would be partially damaged, and this worried locals.

There were talks that the location of the hiti and the falcha would be shifted a little, but the mayor rubbished the rumours, say activists.

"Relocating the hiti and falcha elsewhere will ruin our heritage," mayor Shrestha can be seen saying ...