Nepal, Jan. 6 -- Priceless wall paintings in the temples of this ancient town need urgent restoration One of the few Newa towns situated outside Kathmandu Valley, Panauti still evokes the feeling of a place frozen in time.

Largely untouched by haphazard urbanisation, this town 32km east of Kathmandu used to be a kingdom revered for the sacred confluence of the Punyamati and Rosi rivers.

The Bramhayani temple is the site of a 12 yearly Makar Mela which is attended by devotees from as far away as India.

Panauti's crumbling monuments were restored in the 1990s by the French government. Temples, resting places, traditional homes were rebuilt and locals trained to revive their craft. Panauti and France marked 50 years of cooperation in S...