Introduction
As far as I can remember, art and architecture have always peaked my interest. Accordingly, I wanted to go into the arts for my higher education, but this was met with disagreement from my family, particularly from my father. I gave into pressure, and I started studying law – my father’s choice. I was glad to learn that I could also study Fine Arts at the same time, and of course, I did. Indulging in the Arts of Nepal, as well as the simple progression of life, gave rise to several new interests in me. By 1993, I had four Bachelor’s degrees in Law, in Fine Arts, in History and in Management. All of these qualifications would come very handy in what I would go on to dedicate my life to.
I chose to pursue even higher studies in Sculpture, and for this I traveled to and studied in Germany. Here, I also undertook and completed a Master’s in Development Policy. I excelled in this degree, which opened for me a chance to work with GTZ – German Technical Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). This was a good, high paying job, but this was also where I realised what it is that I wanted to do with my life.
During my days of studying in Nepal, I got the chance to contribute to the restoration of Patan Museum. This is where I learned about and learned to love the traditional architecture of Nepal. It is one of my most important core memories, holding a big part in getting me to where I am today.
The situation of the absolute beauty that Nepali architecture is, was not good at the time. Rustic, picturesque, medieval buildings were being torn down, only to be replaced by grey and monotonous concrete trees. This pained me. This pained me enough to make me give up a secure future, and dedicate myself to conservation.
My first project was heavily critiqued. I was called insane for choosing an, at the time, essentially zero income sector over a comfortable life in Europe. But it paid off. I don’t know if it was luck, but it paid off. My first project was dubbed “Model House” by Bhaktapur Municipality, the governing body of the city where it is located.
Starting off as a hobby, as a passion, coservation today has become my profession. I restored old and damaged houses and built new ones in the traditional style. After completing more than 70 projects, I now have a few very ambitious dreams left. To fulfill these dreams, I founded the Rabindra Puri Foundation for Conservation in 2010.