Nirmand is considered one of the oldest villages in the western Himalaya. The village was once the seat of Vedic learning. Even today, some of the ancient houses could easily transport one to the early times. The broad, winding cobbled paths, the exquisitely carved wooden houses with small doors and verandahs that project out of these structures, the slanting slate stone roofs and large courtyards with piles of grain left to dry in the sun -- are strongly reminiscent of a rich past.
Today, some of those cobbled courtyards have given way to concrete floors. Slate roofs have been replaced by tin roofs. The clearest view of the extent of damage caused to the ancient structures is from a nearby ridge. One realises that a good part of the damage has been done by what art historians term 'pious vandalism'. Locals and officials, intending to preserve and renovate the old houses are ending up irreparably damaging them.
The village has seven ancient temples. The majestic Mahadev temple, considered one of the finest specimens of wood architecture in the region, was one of the first victims of this form of vandalism. "The beautiful temple was renovated and changed into an ugly structure by a revenue official, who thought he was doing a perfect job of it," says a regular visitor to Nirmand. A new practice of painting the wooden houses is also contributing to the damage. While the traditional polish made with apricot and linseed oil was safe and preserved the wood, chemical paints have toxic effects.
A number of structures have simply been abandoned, and a few are lying in ruins. The fortress-like Parashuram temple is in a dilapidated state. The main idol of the temple's deity was stolen a few years ago. And this is not an isolated instance. A caretaker of one of the many ancient temples in the village says, "Recently, a foreigner was willing to pay over Rs 100,000 for a single wooden panel of a temple covered with traditional wood carving."
A frequent visitor to Nirmand has this tale to narrate, "I took photographs of a wooden sculpture of Ganesha on one of the wooden panels. Later, when I tried to match this picture with a photo and description in a book called
Antiquities of Himachal , I noticed that earlier, there was the sculpture of another deity at the same spot. Evidently, the original one had been smuggled out and another sculpture had taken its place."
There are some attempts now to guard what is left of the precious artefacts in the village, some dating back to sixth century
ad. There is an interesting story about a copper plate that dates back to about this time. The villagers got together to establish a system to protect it. Eight members of the village panchayat have the key to the place where the copper plate is kept locked. If someone so much as wants to see the plate, all eight members would have to give their consent. Only then can the lock be opened and the copper plate viewed.
It is heartening that at least a section of the village has woken up to the destruction of their heritage. There are a number of voices today that express deep concern and dismay. "In the last 10 years, many of these houses have been demolished, and only a few have been replaced with the traditional wooden structures. Increasingly, the trend is to go for concrete structures," says Paras Ram, who at 98 is the oldest resident of the village.
Paras Ram is not alone. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (
intach) has been working towards getting the Indian government to declare Nirmand a heritage village. "This would ensure that no new structures come up in the area demarcated as a heritage site. Repair and restoration work will also be carried out," says B S Malhans, in charge of
intach's Shimla chapter. Malhans adds, "Once a village is declared a heritage village, it means funds will be available for its preservation and restoration from several national and international bodies, such as the World Heritage Fund, the ministry of tourism and culture, and also the environment ministry."