1. Who are you and what do you do?
Ambica Shrestha is working with Nepal Heritage Society as a president and trying to help tourists or the heritage and make the people understand what the heritage and the art of the people are?
2. What is your background?
Born in Darjeeling India, she comes from a highly educated family and she is the eldest daughter out of 8 children of her family. She completed her primary education from Loreto School and Senior Cambridge Exam (Bachelors of Arts) from Patna University. Embellished with the aura of confident and stalwart personality, Ambica Shrestha created history in her twenties. In the 1950s, she was only one among few women with higher qualifications and a fluent English skill set. Working as a teacher of English subjects in Kanti Ishwori School for two years, she also ran English language classes and training at the British Council.
Ambica Shrestha is an exemplary person representing women empowerment at those times when women were limited to doing household chores only. She shared in one interview that she was paid only Rs. 80 a month. She was the first public affairs officer of the United States Information Center. In the 1960s, Shrestha used to assign herself to foreign missions and teach foreign languages. Her dedicated engagements in social and diplomatic programs and professional business have been the source of inspiration to all the women who want to embark on their successful dream journey.
Who else has thought about the heritage hotel with the stupendous collection of antique art and local architecture would stand strong among the most globally branded modern hotels? Ambica Shrestha knotted her tie with the Badahakim of Biratnagar, Dwarika Das Shrestha, and came to Nepal in 1955. Dwarika’s Hotel was a small initiation or guest house trial for the preservation and restoration of carved wooden artifacts of Dwarika Das Shrestha who was keenly interested in preserving such architectures. The small guest house turned into a large heritage home, the hotel has now over 800 rooms. After the demise of her husband in 1991, Ambica Shrestha raised the small hotel initially with five rooms into the most reputed and traditional hotel of the world. Now Dwarika’s Hotel and Resorts is known as the masterpiece of artifacts with modern amenities too. Youths are also trained here on traditional artifacts and sculptures and they work as craftsmen with income opportunities.
3. What art do you most identify with? What are your biggest influences when creating art? What does your work aim to say?
Ambica has working with Heritage Society, helping everybody to understand their heritage and keep their heritage, art and culture alive. Her work is to see that the heritage of Nepal, all the different groups, Nepal have different ethnic groups all over the Country to keep their heritage alive and to see they maintain their culture, art and the heritage.
4. What would you say is the most important art/cultural work you have done to date? Please elaborate.
Art and culture are one of the things that can be seen and understood restoration and preservation of the old antic pieces of antic craft wood craft pieces of Kathmandu Valley being preserved and utilized in a Hotel. She is forming a Dwarikas Hotels and Resorts as well utilized those antic pieces of wood craft.
5. Do you feel you, as an artist, has a role in society? If yes, how? Please elaborate.
Ambica Shrestha is not an artist but she is promoting art, culture and heritage of Nepal since very long time. She also serves as the head of the Nepalese Heritage Society and Business and Professional Women Nepal. She is a renowned entrepreneur, heritage conservationist, and social worker, believes in building the capacity of women and encourages them to participate in economic activities. Not only women, but also she has been restlessly promoting people and communities for better Nepal and the world eventually. Ms. Shrestha continues her mission to enhance the capabilities fo men and women in Nepal and globally through her experience, expertise, and her great efforts made the recognition of Dwarika’s like a living museum of Nepal’s archeology and crafts.
6. What does your dream artistic project look like?
Her dream is to see that the heritage that everybody understands their heritage, keeps them alive because that is the root of somebody, once person’s life. People have to understand and keep them root alive.
7. Do you have any upcoming events related to arts & culture that you’d like to tell us about? If so, please provide a brief description, a link to the event, and an photo we can use. Thank you!
She is organizing and involving with so many art exhibition during heritage day, heritage works been done.
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