DANAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS (monthly updated)
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DANAM
DANAM, the Digital Archive of Nepalese Arts and Monuments, is the database of the Nepal Heritage Documentation Project. All of its content is available to the public for free and can be accessed online. Datasets in DANAM include structured information about the monuments' histories, object details, anthropological data on religious and social activities, architectural details, maps, plans, and drawings. The database offers photographic documentation of inscriptions, monument objects, and views, and if possible, documentation of social and religious activities. General descriptions are available in both English and Nepali. We also provide references to scholarly documentation whenever possible, either for further interest or as sources for our documentation or historical research.
DANAM is based on Arches (V7), an open source graph technology platform designed for managing cultural heritage repositories. Its content is shareable and interoperable, thus guaranteeing long- term access, sufficient storage, and the smooth usability of the monument data inventory.
To use DANAM, please click here. However, we advise that you first take a look at the information below. Please also note that DANAM is currently under development and is continuously being updated and reviewed.
When using any of the information or images from this website in academic publications, print,
or elsewhere on the internet, please reference:
Christiane Brosius and Axel Michaels (Eds.), Nepal Heritage Documentation Project (https://danam.cats.uni-heidelberg.de), last accessed:
dd/mm/yyyy.
THE STRUCTURE OF DANAM
Data Entry Status: gives you an idea of the progress of the data Input
Identifier: Pruscha refers to Carl Pruscha’s monumental Kathmandu Valley: The preservation of physical environment and cultural heritage, protective inventory, Vienna: Schroll, 1975 (Reprint Kathmandu 2015)
Maps, Plans & Drawings: Location Maps of Patan are mostly based on Bijay Basukala’s and Niels Gutschow’s map of Patan (1990) but have been updated. For Sunaguthi, we have used a ap of the Road and Transport Department and Bungamati has been mapped on a survey of Danish students and faculty in 1968.
Descriptions: This section summarises architectural, (art) historical and anthropological information, as well as any peculiarities.
Damages & Threats: this section is not a detailed condition assessment but lists the most urgent damages and threats to the monuments. If possible, photographs are added for further documentation (in the section ‘Monument images after 2015’).
Glossary: For terms in indigenous languages still require standardization and a glossary for special terms is currently prepared.
Visuals: All photographs, plans, maps and drawings will be successively stored and open accessible in heidICON, the object and multimedia database of Heidelberg University. All images in this database and in heidICON are and may be only used for non-commercial documentary, academic or educational purposes. Despite all efforts, it has not always been possible to obtain the photographers' permissions for historical photographs. Whoever feels that his or her rights have been violated, may contact us, so we can take appropriate measures. All other photos used in DANAM are by team members of NHDP. Unless otherwise indicated, the copyrights on all of these photographs are held by the administration and faculties of the University of Heidelberg. The photos from H.M.G. Nepal/Carl Pruscha (Kathmandu Valley: The preservation of physical environment and cultural heritage, protective inventory, Vienna 1975, reprint Kathmandu 2015) have been predominantly made by Ganesh Man Chitrakar together with Sridhar Lal Manandhar and Carl Pruscha. Since it is not clear who actually pressed the shutter, we only refer to Pruscha 1975 and the approximate date of photography.
Monument’s Objects: Only the most important objects (statues, images, caityas, etc.) have been included here. Other objects associated with the monument (such as yajñakuṇḍas, maṇḍalas, jaladroṇīs, wells, oil lamps, platforms (dabu/dabali), bells, struts or guardian animals) are listed only when they are exceptionally interesting, very old, or bear an inscription.
Social & Religious Activities: This section mostly lists events and their agents but not detailed information of the actors. For the sake of privacy, personal names have only been given when they are historical and public figures, have been reported in other sources or when the individuals have agreed that their names are published.
Historical Events: Only historical events proven through inscriptions or paper documents are listed here.
HOW TO USE DANAM
Search: The basic search function uses a full-text search of all the material that is available in the datasets. As of yet it is not possible to sort the monuments alphabetically.
Advanced search: For targeted search queries, the platform offers an advanced search module with an option to compose specific combinations of filters. See the tutorials
ARCHITECTURAL REPORTS
Explore the list of selected architectural reports of monuments.