On track for opening in the Spring of 2024, Tamagi Museum and Learning Centre is a livelihood museum erected in order to educate and inform visitors to Tamagi. The main building will be the point of departure for excursions to 6-8 sites within walking distance (2-2.5 km total distance), allowing visitors to conveniently and safely access local resources such as holy shrines, viewpoints, sites with ecological significance  as well as a short meditation in the Enlightenment Stupa to round off their visit to Tamagi. Information regarding historical & ecological significance and walking distances to  points of interest will be available in the TMLC Office next to the main museum building and on the Internet.

The target audience for TMLC will be school children, students, researchers and people with family ties to Tamagi and its neighbouring villages – many of whom are living abroad – locals, organisations/associations as well as foreign and domestic tourists. The Gurkha Impact exhibit will be of special interest to ex-Gurkhas and their families with its focus on the direct and indirect impact recruitment of Tamagi’s young men has had on remote villages such as Tamagi. Community Development and Livlihood are TMLC’s two remaining focus areas, highlighting the chanages Tamagi has undergone in the last century. 

TMLC management will focus on disseminating information locally, primarily schools,  but will also strive to reach a wider audience by means of multi-media resources available through the Internet. Reliable wireless broadband connectivity to Tamagi via Pokhara has already been implemented and tested. Organised group visits with qualified guides will be prioritised in TMLC management strategy.

A local non-governmental organisation (NGO) will be responsible for the museum’s day-to-day operations (including security), management and marketing. Inquiries are invited: info@tamagicentre.org.

Starting in the middle of the 1990’s and extending into the first decade of the present century, 80-90% of inhabitants of Tamagi village (35-40 households) migrated/moved to the neighbouring town Pokhara, to other parts of Nepal and even abroad. Apart from subsistance farming, most family members are connected to an over 200 year long tradition of service in the Gurkha Army. The majority of Tamagi’s local population left during the period of Maoist unrest in the country. Subsequently, this trend continued also in the neighboring village Kuiredanda (25-30 households). Today Kueredanda is completely uninhabited and only abandoned houses are left behind while 3-5 families remain in Tamagi. Significantly, the original owners have retained their property (land) in both villages. This general trend was also charactereistic of 3-4 other neighboring villages, however the scale of migration from these villages was considerably lower.

Today (2018), none of the original inhabitants have moved back to their houses and during the last years, the villages have been virtually abandoned and the once fertile farmland has reverted into jungle. The traditional stone houses are rapidly falling apart, neglected by the younger generation while the older generations are gradually dying out.

The extraordinary qualities of these two villages – Tamagi and Kueredanda – are their location, accessibility, relatively intact traditional buildings, spectacular views, natural beauty and rich wildlife. However, poorly built and maintained infrastructures, e.g. roads and  electricity grids, contribute to their continued decline. Some gravel and seasonal roads that connect both villages with the outside world and facilitate occasional visits by the migrated villagers are intact, but most are in need of upgrade and regular maintenance. To our knowledge, no concrete proposals concerning the possible revival or restoration of these villages exist.

The Tamagi Village Museum initiative has already taken first steps to preserve and document the cultural heritage Tamagi and Kueredanda represent. Over the last 40 years, a Norwegian citizen of Tamagi origin (Hem Bahadur Gurung) and his Norwegian wife (Inga Marie) have systematically collected artifacts that reflect the culture, religion, tradition and the livelihood of people living in the Gurung villages and surroundings of Kaski district.  Starting in the 1970s thousands of photographs (printed and mounted slides) were collected and archived in order to document the rapid change taking place in these cultures and the surrounding natural environment. Together with the sizable collection of artifacts, these serve as the foundation of the Tamagi Village Museum.

Although Nepal has achieved some degree of political stability and peace during the last decade, villagers who migrated have not – for various reasons – been willing or able to move back to their former homes.  In the meantime, the abandoned and neglected villages are collapsing and dense jungle and bushes have taken foothold in what was once thriving rural settlements.

In recent years, Hem – the founder of the Tamagi Museum initiative – has dedicated a major portion of his life to finding a shared focus or “connecting point” that would unite people of Tamagi origin in Nepal and abroad for the purpose of rekindling interest in their shared heritage and reviving key elements of local Tamagi culture. By integrating existing knowledge and documentation of history, traditions, culture and nature it is anticipated that this endeavor will play an important role in education, preservation of knowledge and awareness raising among the younger generation who have never spent time in the village as well as visitors from Nepal and abroad who are unfamiliar with traditional cultures.

Hem Gurung’s unique collection of photographs has been put to good use to consolidate interest in the village museum initiative. Presenting ideas and concepts by means of these images, Mr. Gurung approached people of Tamagi origin requesting their support, cooperation and contributions so that his plan could be set in motion. His efforts have been rewarded by recognition of the significance of this initiative and by financial support, in Nepal and abroad.

TMLC is a collaborative effort made possible by generous contributions from current and former residents of Tamagi and surrounding villages as well as friends and family. Without the generosity and encouragement of villagers living abroad, the TMLC would not have seen the light of day – their support is gratefully acknowledged.  Various forms of assistance have been provided:

• Contribution of land for the project buildings, free of cost.
• Permission to fell the valuable trees/timbers available on privatly owned land for construction purposes, free of cost.
• Contributions of over 100-year-old framed windows, doors and other wooden material from the abandoned houses, free of cost. Many of these windows are still in excellent condition and ornately carved by the original carpenters a century ago.
• Contribution of stone slates from the abandoned houses – free of cost.
• Personal cash contributions to the project’s dedicated bank account.
• As a result of interest generated in Norway, members of Hem’s social and professional networks have made cash contributions.
• In addition to his own financial contribution, Hem Gurung works 100% on a voluntary basis.
• Various forms of technical and professional expertise have been donated on a voluntary/pro bono basis by supporters in Nepal and Norway.
• Finally, ex-Gurkhas and their families have donated various army-related artifacts such as uniforms, decorations and photographs.

If you would like to know  how you or your organisation can contribute to TMLC, please contact Hem Gurung.