Conservators working on the structural restoration of a 14th-century wooden temple in Bhaktapur, Nepal, have discovered a hidden compartment within the hollow roof cavity containing a collection of Tantric manuscripts. Written on traditional lokta paper, the scrolls contain unique liturgical instructions for the worship of the goddess Tripura Sundari, dating back over 600 years.
The restoration project, which focuses on the intricate wood-carved windows and struts typical of the Malla Period, had to be temporarily halted to allow for the careful extraction and preservation of the fragile documents. Experts from the Department of Archaeology, Nepal, believe these texts may provide the missing link in understanding the evolution of Newar Buddhism and its fusion with local Hindu traditions during the medieval period.