The US Embassy Nepal, in partnership with the World Monuments Fund and the Chiva Chaitya Organization, has celebrated the successful restoration of the historic Yenga Hiti in Lagan, Kathmandu.

This project was supported through the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) grant, reaffirming the United States’ continued commitment to safeguarding Nepal’s cultural heritage and advancing economic growth in tourism to the benefit of Nepali and American visitors and businesses, read a statement issued by the embassy on Saturday.

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks joined local leaders and government officials to inaugurate the newly restored hiti and thanked the partners who made the project possible.

“The restoration of Yenga Hiti is more than the repair of a heritage site; it is the renewal of a living water system that has served this community—and the nation of Nepal—for over fifteen hundred years,” Meeks stated. “The US Embassy remains committed to the strong and long-lasting US-Nepal partnership.”

The embassy pledged continued support for cultural preservation, community resilience, and a prosperous future for both the countries.

The ceremony marked the reopening of Yenga Hiti’s water flow for the first time in 50 years.

“The restoration is part of the Hitis of Kathmandu Valley: A Water Heritage Rehabilitation Project, supported by a $275,000 AFCP grant,” it said. “The project aims to restore at least three traditional hitis in the Kathmandu Valley, provide hands-on training opportunities for students and heritage professionals, and support long-term conservation planning.”

According to the embassy, the restoration of Yenga Hiti was carried out through collaboration with the Yenga Club, Chiva Chaitya Organization, Department of Archaeology, and local and provincial governments. “Since 2003, the US government, through the AFCP, has supported 28 cultural preservation projects in Nepal, with nearly $4.6 million in funding, making Nepal one of the programme’s most active and valued partners,” it said.